Shropshire boy turns rescue ponies into prize winners.

BBC News

4 days ago

A schoolboy who adopted three rescue ponies has turned them into competition winners.Theo could not ride before he adopted his first horse, George, from the RSPCA Gonsall Farm in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in 2020.He has now gone on to add Jerry and Elvis to his team, with all three becoming prize winners.The 13-year-old says he is really proud of what his ponies have achieved.
Theo said he was actually "scared" of horses, before he decided to give riding a go. After simultaneously learning to ride himself as well as training George, the pair went on to win 26 different dressage championships together.They used money won at the British Dressage Winter Championships in 2023 to pay for Jerry's RSPCA adoption fee. He was found by the organisation during a dog rescue during the lockdown. Theo has now outgrown George and so the pair are embarking on a driving career together, a sport which sees drivers sitting on a carriage pulled by a horse, taking part in a range of events, including dressage and negotiating obstaclesThe plan is also for Theo to continue the dressage success when he is ready.However he is already competing in showing and, among a number of other competitions, Jerry will compete in the Your Horse Live Championship in Warwickshire in November.
Meanwhile Elvis, who was adopted in June, has already won his first competition in the Young Stock class.The family are yet to find out any information about where he came from. "I'm really proud of them," Theo said."Because it is quite a big change to not know how to ride, to then winning lots of things."I particularly like working with rescues...because you always make them better than they were"So then you have achieved something and I like showing people that rescues can do stuff."
All three horses were adopted from the RSPCA Gonsal Farm in Shrewsbury, one of the charity's two equine specialist rescue centres. Dr Mark Kennedy at the RSPCA said: "We are delighted to hear how well Jerry, George and Elvis are doing in their new home after coming a long way through the rehabilitation process with us and it is wonderful to hear about their successes too."Seeing horses who have had a bad start in life developing into fantastic companions or successful riding and competition horses...is incredibly rewarding, made even better by knowing you are helping other needy horses by freeing up spaces for them in welfare charity care."
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