Story from Thoroughbred Placement Resources
Some retired racehorses are so athletic, so high strung and reactive that only the advance rider is a good fit. This isn’t a problem so long as the horse gets into the right hands. Rocky Times is one of those “high strung Thoroughbreds,” but lucky for him he got into the right hands so his hyper-reactiveness proved to be a great asset in his new career – Three Day Eventing.
Rocky Times wasn’t much of a racehorse, but once he got into the hands of Katie Frei, he became an incredible success as a Three-Day Eventer. “Houdini,” as Katie calls him, has risen to the top of his second career, successfully completing his first 4 Star Event at Rolex Kentucky, this year—the top level of difficulty in the eventing world.
It is because of the funds we receive from donors like you that horses like Rocky Times which were once less than mediocre can—in the right hands—rise to stardom in a second career. You make it possible for us to get race horses into the best possible hands. Our having such latitude allows each graduate from TPR to find his best career and eventually become ambassadors for the Thoroughbred. Thoroughbreds are bred to enhance their athleticism and when the most athletic fall into the right hands, they are destined for great things—just like Rocky Times who was matched with a rider who could showcase his talents.
***Winning in top competition increases the value of OTTBs, and as Kimberly Clark explains, “Increasing their value is key to ensuring a safe future for retired racehorses.”***
