In a flurry of snow, a new horse arrives
Stepping off the trailer into a swirl of snow from a storm that had threatened all day, the ex-racehorse emerged through rising steam as though descending from Mt. Olympus. In a flash Kimberly Compton DiCostanzo decided to name her new horse Zeus. Called Kinney up until that moment, the Thoroughbred got a new name, new home, and future career on New Year’s Eve last year. At the same time, he added a warm, soft presence to a barn recently bereft of DiCostantzo’s eventing champion Midnight, who succumbed to colic just days before. So when her 22-year-old champion died on Dec. […]
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Retired racehorse project unveiled
In Steuart Pittman’s experience, Americans love racehorses. They’re just unsure about the rest of it: are the horses “abuse victims” on the track and after they retire, are they suitable for riding by anyone other than daredevils? The longtime trainer and breeder at the storied Dodon Farm in Maryland seeks to demystify the racehorse through a new initiative. The Retired Racehorse Training Project offers clinics, symposia, lectures and apprenticeships to showcase these “proud athletes” who, yes, enjoy track work and later make ideal partners for myriad riders—even those “old ladies at foxhunts” who trust their ex-racehorses to never “put a […]
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Childhood love rekindled by racehorse
Name: Rambler Sire: Blush Ramble Dam: Tobin Sea Grandfather: Blushing Groom Height: 17 Age: 11 The old black and white photo of Dawn Elisabeth Engen and her first ex-racehorse Beaucoup is faded and just a little out of focus. The mother of three grown children and grandmother of four, was just 14 when it was snapped after a pleasure class. That day, and so many others spent winning blue ribbons while bounding around on her beloved mare, came into the sharp focus of memory about six years ago. She glimpsed a new photograph of a different horse. A volunteer with […]
