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Patti Shirley on the farm

Ariz. horseman keeps all her horses safe

Every morning the youngster sprang from bed, exhilarated. Hers was only a little “job” granted by a kindly neighbor who doubtlessly wanted to allow the horse-loving girl a glimpse of his temptingly beautiful herd of racehorses. But it was an awesome responsibility for a 10-year-old.  “It was my job to look after the horses,” recalls Patti Shirley, vice president of the Pima County Horseman’s Association. Her work, essentially, was to guard them. She walked the fields to make sure the horses were all fine—that nobody had hurt themselves in a fluke accident— and she kept an eye out for trespassers. […]

Courtesy Onawa Rock Photography

T-bred activist donates show winnings to horses

Fran Burns has been described as a relentless crusader for Thoroughbreds. Tirelessly, she volunteers for Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue. Often on the phone late into the night, working on nonprofit business, she never loses her energy for championing the cause. And her own off-track Thoroughbred, Dreamer, who raced under the name Token Gesture, is going stride-for-stride right along with her. As a gifted show horse, Dreamer raises awareness about the virtues of ex-racehorses-turned- Sporthorses, and when he wins, all the horses at Angel Acres win. This is because whenever Dreamer takes home a blue ribbon, Burns donates to the […]

Photo courtesy Audrey Crosby McLellan

Lisa Molloy to exit New Vocations for VA post

After retraining 300 ex-racehorse Thoroughbreds in three years for the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in Kentucky, steeplechase-trained equestrian Lisa Molloy will, in two weeks, ride off into the sunset. Molloy, the fair-haired Englishwoman who is often pictured schooling racehorse prospects for New Vocations, has decided to relocate to Virginia. However, Molloy will not let dust collect on her riding boots for too long! She plans to start work immediately, training private horses at East Coast Equestrian Training Center in Virginia, and helping re-train Thoroughbreds for a locally based Thoroughbred nonprofit. Her decision to leave Lexington, Ky., was not easy, […]