The five-year-old bay gelding, ridden by Katie, won the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse of the Year Championship at the Horse of the Year Show, held at the NEC, Birmingham.

 

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, First Receiver won just shy of £20,000 during his racing career on the flat. He was then sent to Katie's yard at Collins Farm, Essex and has made a very successful transition to the world of showing, claiming five victories from seven outings this year, including qualifying for Horse of the Year Show at Burghley Horse Trials, just four days before the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

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Now owned by The King, First Receiver secured His Majesty’s first win; he will now go forward to Sunday Evening’s Supreme Products Supreme Horse of the Year Championship, with other major class winners following five days of competition.

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“I was so upset, like the whole country and the world after losing Her Majesty, it was the worst thing that could ever possibly happen,”  said Katie. “Her passion for her horses, her home-bred horses, I am riding five of them here at HOYS this week, and when I first rode for her 20 years ago, she said then that she wanted to win at the Horse of the Year Show, and now I’ve finally done it. I was terrified with the anticipation of it all. I really just wanted to finish the job properly, and I made it".

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“He was out of training 18 months ago, and he was quite tricky to start with, but we took our time with him. I really wanted to get him here, and when he won Burghley, The Queen was told he would be going to the Horse of the Year Show. He was the last show horse winner that she had. This means so much to me and the rest of the team, and The King is my next port of call.”