Pembrokeshire-born, Samantha Ivy Barton, has been shortlisted for a prestigious Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) award alongside former racehorse, Up For An Oscar.
Recognised for their inspiring work at Redberth Croft CIC, they have been selected as finalists for the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award.
Early in 2024, Samantha endured the devastating challenges of homelessness. However, she found renewed purpose in her work with Up For An Oscar, now affectionately known as Ozzy.
Samantha draws upon her bond with Ozzy, who is now a calm and reliable horse, to inspire and mentor young people from the local community.
Samantha is a farm manager at the Redberth Croft CIC community farm and equine-assisted activity centre near Kilgetty, alongside her role at local agricultural supplier CCF, and has built a cherished, and dependable partnership with the former racehorse, who claimed four wins from 25 races in his racing career.
The life-changing support he now provides demonstrates the remarkable versatility of Thoroughbreds.
He plays a vital role in helping novices build confidence and develop horsemanship skills, and is central to Redberth Croft’s mission, which provides therapeutic experiences for individuals who have faced adversity.
RoR, British horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of former racehorses, introduced the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award last year to recognise any individual, former racehorse partnership, or an organisation that can demonstrate how using a former racehorse has made a significant impact on the quality of people’s lives and helped to make a difference in their community.
Samantha Ivy Barton said: “I can’t even fathom that I got picked! I only started a few years ago, and it would mean so much if we won, I never thought I’d get this far to ride a bigger horse, let alone be shortlisted for an RoR Award.
“It proves that no matter who you are, or what you are doing, you can do anything, and that’s what Redberth Croft CIC stands for. It doesn’t matter what you have, there is still a chance you can do what you want if you put your mind to it.”
Redberth Croft CIC was founded in 2019 by the owner of Up For An Oscar, Daisy Coleman. It is dedicated to supporting veterans, individuals with additional learning needs (ALN), and other vulnerable groups in Pembrokeshire and West Wales.
The organisation is run by a team of dedicated volunteers who selflessly focus on improving mental and physical health within the local community through various nature-based activities.
Nominations for this year’s award came from across the racing and equestrian communities, with an independent judging panel facing the difficult task of selecting the top three finalists.
The public vote is now open and closes at 5pm on Friday, January 10.
To review all the finalists’ stories and participate in the voting process, visit www.ror.org.uk/awards
Recognised for their inspiring work at Redberth Croft CIC, they have been selected as finalists for the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award.
Early in 2024, Samantha endured the devastating challenges of homelessness. However, she found renewed purpose in her work with Up For An Oscar, now affectionately known as Ozzy.
Samantha draws upon her bond with Ozzy, who is now a calm and reliable horse, to inspire and mentor young people from the local community.
Samantha is a farm manager at the Redberth Croft CIC community farm and equine-assisted activity centre near Kilgetty, alongside her role at local agricultural supplier CCF, and has built a cherished, and dependable partnership with the former racehorse, who claimed four wins from 25 races in his racing career.
The life-changing support he now provides demonstrates the remarkable versatility of Thoroughbreds.
He plays a vital role in helping novices build confidence and develop horsemanship skills, and is central to Redberth Croft’s mission, which provides therapeutic experiences for individuals who have faced adversity.
RoR, British horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of former racehorses, introduced the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award last year to recognise any individual, former racehorse partnership, or an organisation that can demonstrate how using a former racehorse has made a significant impact on the quality of people’s lives and helped to make a difference in their community.
Samantha Ivy Barton said: “I can’t even fathom that I got picked! I only started a few years ago, and it would mean so much if we won, I never thought I’d get this far to ride a bigger horse, let alone be shortlisted for an RoR Award.
“It proves that no matter who you are, or what you are doing, you can do anything, and that’s what Redberth Croft CIC stands for. It doesn’t matter what you have, there is still a chance you can do what you want if you put your mind to it.”
Redberth Croft CIC was founded in 2019 by the owner of Up For An Oscar, Daisy Coleman. It is dedicated to supporting veterans, individuals with additional learning needs (ALN), and other vulnerable groups in Pembrokeshire and West Wales.
The organisation is run by a team of dedicated volunteers who selflessly focus on improving mental and physical health within the local community through various nature-based activities.
Nominations for this year’s award came from across the racing and equestrian communities, with an independent judging panel facing the difficult task of selecting the top three finalists.
The public vote is now open and closes at 5pm on Friday, January 10.
To review all the finalists’ stories and participate in the voting process, visit www.ror.org.uk/awards
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NewsTranscript
00:00I am Samantha Barton. This is Up for an Oscar, aka Ozzy. He is the most loveliest boy in the world.
00:07About five years ago, I was taken out of school from year nine, about year nine-ish.
00:14And I kind of just lost all will to do anything with my life.
00:17A little post came up about this little Shetland pony in a field.
00:20This little Shetland pony needs some playing with and some attention and just a bit of love.
00:26And I was like, I've never been a horse person. My family aren't really that horsey.
00:30And they were like, well, you can try it. So I tried it. I fell in love.
00:34And slowly and slowly, I got more confident with the horses.
00:38I helped them through Croft and Daisy and him.
00:42He is just the most amazing animal in the world. Me and him.
00:45At Croft, we basically proved to everyone else that no matter where you are, who you are, you can do anything.
00:52He was labelled dangerous. I was labelled as someone who couldn't ride, apparently, according to Moose.
00:57And then me and Ozzy got together, and now we go around taking over the world.
01:01Ozzy's done a lot for me. More than I think I like to admit sometimes.
01:06But this horse has done everything. I never thought I'd have the confidence.
01:12But he's given me that confidence that's proven to me and him that I can do what I put my mind to.
01:20I've always just been so shy and lacking of confidence. I'm just like, nah, can't do it, can't do it, can't do it.
01:25And he's just gone, you can do it. Get on with it.
01:27At the start of the year, of course, I had my whole life turned upside down.
01:31I was lost. I had nothing. I lost my house, my car, my job, basically.
01:38And I was just kind of like, well, what is the point? What have I got left?
01:42And I realised I've got this. This X-Racer with narcolepsy and a very special brain.
01:50And I realised that I've got to keep going. I've got to do something with my life.
01:56Because what's he going to do if I can't do something with it?
01:59It's going to be labelled dangerous again and told that he can't do what he can do.
02:03So I was like, you know what, just focus on Ozzy. Focus on what I want to actually do with my life.
02:08So I got a farming job so I could get more into the agricultural business.
02:13And me and him decided to embark on a rollercoaster of adventures that went amazingly.
02:20Most part, you have your downfalls, but everyone has to at some point in their life.
02:25And that's what started the year. It's really shown me you can be chucked in the deep end.
02:29But at the end of the year, you're sat here for a finalist award with your horse.
02:33And you're like, I don't think I get this far.
02:36Good boy.