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Meet the Betfair Hurdle winner still inspiring love and devotion 30 years on

David Carr meets Rodeo Star, still going strong at 36, and the team around him

Elder statesman Rodeo Star (right) with his younger companion Ninjago
Elder statesman Rodeo Star (right) with his younger companion NinjagoCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Some love stories last a lifetime. Ask the happy band ignoring the wind in a chilly corner of West Yorkshire to celebrate a remarkable horse, three decades on from one of his greatest days.

There is the trainer for whom he did so much to put on the map; the owner for whom he was the horse of a lifetime; and that man's daughter, whose love and devotion over more than a quarter of a century helps explain why the horse himself is still here to enjoy all the attention.

And enjoy is the word. Though it is 30 years ago that Rodeo Star went down to Newbury to land a famous victory in the Tote Gold Trophy, as the Betfair Hurdle was then known, he is full of life as he walks, struts, trots and poses for yet another photo at Bridge Farm in Boston Spa, which has been his retirement home for longer than most horses live.

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