AN ex-racehorse and his owner have battled spinal conditions, surgery and rehabilitation to qualify for the Horse of the Year Show, one of the biggest events in the equine calendar.

Jen Evans, who lives in the South Hams, is an ex-Kingsbridge Community College student and works as a manager of a drug and alcohol service in a prison. She realised something wasn’t quite right with One Sound Man, her ex-racehorse known as Samuel, after winning Yealmpton Show in 2014.

‘I wanted to make sure he was 100 per cent,’ said Jen, ‘so we traveled to B&W Equine Vets in Gloucester where he under went assessment.

‘He was diagnosed with Kissing Spine, with six vertebrae kissing and he needed to undergo surgery.’

Jen said it was an ‘extremely difficult decision’ as to whether or not to give him the surgery as the spinal condition has ‘such a bad reputation’.

Luckily, Jen said the veterinary methods have ‘moved on so much’ and Sam was operated on under local sedation and he was home after a few days.

Than began the long winter of rehabilitation which Jen said at times she ‘never thought we’d get through’.

‘I had a great Mctimony chiropractic therapist Sarah Hedderly who treated Samuel and guided us through our rehab.’

In February 2015, Jen rode him for the first time. She said it was ‘very emotional’ because ‘from the day of operation to then it was completely unknown whether it had been a success or not’.

From there, Samuel went from ‘strength to strength’ and the pair were back in the show ring in April.

‘We took things extremely slowly and just enjoyed getting stronger and developing trust again’ continued Jen. ‘After all we’d been through I wanted to give Samuel a moment or two in the glory and I decided to enter Search for a Star in July 2015 at Bury Farm.’

The Search for a Star competition was designed ‘identify horses and ponies which may otherwise not be given the opportunity to compete at this level. It is however, run by professionals and the standards imposed are identical to those applied to professionals.’

‘Much to our amazement we finished fourth out of 30 horses’ said Jen. ‘After this success we entered Vale view for the last qualifier of the year but sadly the horrendous seven-and-a-half-hour journey didn’t do either of us the world of good.’

Jen stayed positive for the next year and was ‘delighted by the positive feedback and my horse being out again was amazing’.

After a quiet winter of Retraining of Racehorses clinics and lessons Jen and Samuel started this year with another health scare, but thankfully it was revealed to be nothing after a scan and they headed to the South West Retraining of Racehorses camp at Bicton College, organised and run by Claire Blackham.

Jen said the camp was ‘three fun-filled days of five lessons from pole work, dressage to music and a lesson with Rio 2016 hopeful Hayley Watson Greaves’. They then headed to South Devon Horse Show at Newton Abbott racecourse where they gained our qualification for Aintree National Championship for Retraining of Racehorses Novice Ridden class and Tarra open ridden.

Feeling better then ever she entered Houghton Farm for the second of five qualifiers for SEIB Search for a Star Riding Horse 2016, thinking it would be ‘good practice for our local qualifier in Stretcholt on the June 12’.

Jen, her husband and new lorry dog puppy Yogi packed up and traveled the five-and-a-half-hours to Cambridge on May 10 to compete the next morning.

‘It was a beautiful venue and and sun shone all day’ said Jen. ‘Super groom Aimee Righton who was three weeks off her due date helped me prepare for a 27 strong class which was split into two.

‘I was in the first ride off and was one of three to go through to the final selection. Next round another three were chosen to go through, making six in the final. I was so nervous, could this be third time lucky? It was I got my ticket for HOYS 2016!’

The judges commented on how deserving he was and he gave the best ride for the judge in the whole class. Jen and Samuel’s journey has been ‘long and emotional’ and Jen said ‘to be at this point together is amazing’.

Jen has since set up a Positive Kissing Spine Stories group on Facebook, so anyone that needs some hope, positive support or has like her has proved to all the pessimists that there is a career after diagnosis can join. ‘Within a few days there were nearly 200 members which is just unbelievable’, she said.

Jen and Samuel now have SEIB Search for a Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifiers in June plus Royal Three Counties Show, Royal London Show, South West Pony Championships, Aintree and of course the Horse of the Year Show in October to work towards.