'You'll hear a lot about him next year' - Native River wows the judges at the North Devon Show

There seems to be nothing that Native River can’t do. Following an exemplary career in National Hunt racing and turning teenager Zara Cox into a viral sensation by chauffeuring her to the school prom, the chestnut swept the board at his first serious show demonstration and has glamorous dates of his own on the horizon.

With Emma Cudd taking the reins, Native River’s star turn at this week’s North Devon Show in Umberleigh saw him take the in-hand class as well as showing some neat discipline in winning the ridden class.

Having impressed the judges with their presentation and movement, the pair's achievements earn Native River a ticket to not only the Jockey Club’s Retraining of Racehorses National Championships in Liverpool later this month but the final at next year’s Hickstead Derby festival.

"He has lots more to do and you’ll hear a lot about him next year," said bloodstock agent Tom Malone, with whom Native River is spending his retirement. "He’ll be doing lots of it and has taken to it all so, so easily.

"I think he had done two minor local shows before, and won both of them. This was his first step and it wasn’t even a big step for him. The future is obviously RoR in-hand and ridden, but I also want him to go jumping as well, because he really loves everything."

Native River, who was unseated in his only Irish point-to-point, was bought by Malone for Brocade Racing before his career with Colin Tizzard, which saw him win the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree, a Hennessy, a Welsh National, the Denman Chase three times and the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

His swashbuckling style, matched with white socks, blaze and sheepskin noseband, made him a particular favourite with racegoers and Malone equally adored his gentle personality, which is why he took Native River to his farm in Somerset when he was retired last year.

Cudd and Jazmin Hosgood come in to share riding duties on him most days, although Malone has an eye on having a crack at taking him hunting during the winter. 

Before then, he might appear at the Dunster Show near home later this month, and he has the RoR event, scheduled at the Aintree Equestrian Centre between August 23 and 27, inked in his diary.

"Never say never, I might even be tasked with riding him over jumps in a show some day or something, but the girls are happy doing all of that," said Malone.

"Emma has taken to riding him in his shows, they’ll both have plenty of fun with him and I'm sure he’ll be taken seriously in that sphere from here on in."

It is no surprise to the former jump jockey turned agent that Native River has excelled again already.

"He’s always been the same, from the first day he arrived in Colin Tizzard’s yard, anyone could ride him, everyone loved riding him and loved him as a person," he said. "His nature lent him to be very good at anything he’s ever wanted to do.

"I have him in the field here with three expensive three-year-old stores that I bought broken, he's out there and they’re following him around like the leader, it’s an amazing thing to watch."

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