The sun shone, visitors poured in, and our Open Day turned out even bigger and better than we could have imagined! The event has grown enormously over the years, and this time the number of dogs more than trebled, all eager to take part in our ever-popular dog show.

Our visitors enjoyed meeting all our beautiful horses, some happily grazing in their paddocks while others came out to parade. We were delighted to welcome Chloe and her daughter Angelina, who travelled from Hertfordshire with William and Charlie, better known as Catalyse and Stake Acclaim. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful Keepers who care so deeply about their horses.

Poppy also rode Dual Identity, who spent his last day at the Centre with us before heading off to his new home with Poppy on Sunday. We wish them both every happiness and lots of wonderful adventures together!

A huge apology to anyone who missed out on one of our delicious burgers or sausages – we completely sold out! We promise to order more next year. Our ice cream man was absolutely delighted, declaring it his best day ever. We also welcomed more stalls this year, along with the RoR team. Natasha was busy chatting to visitors all day and was amazed by the fantastic turnout.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along and supported us.

We are thrilled to have raised even more money than we did at last year’s event. Every penny makes a real difference to the lives of the horses in our care, and we are so grateful to everyone who contributed.

A fond farewell to Nigel

This year’s Open Day was particularly special, as it was Nigel’s last before his retirement on Friday 23 October. Nigel will be greatly missed by all of us – and, of course, by the horses!

His knowledge of thoroughbreds, professionalism, kindness and seemingly boundless energy have made him an exceptional member of the Racehorse Sanctuary team. He has been a true legend, and we cannot thank him enough for everything he has done over the years. We wish him a very happy and well-deserved retirement.