Looking back at his picture and reminiscing, I see that he was very out of shape and looked a little shabby. But he was beautiful to me.

King was very green, but against my trainer’s advice, I bought him and took my first long distance trailering adventure to pick him up five hours away. I was so proud! And, King turned out to be a rock star. He was quiet for the most part, and a very willing, sweet horse. He was a pretty mover and talented over fences.

I regained confidence and had many years and adventures with my beloved King. But in addition to the partnership I have with this horse, both past and present, a whole new world opened to me surrounding the life cycle of the Thoroughbred.

I did not know that much about Thoroughbreds. My grandfather was involved with racing, but I was very young, and my cousin had an OTTB from Golden Gate Fields that our grandfather arranged in the early 60s. My family owned Quarter Horses for pleasure riding and had a long history of western style riding, showing, parades and ranching. Thoroughbreds, and the depth of their abilities in racing and in second careers and the communities that surround them, was relatively foreign to me. That was in 2008 and the activities and relationships that have surrounded Thoroughbreds, both during and after their careers has forever changed my life for the better.

I took King to many local shows, where typically we were one of the few Thoroughbreds in a class. It was often frustrating and disappointing when competing against Warmbloods. I discovered the Thoroughbred Celebration Horse Shows at the Virginia Horse Center. They were truly a celebration of the breed. People came from as far as Canada, and many of those I met there are still friends today. There was a true camaraderie and spirit surrounding the OTTB. I later started volunteering for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Farm at Montpelier, Virginia, which is now The Virginia Thoroughbred Project – its own entity –  that I have been involved with since its inception in 2019. I subsequently have owned several other OTTBs and two that have or will race. They all have been unique, loved and provided much happiness to all who have been lucky enough to work with with them.

I must strongly emphasize that I had a trainer who was very experienced with OTTBs helping me. As a green rider I had no business doing this on my own.

King’s Jockey Club name is Make Me King, but King was always a king. He is 18 years old now, happily retired in Reva, Virginia. Just Charlie is retired, and living in Rapidan, VA. He has his biggest fan with 3-year-old Addison. I can proudly say, I have been fortunate to be able to offer all my horses a safe and happy retirement.

The world of experiences and friendships that have opened to me are precious. Any cause that we dedicate ourselves to will make huge differences in our lives, mostly for the better. Animals have always been a focus of my heart, motivating me to contribute to the betterment of their destiny. But my involvement with these Thoroughbreds and the people who care and manage them throughout their lives has touched so many aspects of my life. They restored my confidence as a rider, led me to meet many wonderful and talented people, and created lifelong friendships. Most of all, I treasure the partnerships I have had with these horses. But I think what has made my experience special, is the variety of people, skills, relationships and dedication that go into the wellbeing of these horses in, and beyond, their racing careers.