The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre (BTRC)

Fully Funded School Visit Fun at the BTRC

Fully Funded School Visit Fun at the BTRC

Last week we had a fantastic time with Class 3 from Beetham CE Primary School!

The children spent two hours at the centre getting stuck into life with our lovely Thoroughbreds — from learning all about our work, to pampering Washbear (who loved the extra attention!), and even helping out with yard duties.

Big thanks to Class 3 — you were amazing helpers and left the yard looking spotless!

Want to bring your school for a fun and educational day out? Drop us an email at office@thetrc.co.uk to book a visit!

Celebrating 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe 8th May 2025

BTRC had the privilege of joining the wonderful residents of Hartland House to take part in their VE Day festivities, as they came together to honour this historic day. A special moment we all enjoyed was Blue meeting Margaret

80 years ago today, the guns across Europe fell silent, marking the long-awaited end of the war. Streets across Britain and beyond were filled with joyous crowds celebrating peace, freedom, and the hope for a better future.

We are also deeply grateful to the brave men, women, and animals who fought and suffered to secure this victory.

BTRC Grand Sweep on The King George VI Chase Results

02/01/2025 – The Jukebox Man takes the win!

Following a thrilling race the results are as follows:

1st – The Jukebox Man (Ticket 5431 – Susan Turner) £1,000 Prize
2nd – Banbridge (Ticket 5311 – Judith Winters) £250 Prize
3rd – Gaelic Warrior (Ticket 0661 – Ian Holton) £100 Prize
All other tickets drawn win £20

If your name is below and you have not been contacted by 3rd January 2026 it may be that you provided incorrect contact details, in this case please phone the office on 01524 812649 by 10th January 2026 to claim your prize. Any unclaimed prizes after this date will become a donation to the BTRC.

24/12/2025 – The Draw Is Complete!

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets for the BTRC Grand Sweep.
Ahead of the The King George VI Chase on 26th December 2025, the Grand Sweep draw has taken place and the below numbers were picked out for the runners:

No.	Horse	Ticket Number & Name
1.	Banbridge Jockey: Sean Bowen Trainer: Joseph O’Brien	5311 Judith Winters
2.	Djelo Jockey: Charlie Deutsch Trainer: Venetia Williams	0501 Andrew Jolley
3.	Fact To File Jockey: Mark Walsh Trainer: Willie Mullins	3141 Jacquie Passant
4.	Gaelic Warrior Jockey: Paul Townend Trainer: Willy Mullins	0661 Ian Holton
5.	Il Est Francais Jockey: Harry Cobden Trainer: Tom George	3121 Glyn Jones
6.	Jango Baie Jockey: Nico de Boinville Trainer: Nicky Henderson	1662 Charlotte Williams
7.	Master Chewy Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies Trainer: Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies	3931 Barry Wilson
8.	The Jukebox Man Jockey: Ben Jones Trainer: Ben Pauling	5431 Susan Turner

Following the race, all ticket holders will be contacted on Friday 2nd January 2026 to confirm winnings and transfer prize money. If your name is above and you have not been contacted by 3rd January 2025 it may be that you provided incorrect contact details, in this case please phone the office on 01524 812649 by 10th January 2026 to claim your prize. Any unclaimed prizes after this date will become a donation to the BTRC.

First Prize: £1,000, Second: £250, Third: £100 and any other horse drawn: £20.

(Should the race not be run, your ticket fee will become a donation to the BTRC. BTRC are licensed under the Betting, Gambling and Lotteries Act 1963 and registered with the Fund Raising Regulator)

2024 Newsletter Available Now

May be an image of 2 people, horse, pants and text

Our 2024 Newsletter is out now! To read all about what’s been going on in 2024, including the latest news and a success story from one of our spelling horses click here.

If you would like to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox you can subscribe with your email address so you never miss a thing! Click here to subscribe.

BTRC Open The Doors for National Racehorse Week

Saturday 14th September, we had an amazing turnout for our #NationalRacehorseWeek Open Day at the BTRC!

Over 250 people joined us to meet our wonderful horses and learn more about the important work we do.

The visitors enjoyed ridden demonstrations from Team BTRC plus special guests BTRC Loaners Fran and The Pinto Kid and Helen and Our Young Un.
Fantastic new BTRC Ambassador Charlotte Jones shared her story from Pony Club to Professional Jockey.

Danny Wallbank delivered a farrier demonstration, chatting with visitors about his work with the BTRC horses.

Delicious home made treats from the cake stall were enjoyed plus a sizzling BBQ thanks to Cornvale Fine Foods went down a treat! BTRC merchandise sold well with lots of new faces supporting the Charity and long time supporter, Finches had their beautiful items on sale. The British Horse Society volunteers Sue and Peter shared valuable information about their work.

Thanks to everyone’s support, we raised over £2,500 to continue our vital work caring for and retraining vulnerable horses.

It’s always great to get feedback and thanks to Delia who took the time out to send us an email following the event to say “Hello there, I attended the open day today and just wanted to say a massive thank you for such a good day. I was blown away by all the care and attention you put into looking after the horses that come into your care. The talks and demonstrations were really informative, and fun to listen to/watch. I hope you raised a good amount of money, you so deserve to!”

The event would not be able to go ahead, let alone be a success without our amazing volunteers and supporters:

Wendy, Sue, Peter, Richard, Eve, Roger, Glenys, Karen, Joanne, Lynne, Maria, Melissa, Julie, Poppy, Liam, Sophie-May, Sarah, Simon, Izzy, Pat, Trish and all those who baked tasty cakes for us!!

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who volunteered, attended, donated, and supported the event. You’ve made a real difference!

Professional Jockey Charlotte Jones Announced as BTRC Ambassador

We’re thrilled to announce Charlotte Jones, professional jockey, has become an ambassador for the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre!

With a shared passion for aftercare and the welfare of retired racehorses, we eagerly anticipate the positive impact of this exciting partnership. Charlotte’s dedication to Thoroughbreds and her prominent position in the racing industry will be invaluable in promoting the importance of thoroughbred aftercare and supporting our mission to provide the best possible futures for these magnificent animals.

A local talent, Charlotte grew up not far from the Centre and just last week achieved professional jockey status after riding out her claim. In addition to her racing accolades, Charlotte has successfully retrained her own Thoroughbred, Altruism, and is a BHS-qualified riding instructor.

We look forward to working together to raise awareness of Thoroughbred welfare and enhancing the work of BTRC.

See the video below to find out more about Charlotte…

BHS Changing Lives Now Available at BTRC

BTRC are proud to be working in partnership with the British Horse Society to deliver the Changing Lives Programme which uses horses as the inspiration for change and allows disengaged young people to develop key skills and engage them back in to society.

What is the Changing Lives Through Horses programme?

The British Horse Society Changing Lives Through Horses is an alternative education programme where children and young people can learn in a safe and nurturing environment alongside highly trained coaches at British Horse Society Approved Riding Centres. The BHS believes that horses and equine facilitated learning can have a remarkable role to play in impacting on a young person’s life.

When was the programme developed?

The Changing Lives Through Horses programme was developed and piloted in 2016 with excellent feedback from the twelve centres involved. Since then the programme has grown, with over 95 trained centres nationwide and with over 2000 young people accessing the programme to date. Our coaches receive support to run the programme and regular training from our dedicated Changing Lives Through Horses team at the BHS.

Who is the Programme for?

The programme is aimed at children and young people aged 5-25 years who have become, or are at risk of becoming, disengaged or excluded from education or training, or those with additional needs that mean they need more support to maintain their school placement. Participants who have benefitted from the programme include those with special educational needs, including social and emotional mental health needs, and those who may have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences.

What does the programme involve?

The main aim of the programme is to develop and support 6 key life skills: Communication, Confidence, Teamwork, Building Relationships, Perseverance, and Responsibility. The programme is structured around two frameworks aimed at younger and older participants. Both offer horse care and ridden modules with structured awards and certificates that recognise and reward achievement. Activities contained in each award provide opportunities for the participant to develop in the six key life skills that are transferable back to school or further education opportunities, practice learning skills linked to their school curriculum and build a portfolio of equine knowledge and experience that could lead to a pathway of further industry qualifications.

We also offer an accredited Personal Development Qualification integrated within the programme at Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2.

Know someone that might benefit?

If you know of a young person that could benefit, please contact us on enquiries@thetrc.co.uk or call 01524 812649. For more information on the programme please click here.

BTRC To Host British Horse Loggers Competition

We are absolutely thrilled to be hosting the British Horse Loggers Annual Competition here at Whinney Hill Farm on 11th and 12th May 2024.

Spectators are welcome, come along and learn more about this sustainable method in modern forestry and see these amazing heavy horses at work. Further details such as timings and parking location will be released nearer the time but please save the date for this exciting event and keep your eyes on our social media for updates.

If you would like to find out more about the competition please visit https://www.britishhorseloggers.org/ or email steffi.schaffler@gmail.com.

Volunteer Field Officers Wanted

We require the help of volunteer field officers around the country to spare a small amount of their time each year to make annual visits to our horses out on loan.

We are looking for knowledgeable equestrians who can act responsibly on behalf of the BTRC. A training day will be arranged for new volunteers to receive the required training to carry out visits. All volunteers are required to have access to their own transport, however mileage expenses are covered by BTRC.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering for this role please send an email to yard@thetrc.co.uk with the subject ‘Volunteer Field Officer’. In the email, please include a brief summary of your equine experience and the area you would be able to cover. This role is open to anyone 18 years and above. We will be closing applications on 15th March 2024.

The areas we specifically require officers are as follows:

– Glasgow

– Millom/Ulverston

– Skipton/Settle

– Coventry

If you have any questions please feel free to drop us a message.

Lunging & Long Reining Training Day

Saturday 23rd March 2024: 9am – 3pm

Are you seeking to improve your skills and understanding of lunging and long-reining? Join BHSI Stage 5 Performance Coach, Debbie Wilson for an informative training day. The training sessions will be held at The BTRC, Whinney Hill, Aughton Road, Lancaster LA2 6PQ, a profesional and conducive environment for learning and practicing.

The day will be split into two sessions:

Morning Session: 9am – 12.30pm
Lunging/Long reining theory, including how to use the equipment and demonstrations. You will discuss a range of reasons for lunging/long reining, factors that may affect lunging/long reining and look at a range of common lunging/long reining practices. (BHS Stage 2 – 4 learning outcomes will be covered).
Cost £45 (Inc VAT)

Afternoon Session: 1pm – 3pm
Four x 30 mins slots available for you to bring your own horse and learn how to long rein or lunge. Maybe you already know how but want some guidance and support on how to take it to the next level?
Cost: £35 (Inc VAT)

The afternoon session is also open for observation – you will learn from each individual session as they will all be different.
Cost: £20 (Inc VAT)

Book Now

If you would like to find out more detail about the BHS Stages and the learning outcomes for each, please click here.