As I sit down to jot down the ultimate installment of Teddy Spaghetti’s street to thoroughbred transformation, I’m extraordinarily happy with how a lot he and our staff have achieved there. We’re so grateful to our household for giving us the chance to take our new 3 yr previous OTTB and 16 yr previous daughter alongside for the journey. And I really feel a bit of nostalgic that it is over.
The final time I checked in earlier than the remake, my Take2 jumper was out of the finals because of an abscess, leaving me with a trailer spot and potential stall for Teddy to make a fast journey to the Kentucky Horse Park for college. Nonetheless, after a lot consideration, we selected to be conservative and depart it properly sufficient alone. The potential for hacking across the Subject Hunter course (no horses are allowed to be proven earlier than competitors whereas it is being reworked) to get a really feel for the Kentucky Horse Park surroundings was definitely interesting. Nonetheless, we determined that it was utterly unfair to require him to ship distances he had by no means shipped earlier than, not as soon as, however twice, inside three weeks. As a substitute, my teammate Grace stored him going whereas I flew to the Take2 Finals for coaching, with the intention of getting severe as quickly as I obtained again.
All of us deliberate to stay to our plans and spend the final two weeks ticking off our bucket listing of practices, area journeys, and coaching evaluations. And we had been feeling fairly assured till Teddy snapped his hindshoe and clipped it within the open. All issues thought-about, we had been fortunate. There was no bleeding and the hoof wasn’t in a nasty spot, however there was a slight fever and pulse suggesting irritation. In consequence, out of an abundance of warning, our final week was not spent on education or fine-tuning, however on soaking and compressing the hooves with out sporting hind sneakers to keep away from the dreaded abscess once more. It is useful to have an amazing staff supporting you. My farrier got here to test on me virtually day-after-day earlier than lastly deciding there was no drawback. On Saturday, I felt secure and let Teddy put on his sneakers. It was shipped on Monday morning.
There’s nothing like having to press ahead though you are feeling a bit of unprepared, however we determined to belief in Teddy’s amazingly calm and assured demeanor, all of the coaching we have been in a position to put in, and the truth that he is had a full day of education since arriving to coordinate what we have to do. So we headed to Kentucky with compresses wrapped round Teddy’s hooves to ensure we had been doing the most effective we may. Monday afternoon went as anticipated. We arrange the stall and tack room and Teddy wasted no time in taking a cushty nap whereas we waited for the veterinary staff to finish his well being examination. As soon as we had been cleared to compete, we took a stroll across the Kentucky Horse Park, loved the surroundings, and spent the night stress-free. You needn’t do a lot. College courses are scheduled for Tuesday.
However Tuesday’s climate had different concepts. After report rain and ready for a storm that by no means got here, we had been pressured to vary plans once more. Teddy and I went for the wettest stroll conceivable across the Rolex course we had been allowed within the morning, and when Grace completed her cyber faculty for the day, we tried to hop across the present hunter ring. I am certain I am not the one coach to speak concerning the climate in Thoroughbred Makeover updates, however the picturesque scaffolding that Kentucky Horse Park is understood for has been changed with soup as an alternative. It was inconceivable to get a really feel for the way the strains would journey, so we merely used it as a manner for Teddy to see how the rings had been and for us to see how the turns would journey. He was an excellent athlete, however there was simply no manner he was going to get into the productive faculty that we needed him to be. No matter Wednesday brings, it’ll occur, and we are going to do our greatest to have a optimistic expertise it doesn’t matter what. A silver lining? As a result of storm, there have been plenty of puddles across the horse park so we may follow crossing water.
Wednesday’s firstclass was my Subject Hunter Hack, adopted by my particular person Subject Hunter course, and Teddy was as much as bat immediately. Contemplating Teddy had solely hacked thrice in complete earlier than the mod, and had by no means hacked in an open area, I could not have requested for extra from him. Sadly, he picked up the improper result in the appropriate. That is one thing he has struggled with up to now and we deliberate to concentrate on fine-tuning after we had the chance. Nonetheless, he remained calm and corrected me as quickly as I requested. I additionally had a little bit of a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ second as the 2 horses subsequent to me obtained a bit of agitated and excited as they waited for his or her flip to retreat, however I used to be in a position to get my consideration again to the duty at hand and completed robust. When it got here to our non-public course, he was so courageous and motivated that I felt silly for worrying that he was inadequately ready. Sadly, since my stroll by way of the storm, the brand new gates put in on the course led to rider errors when closing the gates, leading to zero obstructions, however that was 100% my fault. Apart from that, and a little bit of a bump on the overpass because of the wind and a few oddly positioned puddles, our course was spot on.
After lunch and a well-earned nap, it was time for Teddy to attempt his hand at present looking. As present hunters, we delight ourselves on the self-discipline of adaptability in our pursuit of perfection. And naturally, it was there, regardless of causes past our management, that our lack of preparation turned obvious. Teddy was warming up like a dream, however simply as he was about to trot throughout the ring, he immediately backed away, frightened by the shadow forged by the leaping standards. This was in contrast to something I had ever felt from him earlier than. After one other accident on the appropriate lead, I did not have a lot room to get right into a rhythm and the space to the primary soar ended up being longer than I needed. I used to be afraid of pacing him too far backwards as he was unusually good trying, so I made a decision to maintain sending the primary line out as an alternative of ready for additions as I had initially deliberate. Now that I give it some thought, I can see why they did it, however it was undoubtedly a mistake. It wasn’t devastating by any means, however it was one thing that might have value him a pleasant soar from the primary line and due to this fact his likelihood on the finale.
Not disenchanted in him, however disenchanted in myself, I made a decision to choose myself up, gave Teddy an enormous pat on the neck on the way in which to the subsequent single, and went again to my authentic plan. The final two strains had been meant to spice up his confidence and set Grace up for an amazing second journey. That is precisely what we did. Unbeknownst to us, we had been the one staff to decide on to have two totally different folks soar, however after a fast tack reset and warm-up, Grace headed out for her second journey. Apart from a slight wobble on the primary line out, she made an amazing choice. I am unsure if our course would have been extra refined if we had spent the final two weeks education extra racetracks, or even when we had been in a position to see how the horse strains ran on correct footing on Tuesday. Most likely, however all of the “what ifs” and “ought to haves” instantly disappeared from my thoughts after I noticed Grace come out of the present hunter ring and hug Teddy’s neck, crying joyful tears of not believing what they’d simply carried out. In simply 10 months, Grace was an integral a part of retraining her first OTTB (Off Monitor Thoroughbred), and in her largest second up to now, Grace and Teddy had been in a position to make a present hunter spherical that they had been extremely happy with. That is what a thoroughbred makeover is all about.
But it surely’s not over but. On Thursday morning, the long-awaited mock hunt passed off and Grace was in control of the irons. I may inform she was nervous. she advised me so. Normally we hunt collectively and I can journey in her pocket to assist, give recommendation, or only a humorous anecdote if wanted. It was troublesome for her to do one thing like that alone on such an enormous stage. However I advised her I trusted what she had already achieved and knew Teddy would maintain her. And when doubtful, I advised her to ship my voice into her head in order that I used to be proper behind her. Most significantly, I advised her to only have enjoyable and luxuriate in how far she’s come. And that is precisely what she did! Maybe the strangest factor about competing as a staff for the primary time was that I used to be sporting denims as an alternative of pants that morning, and I am unable to let you know what number of breaths I took as I attempted my greatest to see the steeplechase infield. Nonetheless, what I used to be in a position to see was nice, and after it was throughout she got here again to me on a unfastened rein, listening and laughing. Not solely did they each carry out to the most effective of their means, however due to their efficiency they completed the preliminaries in seventh place and certified for the finals.
So Friday was spent in a competitor assembly, introducing Teddy to the finale jog to make sure sanity, and finishing his acclimatization to the sector. Bay, Grace’s sister and our honorary staff member, took Teddy for a protracted stroll across the Rolex course to see firsthand the place he had competed. It was the proper low-key day and the proper preparation for the finale.
Grace had chosen me to take the reins for Saturday morning’s finale and I used to be honored. Our high 10 was coming again with a clear slate and with my previous expertise within the 2023 and 2024 Subject Hunter Finals, and Teddy’s confirmed drive and expertise within the present ring, I used to be hopeful we’d have a very good likelihood to be aggressive. However my predominant objective was to finish this week on a optimistic notice and let him have a bit of enjoyable. Fortunately, he was joyful to oblige, and we deliberate an extremely stable journey. Our obstacles included mounting contained in the ring, a number of single jumps, bifurcating, opening and shutting one other gate, hand galloping to a cease, and dismounting contained in the ring. With out batting an eye fixed, Teddy approached every job with a quiet confidence properly past his years and an general consistency that generally takes years to develop. Second place was undoubtedly properly earned and I could not be extra happy with him and the entire staff.
Total, along with ending as the general Subject Hunter Reserve Champions, we completed within the high 30 on the Present Hunter Qualifying Match, putting fifth amongst groups, and positioned seventh on the Subject Hunter Qualifying Match, incomes us the championship and second place Pennsylvania-bred staff.
Thanks very a lot to everybody who watched together with us and to everybody who supported us from afar. Your assist and this occasion means extra to us than you recognize, and I may go on and on concerning the expertise and advantages of Retired Racehorse Challenge’s Thoroughbred Transformation, however my message is straightforward. When you’re trying to compete alone, with a staff, or as a supporting proprietor, please achieve this. We assure you’ll by no means be disenchanted. Possibly we’ll see you in 2026.
The Jockey Membership helps Many aftercare efforts These embody the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the one accredited physique for aftercare, and the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP), which inspires retraining of Thoroughbreds into different fields on the finish of their careers. See all initiatives supported by the Jockey Membership.
