Owner's elation to despair as winning horse dies

Lily Dane • Published 11 Mar 2010 11:45 0 Comments

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Robert Donaldson looking at a picture of his race horse Chief Oscar.

Chief Oscar, the Ulster Grand National winning horse from Fermanagh, which collapsed and died shortly after crossing the finishing post at Downpatrick Racehorse, was like "an old pal", according to the animal's owner, local businessman Robert Donaldson.

The well-known Enniskillen man, who bred the horse, described the loss of the mount with "a lovely temperament" as being like a death in the family. "He was such a true and honest friend - it was unbelievable," said Robert, who foaled Chief Oscar, which was born at Raceview, Enniskillen and remained there for about four years, before going to Downpatrick to be trained by Brian Hamilton.

Robert was at Downpatrick Racecourse for last Wednesday's Ulster Grand National - one of the highlights of the Northern Ireland racing calendar. He had actually been with Chief Oscar before the beginning of the race and patted the nine-year-old and wished the jockey Andrew Lynch well.

"It is the tradition not to leave the parade ring until the horse goes," explained Robert, who then watched the race on a television screen and witnessed Chief Oscar's ride to victory in the 3.5 mile race.

"Everyone was excited," said the owner, who made his way back to the parade ring; people were clapping as they walked down.

However on reaching the parade ring, the celebratory mood was soon to change as Robert learned the horse had collapsed and that Brian Hamilton had gone to see the animal.

Speaking in his Enniskillen office later in the week, Robert says that you were "elated" one moment and then hit rock bottom. The horse, which had just enjoyed the best race of his career, put his "head down and rolled over". He "burst an artery", according to the owner.

"It is so difficult," he said. "Chief Oscar loved that track. He won two Hunter Chases on it. It was his home track."

He feels so sorry to have lost him and said it was a devastating occurrence for Brian Hamilton, who had the animal for such a long time.

"That horse had a lovely temperament," believes Robert, who mentioned that he "had a great habit of nodding his head."

The Fermanagh horsebreeder has watched a recording of the race several times and says that when you saw Chief Oscar take the lead "you could see his appearance changing. He was out to win and that was it. The ears went back."

It was a racehorse which triumphed on a number of occasions and he had the honour of qualifying for Cheltenham last year.

But the animal's high point was its top success in Downpatrick last week at the Ulster Grand National - a widely spectated event. The honours were a Tyrone Crystal bowl and £16,000 first prize.

But then, for its devastated owner, Robert, who has a long held family interest in equines and has been breeding racehorses for about 20 years, Chief Oscar was "an old pal" and he would sacrifice everything "to get the horse back again".

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Mar 10

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