Photo of the Week: Haunted by a spooky TB
Hugh Francis and his dark bay OTTB Piper Heidsieck often haunt the Old Dutch Church Cemetery in Westchester, N.Y. this time of the year. Francis, a retired mounted police officer, enjoys donning the Headless Horseman costume to help celebrate the holiday. He tapped Piper for the very special role of ‘spooky black horse’ a few years back, after a friend gave up on him. He was just too hard to handle. But in Francis’s hands, the gelding proved to be no spook at all. In fact, says Francis, “There’s nothing wrong with the horse at all. He’s just a high-powered Thoroughbred.” Piper’s […]
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Photo of the Week: The horse she meant to flip
New York equine veterinarian Dr. Dinah Skorich always had a “thing” for dark bay mares. And when she heard through a friend of a friend that 16.2 hand mare Athena (JC: Sneakin Mimi) needed a good home, and was offered at the rock-bottom price of $150, she couldn’t resist. “I have a thing for black mares with no white, so I went to go see her after a friend of mine had heard about her,” Skorich says. “I went to see her and she walked right up to me, sniffed me all over, and started following me all around.” Sneakin […]
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Photo of the Week: 1-eyed OTTB gets an A+
Four Fs and a D, the last horse to find a home after Suffolk Downs closed last year, is gearing up to compete with Hilary Popiel at the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover in Kentucky this month. A brave chestnut who was passed over and passed over due to his missing left eye, the OTTB has proven to be as game as any horse she has ever trained, says Popiel. “He can have people passing him on one side, and opening umbrellas on the other side, and nothing bothers him,” she says. “He’s incredible!” Popiel says her decision to train Four […]
