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Lady Buttons captured the hearts of so many during her National Hunt Career, earning her the nickname of 'The Queen of the North', under the guidance of Yorkshire-based trainer Phil Kirby and owner/breeder Jayne Sivills.
Lady Buttons captured the hearts of so many during her National Hunt Career, earning her the nickname of ‘The Queen of the North’, under the guidance of Yorkshire-based trainer Phil Kirby and owner/breeder Jayne Sivills.
Amongst her accolades she was two-time winner of the Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster and also a dual winner of the Listed Mares’ Hurdle at Wetherby. During her career she earnt almost £300,000 in prize-money and won an impressive 15 of her 33 races under rules between 2013 and 2020.
She was retired after injury after finishing an honourable seventh in the Grade 1 Mare’s Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020 with a BHA Rating of 150, her highest-ever mark. Plans for breeding were dashed when a problem was discovered which meant she could not get in foal, so what next for Lady B?
Jayne called on Lady B’s former work rider, Jennie Durrans, who now lives and works in Seahouses in Northumberland with her partner, Lady B’s former Jockey turned trainer, Adam Nicol, and Lady B moved in to the yard in February 2023 and Jennie has been working on her re-training, going right back to basics and starting from scratch. Jennie said “Lady B has made remarkable progress, she is a joy to ride, with just the right kind of energy. She is so easy-going, but is also very intelligent, loves her job and wants to please – she is totally amazing”
The partnership made a last-minute entry to Alnwick Ford Show, in RoR showing classes in the summer of 2023, and were astounded to walk away, winning all three of the classes they entered, including the RoR amateur ridden show sereis qualifier. Jennie had never really thought of Lady B as being a show horse, thinking of her as more of an eventer, but as the show had been local thought they would have a go, and that it would be good practise.
Lady B and Jennie joined seven other outstanding RoR horses, in a Parade at Aintree Racecourse, on the Friday of the Grand National meeting, which was an amazing day for everyone.
Her 2024 season stalled a little as she had a nasty accident, hitting her head in the box at her first show, which took some time to heal, and Jennie concentrated on dressage at home before getting her back out to shows again. Buttons qualified for the London International on her 2nd attempt, and Jennie headed into the final with “zero expectations”.
This was her very first indoor show, and Jennie was not at all sure how Buttons would react. However as always, she dealt with it in her stride, and behaved impeccably, triumphing as winner of the Agria Racehorse to Showhorse final in December 2024. The huge smile on Jennie’s face says it all!
