Happy Endings and New Beginnings

Posted by Patricia Vos on May 9, 2012 in Training Journal | Comments Off

It is a fact of life here at Tebogo that at some point we say goodbye to our lovely prospects. Most of them stay with us for about a year – sometimes a little longer, often a bit less, depending on how the OTTB progresses and how long it takes us to find them their perfect new person.  And while it’s the point of the exercise and we know one day we’ll be saying goodbye – it’s still a bit of an emotional thing when they leave. Luckily the joy kicks back in when we start getting the exciting updates from the happy new owners.

This month both Promise and Peyton left for their new homes. We’ve had Promise since we picked him up as an unraced three-year old thoroughbred at Charles Town Race Track. He was then steel gray, beautiful, sweet, and quiet. When he left he was dapple gray, beautiful, sweet, and quiet. His constancy in the Tebogo barn these past few years made his absence that much more alarming. But then the pictures and reports started coming in from his new family in Bermuda. Yes, that’s right. Sweet Baby Promise whose only complaint in the world was that he didn’t care for the cold, landed himself the perfect situation with a loving family in Bermuda. This is a horse who absolutely loved to horse show – and a few days after hitting the ground, they took him to visit at a horse show there. Of course he’s settling in well, I thought to myself as I read the recent email – he’s doing what he loves, with people who love him, in an environment that absolutely suits him!

In the meantime Peyton is with his new owner’s trainer, Danny Warrington, at Jersey Fresh. He’ll spend some time up north with Danny before making the move to Texas to live with his delightful new owner Delphine. We’re certain that Peyton thinks he’s at Jersey to compete with the big boys in the 2*. We’re also certain that it will be a joy to watch Peyton and Delphi journey toward their 1* together.

Back at the barn the next batch of OTTB’s is coming along beautifully. Paige took a bunch of her crew – Crumpet, Seattle, and Corey – to two horse shows in a row. First they went to HITS Culpeper where Corey competed and the two youngsters went to watch and learn. And learn they did. By the time they got to Lexington Spring Premiere the following week they were absolute pros.Crumpet is now competing in the Baby Greens and completely looking and acting the part (we feel this suits his way of going, and way of thinking much better than eventing).

Seattle is only four so the challenge with him is restraining ourselves from jumping everything in sight! He is just a super brave and honest young horse and incredibly athletic as well. Paige was thrilled with his progress over the course of the past few weeks.

Paige came home then Katie dashed out with Grubby and Peyton (pre-sale) to Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Horse Trials at Morven Park. It was another one of those weekends where most of the eventing world’s eyes were on Kentucky while a few others worked to get their young propsects around a challenging Novice course!

This weekend Paige (not an eventer) will be taking Stanley (also not an eventer) to Elysian Hills for a starter horse trial. We’ll be sure to report back on how that all goes! Also this weekend Katie will take Snowbird, Grubby and Pandora up to Unionville, PA to compete at Plantation Horse Trials (a perennial favorite with us here at Tebogo). Then two weeks after that it’s just Snowbird and Pandora down to Lexington, VA for the Virginia Horse Trials where Pandora and Katie will compete in their first CCI1*.

With Peyton and Promise moving on to their next adventures Paige and Katie are looking to their next prospects – Seattle, Stanley, Crumpet, Pele and (coming soon!) Eduardo – with a whole new level of promise and anticipation!