Left at a sanctuary in need of surgery, Rooney’s old racehorse
A RACEHORSE once owned by Wayne Rooney has needed urgent surgery after being left at a rescue centre.
Switcharooney was bought by the former England footballer and his wife Coleen for £63,000 five years ago.
But the horse was retired after failing to place in six races.
That was the last that was heard of Switcharooney until this week, when the Racehorse Rescue Centre in Cumbria revealed on Facebook that the seven-year-old had been handed in and had required a £2,500 operation to remove a keratoma, a benign but painful growth on a hoof.
RRC appealed for donations after it and another charity, Retraining of
‘Wayne lovingly cared for him’
Racehorses, paid for the surgery. It said: ‘Sadly this is the case for many horses that don’t make it [in racing]. We just want to give him a future as he is still young and very loveable, ideal for our therapy programmes.’
Facebook users criticised multimillionaire Rooney, 31, who rejoined Everton from Manchester United in the summer, for not paying the vets’ bill.
But the footballer’s representatives said Rooney had relinquished ownership of the horse in 2013 to his business manager Paul Stretford. They insisted that Rooney and Mr Stretford had continued to pay for Switcharooney’s upkeep and veterinary bills until August, when their stable manager Andy Brooks had taken over full responsibility.
‘He was lovingly cared for,’ the spokesman said. ‘Neither Wayne nor Paul was aware, when the horse was gifted to Mr Brooks, that he would – within weeks – present him at a charity.’
Mr Brooks could not be reached for comment last night. Retraining of Racehorses said there was nothing to suggest the Rooneys had not fulfilled their responsibilities for finding a suitable home for the horse at the end of the its racing career and that Switcharooney has had ‘at least additional two owners’ since the Rooneys.