6 minute read
Thoroughbreds Are Go | NSW Breeders Update Autumn 2020
Caroline Searcy - Producer and presenter
With the importance of finding the right homes for the thoroughbreds we breed and race finally gaining real traction in the industry it’s become apparent that for a long time there’s been a lack of mainstream information on how to go about it. “Thoroughbreds Are Go” is a new national thoroughbred re-homing TV program that airs on Foxtel’s Sky Thoroughbred Central with plans to broaden its broadcast onto free to air channels in the near future. The reaction to Facebook and Twitter posts about the show has proven there is a huge appetite for more information on this vital aspect of the racing world. The program aims to help racing owners find new homes for their thoroughbreds, whether they have raced or not, but importantly it highlights some of the problems you can encounter along the way and what to look out for to ensure a smooth transition to an off the track life. Stories focus on the incredible athletic ability of these elite equine athletes, promoting their adaptability and great intelligence to the equestrian world. The feedback from the equestrian side of the ledger has however
been that the racing and breeding industry cannot expect individuals to just take on our thoroughbreds without realising the costs involved and where possible assisting with their re-training. Things can fall apart very quickly when thoroughbreds find themselves in the wrong home and this is why re-training is vitally important. One of Australia’s best thoroughbred re-trainers Scott Brodie, formerly head of the Racing NSW Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Trust (now Team Thoroughbred) took part in two beautiful stories, explaining in the first that it does cost several thousands of dollars to begin the retraining of most horses, but without it generally thoroughbreds won’t be able to successfully transfer to a new life. Scott also emphasises that follow up instruction is hugely important for most riders taking on a thoroughbred. The second story at Scott’s Thoroughbred Aftercare and Re-training Centre focussed on returned soldier Isaac Adams, whose work with Scott and his thoroughbreds was so important for him as he overcame lingering posttraumatic stress from his military service, something this breed excels at around the world. Drought has played a big part in many thoroughbreds winding up in poor condition over the past couple of years around Australia and Racing Victoria Accredited Retrainer Caroline Price elaborated further about the specific feed requirements for these horses that have been bred for generations to be elite athletes. The thoroughbred, particularly those who have been in race training have an extremely high metabolism and therefore need much more food than the average pony, stock horse or other breed. Through my own re-homing ventures with thoroughbreds I have bred I witnessed firsthand how a thoroughbred can fall away very quickly when they are not getting enough food, when people who have leased them don’t understand this and also often put them in paddocks with other breeds. That story also contained information on how to lease your thoroughbred to its new home so you are always in control of its destiny and to register it so it can never be put through an abattoir. For bigger breeders these things are not possible for every horse they sell, but the program does create awareness amongst smaller owners about what their obligations should be when they are retiring their horse from the track.
The program can only exist thanks to the great support of sponsors such as major sponsor Tabcorp who is an extremely passionate supporter of the retraining of our thoroughbreds. Arrowfield Stud sponsors a segment “Strapper’s Stories” which shows the great love those closest to our thoroughbreds have for them within racing stables debunking the myth that no-one cares about these magnificent animals and that racing is only about wagering. Some of these strappers have taken on these horses as their own, one even breeding three foals from the mare she used to look after, while others relate the story of their favourite horse in work and how happy they are to see it in a new loving home with someone else. Thoroughbred Breeders’ Australia supports the segment “Farm Friends” showing some great stories about retired racehorses doing different work in their retirement years. We’ve shown horses in their 20’s working as nannies looking after weanlings at studs around Australia including Desert War, Rizon and retired broodmare Miss Kournikova. And there was a beautiful story on Yarraman Park’s home-bred Restless, a stakes winner for Gai Waterhouse before a successful eventing career with journalist Bronwyn Farr’s daughter Victoria, and then with Harry and Georgie Mitchell’s daughter Willa. Thoroughbreds Are Go also looks at some of the great competitions around Australia that offer thoroughbred only classes thereby encouraging further uptake of the breed, with ample rewards for those who choose to do so. Krissy Harris’s Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association is one such organisation featured in series one in two stories that included
ex-jockey Katelyn Mallyon, now trying her hand as a showjumper on former Lloyd Williams owned import Little White Cloud. And equestrian rider turned Randwick clocker for her husband Adrian and Gai Waterhouse, Jess Bott and Raise An Angel. Also Australia’s top showjumper Nelson Smyth and the only current thoroughbred World Cup competitor Kilwinning Luck and a great insight into the conformation of the thoroughbred and why it is so well suited to show-jumping, from former Olympian and now Olympic equestrian coach Rod Brown. The joy thoroughbreds bring to people in times of distress was also highlighted in a delightful story on the Milton show in southern NSW a region devastated by bushfires but where off-track thoroughbreds gave the local community something to focus on with so many other agricultural shows in the area cancelled following a horror summer. Breednet’s Tara Madgwick, a former track rider for Gai Waterhouse, explained why thoroughbreds have been the perfect transition horse for her children Jack and Jasmine as they move between ponies and larger show-jumping breeds. The final episode of series one looked at some of the lessons I’ve learnt about rehoming my three home-bred thoroughbreds War Of The Roses, Stryker Rose and King William. For a range of reasons including serious injury, bushfire and drought they are all back in my care, highlighting the care many owners already do take with the horses they breed. Also featured was Edinburgh Park Stud’s Ian Smith who offers $1000 to anyone who has a horse with his brand so he can take them back to his farm to live out the rest of their days. In series two, Thoroughbreds Are Go will concentrate on a range of other past times thoroughbreds excel at such as polo, camp-drafting and within Riding For Disabled, with segments involving sponsors Godolphin and Chris Waller Racing. Anyone keen to sponsor the show and have a segment done on their work re-homing thoroughbreds is welcome to contact me at searcc@ gmail.com .. the more sponsors there are, the more episodes I can produce which is great for telling more stories of our wonderful thoroughbred breed.
