100 SIDELINES MARCH 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
When Betsy saw this photo of Made You Look on the New
Vocations website, she knew he had talent.
Photo courtesy of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program
hadn’t been scooped up.
When he was still there after
Christmas, she decided to call.
Though the program’s staff was
reluctant to discuss the horse,
Betsy learned why. A father had
inquired about the horse as a
Christmas present for his six-
year-old daughter. He thought the
two, being the same age, could
grow up together. When he was
denied, he snarled at the staff and
hurled insults through the phone.
Betsy talked to the New
Vocations staff and explained her
experience with Thoroughbreds
and her interest in the horse
and convinced them that he
would have a bright future in her
program. Made You Look arrived
on Betsy’s farm and entered her
retraining program.
“They (Thoroughbreds) learn
well enough that you don’t have
to teach them the same thing day
after day,” she said. She can put
them into her training program and then turn them out to pasture
for a time while she works with the next one.
Made You Look excelled and Betsy later sold him to Selina
Petronelli of Maryland who successfully shows him in hunter/
jumper shows.
For Betsy, finding and retraining these horses is not simply
about the next sale that can be made or the profit she can turn.
She suspects she’s even disappointed a few buyers. “I’ve prob-
ably made a few people mad when I’ve told them the horse is not
the right fit for them and won’t sell them the horse,” she said.
Ultimatley, her goal is to match the right horse with the right
rider. Deep Thunder is a perfect example. He’s a sensitive horse
who doesn’t like to be touched, but knows his job under saddle.
At first, Betsy was unsure he would be a good fit for the woman
who came to look at him. Betsy rode first to demonstrate his abili-
ties. Then the buyer got on for a test ride. She pointed him to a
fence and asked too early for the jump.
“He knew exactly what the situation was and took care of her,
he didn’t take advantage of the situation,” Betsy recounted. As-
sured the duo would enjoy a successful partnership, Betsy sold
him.
For other horses, Betsy knows the right match is remaining on
her farm. Too Cool For School (registered in the Jockey Club as
Big Bad Bug) is one of the lucky few who has a permanent home
on her farm. Nicknamed Spanky, his mischievous personality
gets him into trouble turning over everything that’s not secured
or chewing on things he shouldn’t. He too was listed on the New
Vocations website. “I had to have him,” she said.
When she called about him, she learned he had a displaced
palate. Knowing he would have the talent to succeed, she adopt-
ed him anyway and sent him to Rood and Riddle twice for surgery.
Even after surgery, he still makes a slight noise, rendering him
unsaleable. “He’s incredibly talented and we work around his
problem,” she said. He is extremely competitive in Virginia Horse
Shows Association and the Thoroughbred Celebration Show.
Betsy understands that off-the-track Thoroughbreds require
TLC, patience and time. She is committed to providing her be-
loved breed with a second chance at success.
Throughout her lifetime Betsy estimates she has found, re-
trained and resold between 50 and 75 horses. She’s thankful
she’s had nice horses and has people calling to match a horse
with a rider.
“I’m 53 now and I’ve told myself that when I reach a point that I
can’t be effective anymore I’ll be done,” she concluded. Until then,
she won’t waste a minute searching for the next candidate.
About the writer: Katie Navarra has worked as a freelance writer in the horse
industry for 12 years. She has been a lifelong horse lover and recently purchased a
dun Quarter Horse mare with hopes of re-entering the show ring in 2014.
Made You Look came from New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.
Photo by Actions Shots Photography
