United States Eventing Association

OTTB: The New Breed?

My family has been involved in Thoroughbred racing for years. As a child I would hang out in the training barn, tack rooms and the jockey diners to listen to the chatter of riders bragging about their horses or to hear a trainer discuss the problems a filly is having loading in the gate. Now as an adult, it is still a daily adventure where I’m involved hands-on with bloodstock agents, memorizing pedigrees and racing results, breaking, galloping, sales and marketing. If there was ever a ‘Jeopardy Horse’ game show, I’m positive that I’d walk away with millions – at least that is what I thought until yesterday.

I was introduced to some potential buyers who were interested in looking at ex-race horses for show prospects. The women were very excited to be in the barn and were chattering between them so fast, that I could hardly follow what they were saying. They kept repeating something about, “Oh! I just love O-T-T-B’s, don’t you?”, “O-T-T-B’s are my
favorite breed”, “O-T-T-B’s, O-T-T-B’s, O-T-T-B’s . . . . “

What the heck were they saying, and why do they keep spelling in front of me, I thought?

10 minutes into the visit it finally dawned on me that they were referring to the term ‘Off The Track Thoroughbred’ and were using the abbreviation as if it were a noun and not an adjective. For me it was like nails on a chalk-board and I interrupted their conversation to explain how to properly use the term ‘OTTB’. I explained that OTTB can sometimes be used as a reference to describe a Thoroughbred that once was a race horse on a race track, and that it’s an abbreviated adjective. The women stared back at me in silence and I thought I heard crickets chirping in the background somewhere. So of course, I continued to explain that a Thoroughbred is the name of a type of equine breed, just like an Arabian or Quarter Horse. They’re nouns and they’re capitalized. Again, more blank stares.

We continued with the walk-through and as I spoke about the horses, I repeatedly spoke of the “Thoroughbreds”. Who knows if they ever really caught on to their impromptu English lesson.

Class dismissed.

About Zeb Fry. Zeb has been riding and competing in equestrian events for over 30 years with her early training galloping at the track. This intimate knowledge allows her to prepare ex-race horses for competition arena for Eventing, Dressage and Jumping. Thoroughbred sales accomplished through Little Kentucky Farm have a high satisfaction rating within the equine community, and we are known for producing sound, sane and competitive Thoroughbreds.