Inside autistic teen's incredible bond with one of Britain’s best racehorses
On the racetrack, Live In The Dream is one of Britain’s best racehorses and second favourite for the world-famous Breeder’s Cup.
At home in the fields, he is an extraordinary animal whose demeanour is an unbelievable help to the owners’ autistic son. On November 3rd Live In The Dream will line up alongside some of the world’s great sprinters in California in the $1m Breeders Cup Turf Sprint.
And there to watch him all the way will be Rhys de’Lemos. Rhys, 18, is autistic, epileptic and has a brain tumour. But when he spends time with his beloved Live in The Dream he’s a changed teenager.
Live In The Dream ridden by jockey Sean Kirrane earlier this year (PA)His mum Jolene, 44, said: “Live In The Dream is absolutely brilliant for Rhys. He is autistic, suffers from epilepsy and has a non-cancerous brain tumour which until recently has been under the watchful eye of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
“But when he is around Live In The Dream and the other horses in the yard he is so happy. He’s less anxious.
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“Live In the Dream is an amazing horse. He’s a pocket rocket on the racecourse but a real character off it. It’s lovely to see the horse being so successful on the track but so helpful with Rhys off it.
“He loves going down to the yard to see all the horses and feeding them carrots. He has a mental age of around six years old but when he is around horses he is a different boy. His younger sister, Aimee, 15, has been a rock for Rhys and is horse-mad as well.”
Rhys nicknamed the horse “Fred” which is the name all the family call him. Jolene added: “That’s the name we all use even when he’s running in big races - it must really confuse other racegoers around us.”
Her husband Steve, 54, added: “I can’t thank the trainer Adam West enough - he has been brilliant with the horse who has in turn been brilliant for the kids. Rhys & Aimee come with us to all the race meetings and will definitely come to the US. They will absolutely love that trip. This really is a dream come true for us as a family. And we can’t wait.”
Rhys said: “Seeing Fred always makes me feel calm. I love feeding him carrots, even though he nibbles me sometimes! He is my friend and visiting him makes me really happy.”
Steve is a director and shareholder of a Surrey-based insurance broker and the family is close to Epsom racecourse. West has a 46-horse stable in Epsom. The couple paid £25,000 for the horse as a Yearling.
It won the Nunthorpe at York as a 28-1 outsider last month and is now heading to California for the $1m Breeders Cup Turf Sprint. They are planning on flying to Keeneland in Kentucky for one warm-up race in early October before heading over to Santa Anita in LA for the big one.
Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club which stages major racing events including the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National, said: "Live In The Dream’s story is a remarkable and inspiring one, and highlights just what amazing and versatile animals racehorses are. The care and attention that goes into their well-being right throughout their lives is our sport’s number one priority and there is no better time to celebrate that than National Racehorse Week which ended we celebrated last week”
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