It’s certainly safe to say that Boogie Bootie has exceeded all expectations this year much to the surprise and delight of owners John Gilvear and Hamish Muirhead. He was recently crowned the 2009 SHRC Horse of the Year following an impressive 9 wins in Scotland which was also more than any other horse that competed under BHRC rules. Gordon and John Gilvear let us know what Boogie Boogie gets up to on a day to day basis.

Boogie Bootie starts the day with his morning feed along with the rest of the stable at around 7am each morning. Around 8.15 the jogging starts with Boogie one of the first to go out. Gordon Gilvear (son of trainer John and regular driver of Boogie Bootie) explains “I like the horses to jog in company as often as possible and keep them relaxed. Boogie is an easy horse to jog, so much so that my 12 year old nephew Logan jogs him at the weekends.”



He jogs in an open bridle with a loose overcheck and he trots all the way. On a normal day Boogie will jog around 4 miles or 25-30mins however the day before a race he will jog for 20mins.
Once jogging is complete he is walked back to the stables, is stripped down, given a drink and bathed before returning to the stable to cool down. Once cooled out he will often spend 30-45mins or so in a grass paddock or will be walked for 10mins and given a bite of grass. “I think it keeps the horses fresh and prevents boredom by giving them some time in the paddock. I really believe this has helped keep him so fresh all year. The grass is also great for them. Boogie loves being out in the paddock and loves to get down and roll” Gordon said.



Once done in the paddock he’s put in the crossties and is given a good brush all over. “I like to spend a bit time giving the horses a brush when there cooled out. Most horses enjoy getting a good brush and its important to have some pride about your horse to ensure he looks well”



Around 12.30 is lunchtime and Boogie like the rest of the stable is given a scoop of mix to see him through to dinner time at around 5pm. Boogie is spoiled from time to time as he often gets some Manuka honey in his feed. “It was actually my mum Mo that started giving it to him. It certainly doesn't do him any harm and he seems to enjoy it so we just keep on giving him it”.

“He really is a simple horse to do” explains trainer John Gilvear. “He doesn’t require any bandages or vet work, he’s very quiet and easy to work with and I just hope he continues to stay sound and improve again next year.”
Talking about vet work and John goes on to discuss how the only real vet work Boogie has had wasn’t such a pleasant experience for him. “Well he was a full horse last year and he showed no real desire to race so we got the vet to check him out. He said we MUST geld him as his testicles were more suited to a Clydesdale than a Standardbred!! So we had him gelded and although he took his time to get going this year he has shown that he has ability and I knew he would turn out alright. People wrote him off but i’ve stood up for him the whole time and told everyone he would turn out to be a good horse. Hopefully he continues to improve again next year.”