The beloved Glamour Stakes at this year’s The Jockey Club Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) National Championships has been renamed The Gemma Potts Glamour Stakes, in honour of a cherished member of the RoR community who sustained a life-changing spinal injury at an equestrian event in 2021.
Following the fall, Gemma Potts, from Crook, County Durham, required emergency spinal surgery at James Cook University Hospital and spent uncertain months in intensive care. Gemma has made remarkable progress and returned home after a subsequent three years in residential care; however, her recovery journey is far from over. She now requires ongoing physical therapy and specialist equipment necessary for her recovery, along with a 12-week rehabilitation programme at STEPS Rehabilitation Centre in Sheffield, with a cost of £10,500 per week, totalling £126,000 for the recommended stay.
In a powerful show of support by RoR, the renamed class now stands as a vital fundraiser, with all proceeds from this year’s Gemma Potts Glamour Stakes going directly towards funding this programme, helping one of their own rebuild her independence and quality of life.
“Being part of the RoR community has been such a rewarding experience. Competing at the RoR National Championships with Charlie was a dream come true and I’m incredibly thankful to everyone at RoR for the opportunities and the support they’ve given me throughout my journey so far.”
Gemma Potts
The Gemma Potts Glamour Stakes is a fun and inclusive fancy dress class that invites all RoR members, and their former racehorses, to get glammed up to take part in the Saturday evening performance in all their finery. Merseyside’s Jenna Foskett won the class last year alongside her former racehorse, East Harlem, following in the footsteps of Gemma Potts, who is a proud former winner herself.
The RoR National Championships, taking place from 19–24 August 2025 at the Aintree International Equestrian Centre, is Great Britain’s largest event exclusively for former racehorses. The six-day showcase features classes in showing, dressage, and jumping, culminating with the crowning of The Tattersalls RoR Ridden Showing Supreme Champion during Saturday’s evening performance.
For further information, and to enter The Gemma Potts Glamour Stakes once entries open, please visit the RoR National Championships page. To support Gemma’s journey and donate directly, head over to her GoFundMe page.
This year, the same weekend also marks the start of National Racehorse Week, an annual nationwide celebration of racehorses, and a chance for communities to see first-hand the love, care and attention that goes into looking after them. The 2025 edition will include more than 90 events taking place across the country, with 12,000 free places available for people to experience the life of a racehorse at training yards and retraining centres. Local events include Michael Dods opening his Denton Hall Stables on Tuesday 26 August. To explore the full programme of the events taking place between 23-31 August, visit www.nationalracehorseweek.uk.