After a slow start to the season, a hat trick of wins in Ladies’ Opens for Patricktom Boru during May, followed by a win for the improving January Don at Trecoed on June 3rd secured the May/June Dodson & Horrell Owner Trainer of the Month Award for Roger Willcox from, Bridgend in South Wales.
“It was a bad start to the season but it’s ended up good” said Roger, explaining that Patricktom Boru had been out of sorts for his seasonal debut at Blackforest Lodge and took his time to come good.
Having rounded off the pointing season as runner up to Dabinett Moon in the Skinner’s Ladies Open Point-To-Point Championship Final Hunters Chase at Stratford on June 9th, Patricktom Boru, remains in good heart.
“He’s in the form of his life, he comes into it at this time of year,” said Roger, “I was going to turn him out, but then I looked at him bucking in his stable and thought I can’t turn him away he’s too well. So he’s gone to Evan Williams and is entered for the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter on Sunday.”
Roger, a Life Member of the PPORA, typifies the grassroots point-to-point trainers that this award is intended to recognise. A builder from South Wales, he boxes his horses up daily to drive them up onto The Mountains, by the LLangeinor Arms, for their work.
On being told he was the winner of this month’s award and the winner of a bottle of champagne, 10 bags of Dodson & Horrell Feed, and a free nutritional visit he said
“That’s great I use Dodson & Horrell, thank you very much to them for this”.
Roger was nominated by PPORA Treasurer Ian Prichard. Other nominations for this popular award included The Brockbank Family, Amy Cox, Alice Dawson, Andrew Nicholls, David O’Brien and Tim Underwood.
This is the final award of the 2016 – 2017 Season and the PPORA would like to thank our longstanding supporters Dodson & Horrell for their continued sponsorship. Thanks also go to all those who have made nominations throughout the season for their part in making these popular and competitive awards a success.