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May 06, 2016
OTTBs Prove Their Worth at Rolex Kentucky
Off-track Thoroughbreds proved once again that they are the horses with heart at the 2016 Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event. Finishing a four-star takes toughness, and doing it in the rain takes Thoroughbred blood.
Fifteen off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTB's) started the competition and all but one finished. That is an almost unheard-of 93% completion rate. Five of the OTTB's finished in the top twenty.
Horses that did not start their lives as racehorses seemed to be at a disadvantage this year. Only forty of the 56 non-OTTBs completed the competition, for a 71% completion rate. The heavy footing took its toll on these horses. Some of the heavier warmbloods were visibly tired on the final day and pulled uncharacteristic rails that dropped them significantly in the standings.
We sometimes hear that horses off the track don't hold up due to the hard work they did as youngsters. Consider this statistic.
Six of the 54 horses who completed Rolex this year were age 17 or older. All but two of them were Thoroughbreds that raced. Yes, you read that correctly. Put another way, two-thirds of the oldest horses finishing the event were OTTB's despite that fact that they were only 26% of the finishers. So 29% of our OTTB's were age 17 or older while only 5% of non-OTTB's were that old.
The durability argument extends to the average ages of horses competing as well. The average age of all horses competing was thirteen, but 71% of OTTBs were thirteen or older.
And one final stat to smash a stereotype is average number of races run. Some people believe that they should be looking for ex-racehorses with very few starts, thinking erroneously that the longer they race the less sound and trainable they will be. Our Rolex OTTBs had an average of 14 starts. They were real racehorses with significant careers on the track before beginning their training as event horses. Leading the group was Steady Eddie with 36 starts. Frankie had the most winnings at $99,310.
Enjoy the stats below and never, ever doubt the trainability, durability, and heart of the Thoroughbred racehorse.
Jul 03, 2024
AEC
Two Months Until the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds
The countdown to the 2024 United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is getting shorter and the tentative schedule is officially set! For the second year in a row, the AEC returns to the iconic Kentucky Horse Park from August 27 through September 1 and will offer 26 divisions, including brand new Starter divisions and all levels of recognized evening up through the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final.
Jul 02, 2024
Educational Activities
USEA Educational Activity Highlight: Sherwood Forest Hunter Pace | Sherwood Oregon | July 13, 2024
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Jul 02, 2024
Profile
No Longer Dreaming: Claire Allen's Goal of Qualifying for USEF Eventing Young Rider Championship is Now Reality
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
Jul 01, 2024
Competitions
Alliston’s Busy Weekend, Braitling’s Reuniting with Five-Star Mount, & Kalkman’s Advanced Victory Highlight Twin Rivers Summer H.T.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
