Gentleman gives the perfect gift

A racehorse rewards connections, newly-weds go head-to-head and unlikely candidates show a zest for the limelight

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GENTLEMAN AT ARMS gave Harriet Hammond “the best Christmas present ever” when they lifted the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) Rising Stars racehorse to show horse final, sponsored by Agria.

Eight-year-old “Arthur” was purchased by Diana Gardiner as a four-year-old, and was trained by Harriet’s father Stuart Edmunds – for whom Harriet is assistant trainer – and amassed over £90,000 during his racing career before retiring in March 2024.

“Diana decided to retire him when it looked like he wasn’t enjoying the job any more,” said Harriet. “Luckily for me, she wanted to continue to own and enjoy him.”

Showing is a fairly new venture for them both. Yet, within six months of Arthur’s retirement, the pair had been third in Hickstead’s Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) series final, before going on to win the open final and overall supreme at the RoR championships at Aintree.

“I’m learning at the same time as him,” said Harriet. “I’ve never done anything but classes for former racehorses on him – because I’m so new to showing I’ve stuck to that, but I might try some others soon.”