Racing Victoria renews partnership with Equestrian Victoria

Racing Victoria (RV) is pleased to announce that it has renewed its partnership with Equestrian Victoria (EV) by extending its Off The Track Program’s naming rights sponsorship for the 2022-23 season.

The announcement comes as RV and EV host the annual Off The Track Awards Luncheon at Werribee Mansion today (Wednesday, 5 October), where the 2021-22 RV Acknowledged Retrainer of the Year and Off The Track Horses of the Year will be announced.

The long-standing association between RV and EV has seen an increase in the number of Off The Track thoroughbreds competing in equestrian events since the introduction of RV’s Off The Track Program in 2012.

This has made thoroughbreds a popular choice with equestrian competitors of all abilities and disciplines, with demand for the breed rising over the past decade. This was highlighted at 2022 Melbourne International 3 Day Event where 64 out of 174 competing horses were Off The Track thoroughbreds.

This included 12-year-old Off The Track thoroughbred Bold Venture, (raced as Hell On Wheels), ridden by Shenae Lowings, who took out the CCI4* Long event, and then went on to finish 29th out of 90 in the equivalent event at the FEI World Championships for Eventing in September in Italy.

RV’s Off The Track Program will again support some of EV’s major events throughout 2022-23, including Barastoc Horse of the Year (February, 2023) The Summer Show (January, 2023) and Melbourne International 3 Day Event (June, 2023), as well as growing the sponsorship of the EV Owner Rider Show (December, 2022) and The Wandin Park International Horse Event (March 2023), offering increased opportunities for riders of Off The Track horses.

RV will also continue to support dedicated Off The Track categories and prizes for riders competing at EV major championships and events across regional Victoria, including EV affiliated Horse Trials and Show Jumping events, as well as nine EV affiliated Dressage events, which will recognise the Best Performed OTT in preliminary classes, offering the chance for more Off The Track thoroughbreds to be recognised for excelling in their new careers.

Support for Off The Track thoroughbred owners and competitors extends beyond the field of competition, with RV’s Off The Track Community providing access to its network of Acknowledged Retrainers and educational offerings to help support competition preparation and thoroughbred care.

Since launching in May 2021, the Off The Track Community has attracted more than 4,600 users who have claimed more than 2,600 horses on the platform, many of whom the racing industry previously had no visibility of – and registering as an emergency contact for more than 1,130 horses.

RV’s partnership with EV is made possible by the Victorian racing industry’s dedicated equine welfare fund, which has a focus on the successful transition of retired racehorses to secondary careers.