Rafeekah
Horse & Hound|March 18, 2021
At only six years old, the striking grey Arab gelding landed his first Horse of the Year Show title. Alex Robinson meets the connections of this all-round superstar with plenty left to give
Alex Robinson
Rafeekah

Need to know

RAFEEKAH

Breed: Pure-bred Arab

Breeding: by Designed out of Kaamelia (by Emiliusz)

Age: eight

Breeder: Helen Cawley

Height: 153cm Rider: Kimberley Bates

Owner: Kerry Bates

Best results: 2019, first Simon Constable’s Equine Vets and Mr and Mrs Roberts HOYS ridden pure-bred Arab of the year championship; first and champion pure-bred Arab HOYS qualifier at Stoneleigh Horse Show; first and reserve champion pure-bred Arab HOYS qualifier at Royal Cheshire County Show.

RIDER KIMBERLEY BATES

“IT was never the intention to buy an Arab. In 2017, I’d just finished my years in mountain and moorland young rider classes and was on the hunt for something new. We went to view a part-bred Arab at Rafeekah’s former owner Nina Hutton-McKenzie’s yard and while it was a nice pony, Nina made the mistake of showing us around the rest of her set-up. Rafeekah – know as Meekah – was out in the field showing off and he looked amazing. We’d never owned an Arab before and we had no clue what we were doing, but he was just so gorgeous.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 18, 2021 من Horse & Hound.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 18, 2021 من Horse & Hound.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من HORSE & HOUND مشاهدة الكل
Jappeloup
Horse & Hound

Jappeloup

A small horse who looked like two halves put together’, Jappeloup nonetheless proved to have a big heart and a huge talent”.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 23, 2024
Collett takes two
Horse & Hound

Collett takes two

A bumper fixture hosts 12 intermediate and open intermediate sections, as Paris contenders blow away the cobwebs

time-read
4 mins  |
May 23, 2024
Capitalise on buyers' remorse
Horse & Hound

Capitalise on buyers' remorse

Equestrian properties might be in short supply, but prices are back to normal after the Covid frenzy as the capital lures buyers again

time-read
5 mins  |
May 23, 2024
Games making
Horse & Hound

Games making

Equestrianism will be in the thick of the action in Paris, but the logistics of hosting Olympics in the heart of an iconic city are a challenge. Kate Johnson asks organisers, riders and grooms for their memories of urban Olympic sites

time-read
7 mins  |
May 23, 2024
On the bench
Horse & Hound

On the bench

Being picked as the \"fourth man\" to support a three-man Olympic team, ready to step in at any moment in the competition, requires a resilient and unflinchingly sportsmanlike mindset.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 23, 2024
A brush with the Games
Horse & Hound

A brush with the Games

Want to know what really goes into preparing an Olympic campaign? Bethany Stone speaks to top industry grooms with star-studded CVs for the scoop

time-read
4 mins  |
May 23, 2024
One moment in time
Horse & Hound

One moment in time

The Olympics is the zenith of an athlete's career but precious few scale those giddy heights. Sue Polley asks four British Olympians about their most memorable experiences

time-read
4 mins  |
May 23, 2024
'Pride? I just felt relief
Horse & Hound

'Pride? I just felt relief

Blyth Tait on jumping barn roofs, \"freezing\" in the Atlanta heat and the day his eight-year-old prodigy won Olympic gold

time-read
4 mins  |
May 23, 2024
Mental health advocate
Horse & Hound

Mental health advocate

Harry Dunlop retired from training in 2022, having held his licence for 16 years. He founded the Trainer Support Network in 2023

time-read
3 mins  |
May 23, 2024
Hugo Simon
Horse & Hound

Hugo Simon

The six-time Olympian tells Bernard Bale about his \"extraterrestrial\" string of horses, changing nationality and his success at the boycotted Games

time-read
6 mins  |
May 23, 2024