Former Seven Barrows inmate turned consummate showman Minella Rebellion hits the spotlight

As one door closed on a unsuccessful racing career for Minella Rebellion, another one opened in the form of showing. 

Saying the former Nicky Henderson-trained gelding has taken to his new venture would be an understatement. From just two years in the showing ranks he has won twice at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), the national final for all showing contests at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The first one came in the retraining of racehorse ranks in 2021.

Earlier this month, the 11-year-old son of King's Theatre held his own against non former racehorses to claim one of the most coveted titles of the show, the Epiony Riding Horse of the Year Championship. The bay was ridden by his owner, Katie Dashwood, an adorer of the thoroughbred breed having grown up in one of racing's heartlands. 

"I'm still on cloud nine and it's so good for ex-racehorses," says Dashwood. "They are so loved, we're all so proud of our horses, whether they're pleasure horses who someone wants to enjoy riding or a competition horse, the passion and the love poured into them is there. They have wonderful forever homes from people who just adore them.

"When you go to the RoR Show at Aintree, for example, there are just so many lovely stories of people and their horses, it's just heart-warming."

On her own background with horses, she says: "I born and brought up in Lambourn, where my father [Frank Mahon] was a very prolific racing vet. I was pretty much milk fed on racing and I was surrounded by thoroughbreds from day one, which inevitably instilled in me a love of the thoroughbred and breeding. If you're not racing you're not really living in Lambourn, it's the pulse of the place. 

"We were lucky to have ponies as children, Fred Winter's daughters were some of our greatest friends, while we did a bit of showing growing up followed by eventing, hunting and some team chasing. I got married and was working in London and got lent a horse to hunt who'd been a racehorse – also trained by Nicky Henderson, who has been a lifelong friend – and I also showed him a bit."

Step forward, Minella Rebellion. The Sunnyhill Stud-bred gelding out of the Hernando mare Adfala had been picked out by Henderson and Highflyer Bloodstock for not only his good looks but also his attractive pedigree. 

A neck second in a Dawstown point-to-point for Denis Murphy, the £90,000 Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham graduate is a brother to two black-type horses. They are a certain Balthazar King and the Grade 2-placed chaser For Good Measure. 

Dashwood says: "I bought an ex-racehorse myself and it's gone from there really. It's a lovely thing to do to give these horses another life after racing, whether or not they've been successful, and this one, Minella Rebellion, certainly wasn't a Seven Barrows superstar. 

Nicky Henderson: training maestro had Minella Rebellion in his care before his transition to showing Credit: Edward Whitaker

"Henrietta Knight has also been a friend all my life, I saw her and she said she had a horse. I asked her what it was by and she said King's Theatre. I've always loved a King's Theatre as a horse and a stamp. He was in training with Nicky Henderson and the best he could manage was a third out of five on a wet Wednesday at Fontwell in a hurdles race. Nicky had bought him because he loved the look of him and because he was a brother to Balthazar King.

"My husband, Nick Peto, had lots of good racehorses in the 70s with Jeremy Tree, so racing is a big part of our lives."

It is clear Dashwood has had a long love affair with the thoroughbred. 

She says: "For me, I love a blood horse and I think their brains are fantastic. Okay, you do get the odd horse who doesn't want another career and be trained, but when you look at what they can do – they event at the top level, showjump, play polo, do all this amazing long-distance riding, showing and dressage to a very high level – it's extraordinary how many equestrian disciplines they're able to turn their hooves to. 

"I do a bit of unaffiliated judging and even if it's ponies, it's the blood pony I'll go for."

It appeared the showing judges at HOYS were also in agreement with Dashwood about thoroughbreds. The riding horse division was created for a type of horse which was not as strong-boned as show hunters, nor as refined and elegant as show hacks. To that end, the types of horses can range from thoroughbreds to big-moving warmblood horses. 

However, Minella Rebellion led home a one-two for the thoroughbred, culminating in the pair receiving the champion and reserve champion awards. 

Dashwood explains: "The horse who was second to Minella Rebellion and stood reserve champion was definitely a thoroughbred too, although I don't think he was an ex-racehorse. For me, it was lovely for thoroughbreds to be at the top of the line as for riding horses there are quite a few models and stamps as they're obviously not a hunter or a hack."

The indoor atmosphere of HOYS is as different an environment as any for former racehorses, although Minella Rebellion has attended the prestigious show three times and flourished. 

"He went [to HOYS] two years ago for the racehorse to riding horse class, that was his first season and he was a novice then," says Dashwood. "He coped very well and loved the international arena as it's big and everyone sits quite far back, he's quite a claustrophobic horse and likes his own space. 

"It's a lovely arena to ride in and the audience aren't on top of you. He felt absolutely amazing this year – he came up to HOYS on Saturday night having done his work at home, I just walked him around and I knew he knew where he was again. I got on him on the Sunday just after 4.30am for arena familiarisation and Jo Bates, who produces him and has done the most incredible job, said she'd never seen him warm up better."

It appears that Minella Rebellion has effortlessly transformed into the ultimate showman, much to the absolute delight of those closest to him.  

"He felt fabulous in the class, the ride judge gave him 49 out of 50, so she must have been pretty happy," adds Dashwood. "When he went back into the championship he felt absolutely majestic, he just loved it and I loved every minute of it. 

"I didn't know what the result was going to be but he sailed around the ring, did a lovely gallop and felt a million dollars. I couldn't fault him."

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