New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program: Every Horse Deserves a Home
Thursday, July 13 2017
By Britney Grover
Since its founding in 1992, New Vocations has become the largest racehorse adoption program in the United States. It was created to offer safety, rehabilitation, retraining and ultimately new lives to retiring racehorses, whether due to injury … [Read more]
- Published in General
The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program
Wednesday, May 31 2017
Rick Violette, Jr. got his start in the equine industry showing hunters and jumpers on the East Coast circuit. He also galloped racehorses part time before opting to make a career at the racetrack. Now, as president of the TAKE2 … [Read more]
- Published in General
roving Versatility Coast to Coast – Valerie Ashker Took Her Passion For OTTBs On The Road With A 3,300 Mile Journey
Friday, May 19 2017
By Lauren R. Giannini
It sounded like a Hollywood promo for a movie: 60-year-old equestrian and her friend ride two ex-racehorses 3,300 miles coast to coast to prove that off-the-track Thoroughbreds are phenomenal riding horses. It actually happened in 2016 … [Read more]
- Published in General, Sidelines Spotlight
Cassidy Sitton – Thoroughbreds in Her Blood
Thursday, January 19 2017
By Stacy Bromley Cheetham
You don’t need to spend long with Cassidy Sitton to realize why she has such a dedicated group of riders in her barn — her smile and sense of humor are contagious, and her commitment and … [Read more]
- Published in General
Seabiscuit: A Four-Legged California Movie Star
Tuesday, March 08 2016
By Susan Friedland-Smith
Scrolling through Facebook, it’s not unusual for me to see pictures of friends posting horse show images, but a timeline photo I saw recently of my friend Natalie jumping a cute bay stopped me in my tracks. … [Read more]
- Published in General, Sidelines Feature
Kimmy Risser: The Rewards of Rescue
Monday, February 08 2016
By Lauren R. Giannini
Kimberly Risser has a soft spot in her heart for horses, especially off-the-track Thoroughbreds, thanks to her junior show hunter and horse of a lifetime, Make My Day. So, when she rescued her first horse about … [Read more]
- Published in Sidelines Feature
Against the Odds
Tuesday, December 22 2015
By Doris Degner-Foster
At the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show at Pimlico Race Track in Maryland this past July, a young bay gelding named Atom was there mainly to gain experience. It was only his second show and his owner was … [Read more]
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Mary Jastrzemski — A Real Survivor
Monday, September 28 2015
By Doris Degner-Foster
Mary Jastrzemski began riding in a western saddle placed over a five-foot wooden coop jump. With her drink and some cookies within reach, 3-year-old Mary could “follow along” in the riding lesson with her mother at Quantico … [Read more]
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
The Joys of Showing: A Rusty Rider and a Green Ex-Racehorse
Friday, September 11 2015
By Susan Friedland-Smith
I admit I thought, “What did I get myself into? Why did I buy a green ex-racehorse?” when I took my off-the-track Thoroughbred, Tiz A Knight, to our first schooling show at the end of May. My … [Read more]
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Alice Faye — From Kill Pen to the Thoroughbred Makeover
Monday, July 27 2015
By Katie Navarra
It was the day before Valentine’s Day when Stacey Sheley, founder of Open Door Equine in McCordsville, Indiana, received a phone call from an acquaintance who worked to save horses from slaughter. The woman had arranged a … [Read more]
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight