Tweenhills Dragon Boat finalists again for Racing Welfare

Team Tweenhills reached the final of The Great Racing Welfare Boat Race at Windsor Racecourse for the second year running. Last year, in a field of 12 it was silver medal for Tweenhills and this time around, with 20 teams starting, we finished a gallant third. We're certainly consistent!

Eleven of Tweenhills’ finest lined up for the second renewal of The Great Racing Welfare Boat Race on Wednesday 4^th September, including former Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle-winning jockey Graham McCourt as drummer, just like 12 months earlier. 

The team was then as follows: Tallulah Owens-Curtis and Samantha Pottinger on the front, Adam Brookes and George Palin second row, Ivo Thomas and Alfie Larcombe powering the middle, Alice Thurtle and Scott Marshall next and Alicia Plaistow and Amelia MacPherson doing vital work at the rear.

There was no place in the squad this year for our leader David Redvers as he was only just getting back from a cruise around Sicily - though to his credit he made it to the course in time to cheer the team on. 

Each of the 20 teams competed in 2 heats and your fastest time carried through to the semi-finals, which was consist of 6 teams (3 in each semi-final). 

So the pressure was on to nail a fast time. With one team missing, Tweenhills beat our sole rival in the opening heat in a time of 37.71secs for the 200m course. A time fractionally slower in the second heat was a tad disappointing - most of the team tucking into katsu chicken goujons and chips between legs probably didn't help - though still good enough for another win.

After a slightly nervy wait, Tweenhills qualified as the 4^th fastest team and made our way through to the semi-finals. Taking on the mantle of representing the stud farms, with Newsells having failed to get through the heats, we were up against teams from the jumping fraternity, representing the yards of Nicky Henderson and Chris Gordon.

After a titanic battle – though thankfully no one was sunk – Tweenhills won our semi-final in a dazzling 35.51secs and, for the second year running, were in the 3-boat final. The Henderson team tied for the fastest loser spot with another team from the other semi-final and had to duke it out for a spot in the final, with the Henderson team just doing enough.

So, The Great Racing Welfare Boat Race final consisted of Team Tweenhills, Nicky Henderson’s team (making its debut at the event) and ‘The Oarsome Crew’, an outfit made up of members of staff from the yards of Andrew Balding, Ralph Beckett and Richard Hannon – many of them, in an act clearly designed to put off their rivals, wearing face masks of said trainers.

No sooner had the bookies priced up, the race was off with Tweenhills slightly on the back foot leaving the stalls. As hard as we tried, we just could not reel in the other teams, as the National Hunt team of Nicky Henderson (though minus Nicky) drew on their stamina reserves to hold off the Flat crew, with Tweenhills half a length further behind.

Frustratingly, the time of the final was not the fastest of the day. Our 35.51secs remained the 2^nd fastest time overall by just 0.16secs, set by The Oarsome Crew before the final – but such is Dragon Boat racing at the very highest level and fair play the Henderson team for producing when it mattered and beating both of us.

That’s now a bronze and a silver for Team Tweenhills in the first 2 runnings of The Great Racing Welfare Boat Race – gold in 2025?

Each team raised at least £500 for Racing Welfare – and one teamed raised £7,000 – and a great day was had. Our thanks go to all the Racing Welfare team for a great event and we are very proud to support the cause (click HERE to donate).