HODSON eventer Tom McEwen was among the winners at the national 2011 South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) and Retraining Of Racehorses (RoR) Elite Performance Awards, in London, writes KATE HEALEY.

The 20-year-old, a member of the GB team that won gold at both the 2010 and 2011 Young Rider European Eventing Championships, took the event horse award with Jess Mead’s ex racehorse Dry Old Party.

The 12 year old, who has been with McEwen for two years, was trained by Peter Winkworth in Sussex where he had seven starts in all but never finished in the first three.

McEwen took over the ride on the advice of his ex-employer, Olympian Pippa Funnell.

“I spent some time working with Pippa at the Billy Stud and she had seen the horse before and said she thought he might have the potential to go all the way,” he explained.

“So I followed her advice, went to see Dry Old Party and we have got on great ever since.”

The duo finished in 19th place in 2011 in their four-star debut at Burghley, and have also finished seventh at the three-star Bramham event.

They are hoping to compete at both Badminton and Burghley in 2012.

McEwen, who is trained by Bishopstone’s Rodney Powell and Alex Franklin and whose dad Bobby is a vet at The Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn, also won the best first time rider prize at Burghley with Dry Old Party.

RoR is British horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing.

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