Crewkerne-based Lalor, returned to Aintree, the scene of his most famous successes as a racehorse, winning a national dressage competition.

Having won the Grade Two National Hunt Flat Race in 2017, followed by the Grade One Top Novice Hurdle in 2018, he won RoR National Dressage Horse Intro Restricted Championship.

The six-time race winner retired from racing in March this year and is now happily enjoying a second career in dressage under the care and guidance of his former racing trainer Kayley Woollacott, and her sister Steph Jones, at Blackmore Farm. 

The Jockey Club RoR National Championships is Great Britain’s largest event exclusively for former racehorses, with six days of competition across various levels, including classes in dressage, arena eventing, showjumping, and showing. 

Lalor moved back to Blackmore Farm at the end of March, after finishing his racing career with a stint under Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls, and has been guided through his first steps into competitive dressage by Steph, manager of an equine content production company.

The 12-year-old former racehorse has only been beaten once in his first eight dressage events ahead of the National Championships next week, demonstrating remarkable versatility.  

In a racing career that spanned across eight years, Lalor’s most famous success was in the Grade One Top Novice Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National Festival in 2018. The emotional victory was the first at the highest level for Kayley Woollacott having taken over the license earlier that year, after the death of her husband Richard.  

Steph Jones said: “Lalor will always mean the world to our family for all that he achieved, he carried us though a very dark time and we’ll be forever grateful to him. 

“Aintree has always been a special place to us, as the home of his biggest wins. It’s a dream come true to be able to ride him there, albeit in a different discipline now. Lalor has taken to his new quieter life with such ease and really enjoys his dressage - he’s pretty good at it too.”