Looking Back 36) Rushing Wild

                Rushing Wild (right)
      Picture Courtesy of Bernard Parkin

Rushing Wild was a 1985 born bay gelding by Rushmere out of a dam called Lady Em II.  He started his career relatively late on in life and unfortunately it was tragically cut short when he was fatally injured in the Irish Grand National in 1993 but he was high class.  He began his career as a six year old in British point to points in 1991 in the care of Richard Barber and was ridden by J Farthing.

Back in these days David was riding as an amateur jockey and he used to go over to Richard Barber’s yard twice a week and ride out.  One day, Richard asked David to sit on Rushing Wild, he was the best horse in the yard.  David was not overly impressed with him that day but it was a different story a bit later down the line when he had a sit on him up the Pond House gallops and he was pretty good in his pointing days to!!

Runner up to Double Silk on his racecourse debut in a maiden at Nedge he then went onto win his next three races.  Wins came at Didmarton, Badbury Rings and Tollerdown Gate.  There was then a small mishap when running in his hunt race as he ran out and unseated his rider at the sixth fence – I am not sure who was on board this day!  It was back to winning ways when he won an Open at Badbury Rings after this on his final run of that season. 

He returned to the point to point scene in February in 1992 and made a winning comeback at Ottery St Mary beating Knifeboard impressively by seven lengths.  Another pointing win at Didmarton followed before he lined up in the foxhunters at the Cheltenham Festival in March of that year.  He was always prominent and led at the 18^th, he was clear when he hit two out but won unchallenged at odds of 9/1.  He then went on to contest the Aintree Foxhunters over the Grand National fences and was in third place when he fell three from home.  His final run of that season was in a hunter chase at Chepstow in late April.  He won beating Fiddler’s Pike by 1.5 lengths.

Rushing Wild arrived at Pond House in August 1992, delivered by Richard Barber himself to embark on a career under rules.  He made his stable debut, a winning one at Wincanton that December in a handicap chase off a mark of 127.  He won impressively with Jonothan Lower in the saddle.  It was to Sandown next in January 1993 as he stepped up in class in a competitive handicap chase carrying only 10st1lb running off his new rating of 135.  He made all under Peter Scudamore, drew clear from four out and was impressive being eased down on the run in.  He beat Cool ground by 25 lengths and Nick the Brief was a further 25 lengths behind in third.  He went back to Sandown in February for the Agfa handicap chase and running off a new rating of 152 he finished runner up to Country Member this day.

He next lined up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 1993.  Jonothan Lower was due to ride but after Richard Dunwoody’s intended mount was a late non-runner he switched to ride Rushing Wild.  He ran a terrific race to finish second beaten two lengths by Jodami with Royal Athlete back in third.  He then went over to Fairyhouse for the Irish Gold Cup that April and sadly had to be pulled up after fatally injuring himself on the flat.

Rated 162 at best he won ten races from 16 starts both point to points and under rules.  He was also placed three times as well.  He won just under £80,000 in prize money but the sad thing is that he was cut off in his prime.  He was still improving and who knows how good he could have been.  Listening to stories about him from Pond House, he was held in very high regard and he is talked about as one on the best horses to have ever been at the yard.  He was a highly talented special horse.

Watch his win at Sandown in January 1993 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL838q5fMWk

Watch him finish second in the 1993 Gold Cup here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4THye_A5-3M