Pembrokeshire’s Samantha Ivy Barton and former racehorse ‘Ozzy’ will find out this weekend, whether they scoop the prestigious Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) award they’ve been shortlisted for.
Recognised for their inspiring work at Redberth Croft CIC, Samantha and Up For An Oscar 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 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 winner will be announced at the RoR Awards at Cheltenham Racecourse on Festival Trials Day on Saturday, January 25.
Recognised for their inspiring work at Redberth Croft CIC, Samantha and Up For An Oscar 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 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 winner will be announced at the RoR Awards at Cheltenham Racecourse on Festival Trials Day on Saturday, January 25.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Over 10 years ago, at the age of 29, Lesley Sayers from Neath was registered as blind,
00:08which knocked her confidence around horses, her main passion.
00:12But with the help of her first guide dog in 2015 and support from her mum, Wendy, Lesley
00:19regained the confidence to ride again.
00:23That's when Second Brook, or Seb as he's now called, came along, who's been named as a
00:28finalist for a prestigious award.
00:31He's my best friend. He's saved me, and I am there for him.
00:37Every one of the finalists deserve to win, but anyone who knows me and has seen our story
00:45would understand that he is one in a million, because not many would put up with what he
00:54puts up with from me.
00:56The winner will be announced at the retraining of Race Horses Awards at Cheltenham Race
01:01Course on the 25th of January, but Lesley and her horse Seb aren't the only ones from
01:07Wales named as finalists.
01:10Nineteen-year-old Samantha and former racehorse Up for an Oscar from Pembrokeshire have been
01:15shortlisted for the Community Impact Award.
01:19They've been recognised for their work at Redberth Croft, a community interest company
01:25dedicated to supporting veterans, individuals with additional learning needs and other vulnerable
01:31groups in Pembrokeshire and West Wales.
01:34In early 2024, Samantha became homeless. She now works and lives here at Redberth Croft,
01:42where she says she found renewed purpose in her work with Up for an Oscar, now known as
01:48Aussie.
01:49I'd never believe for a second younger me would have looked at this and gone, no way,
01:55because it's so unbelievable, but it's so amazing.
01:57Samantha and Aussie now inspire and mentor young people.
02:01She's helping me out a lot and giving me the chance to be around bigger horses that I can
02:07help out with, and I'm really glad that I met them.
02:11Samantha and Lesley are both hoping to win for Wales, but they say reaching the finals
02:17in itself is recognition of the huge impact Aussie and Seb have had on their lives.
02:25Visit www.redberth.co.uk to find out more.