Cheering for Makaylah at Equimillion!
Equestrian Makaylah Fenwick with her Arrowfield friends (left to right): Grace and Glory, Let It Be, Rainbow Man & Jutland. (PHOTO: Arrowfield)
When 16 year-old Makaylah Fenwick from Lake Macquarie, NSW asked us to support her entry in the inaugural Equimillion the only hard part of our decision was choosing which of her four Arrowfield-bred horses to sponsor!
Together we decided upon Let It Be, surely a candidate for the best-bred thoroughbred at Equimillion. He’s a son of Arrowfield’s legendary Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice and New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Stareel – which makes him a half-brother of Champion racehorse and now leading sire Dundeel.
Let It Be was offered by Arrowfield in the same 2017 Inglis Easter draft as Champions Estijaab & The Autumn Sun, at the amazing, final sale held at the Newmarket sale-ground.
The exceptional racing genetics of Let It Be’s pedigree completely by-passed him and his best efforts were a couple of Newcastle trial wins for trainer Paul Perry who didn’t persevere with him beyond three unplaced runs as a 3YO. However, the care, early handling and education Let It Be received at Arrowfield and in the stable have undoubtedly helped him adapt successfully to his new life.
Makaylah and all four of her Arrowfield thoroughbreds will compete in the Equimillion Jumping discipline on Monday 1 October.
WHAT IS EQUIMILLION?Equimillion is a new equestrian competition offering total prizemoney of $1 million exclusively for retired thoroughbred racehorses competing in Eventing, Showjumping, Dressage & Show Horse disciplines. The first Equimillion will be held at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre on the October Long Weekend – Saturday 30 September to Monday 2 October 2023. Each discipline will include classes for junior, amateur and open professional competitors, with total prizemoney of $30,000 per class and prizemoney paid down to 5th place in each class. A minimum of 44 classes will be conducted. Racing NSW is partnering with Equestrian Australia to deliver this exciting competition showcasing the athleticism and adaptability of the thoroughbred horse for a career after racing. Visit Equimillion for more information including the Event Schedule. |
Q&A WITH MAKAYLAH FENWICK
A deep history with horses, passion, dedication, success & boundless ambition – this is common ground for Makaylah & Arrowfield and we’re delighted to support her participation in Equimillion. She explains her background and competition record, tells us more about her horses and shares her major goal as a show-jumping rider:
When did you start riding horses and when did you start competing?
I started riding horses as soon as I could sit up and hold myself on. I started pony club by the age of 4 and was competing in open competitions by the age of 12.
What is your family background in equestrian sport? Do you have any family connection with horse racing?
My mum has always had horses and grew up going to pony club, showjumping and eventing. The only connection we have with racing is taking on the Off The Track thoroughbreds and re-training them for jumping, or if that doesn’t suit them, finding them appropriate homes.
What’s your favourite discipline?
That would 100% hands down be showjumping, I love jumping.
What is your biggest ambition in equestrian sport?
To one day ride at the Olympics.
How did you acquire Let It Be?
We got Let it Be aka Chips from Paul Perry 2019 when he retired from racing – he was meant to be for my sister but she lost interest in horses and I took him on. He was the start to our Arrowfield collection.
How would you describe Let It Be’s personality?
Chips is a real sweetheart (his star is almost heart-shaped). He is great to work with, will give anything a go and has a very trainable attitude. A real gem to have around, just about anyone can ride him, he is very gentle and calm with beginners.
How many horses do you work with in total and where do they live?
I currently have 5 retired thoroughbreds in work and four of them are Arrowfield horses: Let It Be, Grace and Glory (Olympic Glory-Ocean Challenger), Rainbow Man (Animal Kingdom-Rainbow Bridge) and Jutland (Dundeel-Ribe) are all in work and range in jumping ability from 70cm up to 130cm. The horses are all kept on our farm at Lake Macquarie where they’re currently roughing it in the paddocks waiting for Dad to build our stables.
What is your biggest win to date?
I can’t name just one, I’ve had so many great wins on my horses and have collected over 25 trophy rugs in the last two years.
What are you aiming to achieve at Equimillion?
I’m hoping to finish in the top 5 placings with all four horses – that would be amazing!
