Volunteers are gearing up in Maryland for next weekend's
Furlongs to Fences Thoroughbred Show. The following week, Virginia kicks off the November
Thoroughbred Celebration Horse Show. But this past weekend, Thoroughbreds ruled the Garden State.
On Sunday, the Fall
For Horses All Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show was hosted at the
Horse Park of New Jersey by
Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement, a
registered nonprofit organization
dedicated to New Jersey’s off-track
Thoroughbreds. Serving as the exclusive aftercare program for Monmouth
Park, Second Call's mission is to assist and ensure that retired racehorses find a second career.
In addition to picture-perfect weather and over 30 diverse Thoroughbred-only classes, the show featured an eclectic group of vendors (food, gifts, equine/pet supplies, radio stations, volunteer organizations), pumpkin painting, book signings, raffles, special racehorse guests, prizes, and kids' games.
It's not easy to keep an event as big as a horse show running smoothly, but the NJ volunteers made Sunday's outing a wonderful success. It was a well-organized show, with helpful volunteers, great prizes, and a very fun atmosphere. I rarely show my horse, but I think that even I could be convinced to enter a few classes next year.
Highlights of the day were the $1500 hunter stakes class,
sponsored by Turning For Home, and a $250 jumper stakes class sponsored by Brandon
W. Furlong, M.V.B. Equine Veterinarian, but the varied prize list also included dressage, costume, equitation, itty-bitty jumper, and fresh-off-the-track classes.
Although I only had a little time to spend at the show that morning, I was treated to a dazzling display of what the Thoroughbred has to offer, from graceful dressage horses, to elegant hunters, to high-octane jumpers, to game equitation horses, to classy in-hand models.
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| Tyra Wiegers, trainer Emily Daignault, and Zreasun (1-0-0-0; $0) |
I was delighted to see a few familiar faces, both from the racing world and from the rescue world. The last time I saw Fagedaboudit Gal, she was very thin and sore, and was sold to the feedlot at Camelot Auction.
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| Fagedaboudit Gal (30-2-2-1; $86,932) |
Now, she is sleek, shiny, and sound, thanks to
Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement and her new owner. During the show, she greeted visitors and happily accepted carrots from fans.
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| Stakes winner Fleet Valid (28-9-6-5; $382,516) |
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| Stakes winner Fleet Valid (28-9-6-5; $382,516) and Erin Inman |
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| Thewifedoesntknow (32-3-7-4; $95,144) and Carole Davison |
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| Saintly Sir (1-0-0-0; $250) and Jennifer Duelfer |
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| True George (17-3-2-3; $45,016) and Melissa Smith |
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| Hearts Flashy Fire (67-7-8-9; $178,421) and Damon Sheppard |
IN OTHER NEWS
Horses and Hope 2013 Calendar
With the help of Gina Keesling of HoofPrints, my 2012 debut calendar contained over 100 photos of
auction horses. Thanks to the support of horse lovers all over, it
raised nearly $40,000 for One Horse At A Time,
helping hundreds of horses in need directly, and untold others
indirectly through increased public awareness. Now that we have one calendar's
worth of experience to draw upon, the 2013 version promises to be even
more exciting, even more creative, and as always, inspirational and positive.
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