A prize is being offered on Sunday for the groom of the best-groomed horse in the Velka Pardubicka. The prize is being offered by Diane Hill and James Fry, two long-term British friends of the Velka Pardubicka.

Diane, with John Smith, not only regularly attended the Velka from 1995 onwards, but also provided much-needed support and friendship for Czech stable staff and jockeys that were among the first to look for work in stables in England after the Changes. James was until 2021 co-owner of  International Racing Bureau, based in Newmarket, which provides a wide range of support services for owners and trainers who want to race their horses abroad, including in the Velka Pardubicka. Apart from bringing horses over for the Velka, James has offered his help for Czech stable staff in Newmarket who needed it.

Nowadays there seems to be a well-established, well-respected community of Czechs working for trainers in Britain, especially in Newmarket, and they are able to look after each other and also new young people who want to work for a Czech-friendly trainer in Britain. However, in the 1990s this community was only being set up, and it was not well known which trainers would treat Czech stable staff with respect and honesty, and which would treat them as cheap labour. To have Diane and John’s phone numbers, or James’s phone number, and access to their knowhow, was invaluable.

This year, Diane and James decided to offer their prize only for the big race. They also decided to call the competition for the best-groomed horse, rather than for the best-turned-out horse, as in the past. Diane thinks that ‘best-groomed’ indicates more clearly what the criteria are.

Diane is returning to Pardubice for the first time since the Covid shutdown, and is looking forward to meeting old friends - including James Fry – on Saturday and Sunday.