IT'S been a busy time for Susan Corbett's Girsonfield yard in Otterburn, with an Open Day for the general public in National Racehorse Week at the end of August followed a fortnight later by an Owners Open Day and Charity Auction along with a visit to Stepney Bank Stables.
The latter venue is an urban equestrian centre in the heart of Newcastle providing opportunities for young people aged 8 to 18 to learn all about how to communicate with and care for horses, as well as providing riding lessons.
More than 200 people attended the annual open day to celebrate National Racehorse Week, which aims to show the general public how yards look after the horses in their care.
There were demonstrations from the Corbett's farrier David Merry, chiropractor Mark Noble, vet Carolyn Cummins of Cheviot Vets and former conditional jumps jockey Robert Hogg, a thorougbred specialist with Girsonfield's new horse feed supplier Saracen.
The horses were then put through their paces up the all-weather gallop. Affordable racing continues to be promoted at Susan's yard with shares in her Racing Clubs starting at just £60 per month.
Raffles at both Open Days along with donations and the Charity Auction raised the sum of £3,000 which will be divided between the yard's two Cancer Charities.
Stepney Bank Stables offer riding lessons to all but particularly under privileged and special needs children. Listed Mares' Hurdle winner Pinot Rouge and rider Bekah Duffy were the stars of the show in the main arena, while another local trainer Tim Reed was also there teaching kids on the horse simulator.
Susan currently has 21 horses in training for the 2025-26 jumps season, including a trio of new recruits from the point-to-point field comprising Mr Ramoon, Ratemenow and Red Dart.
The positive impressions left after seeing the full team paraded at the Owners Open Day were confirmed when home-bred Dotties Promise scored on her reappearance at Kelso last Wednesday, while O'Faolains Glory finished runner-up on the same card.
Fulfilling the promise shown on debut at Hexham three months earlier, where she finished a close third to Matching Energy, the 5-year-old made all the running under a well-judged ride from stable jockey Nathan Moscrop in the 2m racingtv.com/freetrial Open National Hunt Flat Race.
The youngster kept on well in the final furlong to beat debutant Monte A Bord (Tom Midgley) by half-a-length, with Tristan Davidson's latest ex-Irish recruit Nobotheratall (Harry Reed) a similar distance away in third.
For the record, the home-bred winner's dam Harrisons Promise landed a Wetherby Bumper on her third start for Susan's yard under son James on November 29, 2017, having previously been placed at Newcastle and Kelso.
Her yard is sure to be well represented at Hexham and Kelso's October fixtures.
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