Cover Photo and Article for Appaloosa Journal

As an ApHC equestrian with multiple ApHC National Champion and ApHC Reserve World Champion titles to my name and a few beloved Appaloosa horses of my own, it is an honor to have a photo I took - and the corresponding feature article to go along with it - on the cover of the December 2015 issue of the Appaloosa Journal. To make it more special, the photo and article combine Appaloosas with the world of Thoroughbred racing, as they highlight lead pony Applesauce - who has accompanied Donna Brothers on various NBC broadcasts, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup.

To view the magazine cover and article, please visiting the Appaloosa Journal website by clicking here. You must sign up to be able to read the article in the magazine. However, the article is a reprint of my "Ponies of the Track" feature about Applesauce on Horse Racing Nation, which can be accessed here.

HRN: Ponies of the Track - Applesauce: The TV Star

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Ponies of the Track - Applesauce: The TV Star

"For the viewers who watched the recent Breeders’ Cup World Championships on NBC or NBC Sports, there was an eye-catching equine star that stood apart from the Thoroughbred athletes like American Pharoah. Seeing former jockey Donna Brothers aboard a stunning horse as she interviews the winning jockey following a prestigious race has become a staple for any horse racing fan who tunes in to these broadcasts and this year’s edition of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland was no different. This year, she paired up with an eye-catching Appaloosa named Applesauce.

Joining Brothers as she reported from horseback, Applesauce caught his fair share of airtime. Applesauce, owned by longtime pony rider Monnie Goetz, has become a familiar face at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. He is a regular lead pony at these Kentucky tracks, or one of the horses that is used to escort the racehorses in the post parade prior to a race. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

When Dreams Come True

Rather than growing out of my horse-crazy phase I have been in all my life, I built upon it. I formed aspirations attached to the horse industry, hoping that one day they would reach fruition. Having been around horses my entire life, it became apparent to me that dreams do not come true in the blink of an eye – especially not with horses. In order for them to become reality, patience, hard work, and dedication are necessities.

I have grown up showing horses. I started out competing in playdays and 4-H shows, showing my fair share of horses throughout my childhood. I was fortunate enough to have a handful of trustworthy horses, but I also owned and showed several bad apples: a pony that left my five-year-old (or near that age) self in the dirt at a playday, an unruly Quarter Horse gelding who also thought I looked better on the ground, a temperamental Quarter Horse mare that refused to do anything other than in-hand classes, and a skittish Quarter Horse mare who never even made it to the show ring. (I loved all of them despite these unfortunate qualities).

I collected many ribbons and belt buckles during this time, but it was not until I began showing Appaloosas at breed shows that I began to raise my goals as the level of my competition heightened. However, despite some success, my streak of bad luck continued. Although my first Appaloosa – Colby – was talented, he was green and sometimes difficult to handle. During my first year at the Appaloosa National Show and the Appaloosa Youth World Championship Show, I cheered my friends on as they achieved National and World Championships. Meanwhile, I never even made the finals.

My second Appaloosa – Byron – found a place in my heart no other horse has ever encompassed, but he, too, was green. We found greater success than I had with Colby, but his inexperience kept us from winning any titles. Nonetheless, I was happy and loved what I was doing.

Riding Byron, November 2014
Photo by Terri Cage

Along with my passion for showing, I have been a devoted fan of horse racing since I was eight years old. That equine-related infatuation has had its fair share of ups and downs, as well. I have fallen in love with countless racehorses over the years, rooting them to victory and experiencing disappointment at their losses. Beginning with Smarty Jones’ Triple Crown bid in 2004, I have dreamt of a Triple Crown winner. Year after year, I watched as the drought continued.

My passion for both showing and racing endured the disappointments I faced, as my love for horses and these sports overcame any frustrations I encountered. I yearned for a Triple Crown winner like I worked for greater success in the show ring, hoping that someday these dreams would materialize.

This year, everything came together.

This spring marked the end of my first year of college. Throughout the school year, I had not managed to keep up with horse racing on the same level I have in previous years, but my excitement for the Triple Crown did not waiver. When American Pharoah captured both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, my hopes – along with those of the remainder of the racing world – soared at his chances to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.

My two “horse worlds” collided in late May, when I made a detour on my return from a horse show in New Jersey, stopping in central Kentucky. Visits to some of the most prestigious Thoroughbred farms in the world, as well as several mornings spent with two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan (one of my all-time personal favorites) would have been more than enough. But an unforgettable opportunity arose while I was in the Bluegrass: the chance to see American Pharoah make his final preparations at Churchill Downs for the Belmont Stakes.

I was able to see the Triple Crown hopeful on three occasions during the week I spent in Kentucky, two of which were mornings during which he breezed beneath the twin spires. Once I saw the colt in person, my confidence in his ability to end the Triple Crown drought only skyrocketed. I relished the opportunity to see American Pharoah firsthand, almost convinced it was not real life each time he galloped past me, each time he stopped to pose, each time his regal eyes looked directly at me.

American Pharoah breezing, May 26, 2015
Photo by Mary Cage

American Pharoah, May 30, 2015
Photo by Mary Cage

It seemed as if my Triple Crown dream was finally coming true, but as the Belmont neared, my showing dreams looked to be doing the opposite. My beloved Byron came up with an injury that would prevent him from competing at Nationals, which was less than three weeks away. My main worry centered upon Byron but once I knew he would be just fine, I was overwhelmed with a sickening feeling that I would not be able to compete at Nationals. Along with the Appaloosa World Championship Show, the Appaloosa National Show is one of my biggest stages on which I compete. I was disappointed to say the least.

But horse racing stepped in to save the day. I woke up on Belmont Stakes Day like it was Christmas morning, headed to the barn to ride a few horses, and then returned home, where I would be glued to the television, watching racing coverage all day long. As post time for the final jewel of the Triple Crown grew closer, my nerves ascended, but a strange sense of confidence in American Pharoah remained.

In a moment defined by sheer joy, I watched the television screen as American Pharoah accomplished what no horse in my lifetime ever had. There were ecstatic tears, shouts, and smiles galore. I had dreamed of this moment before, but my past imagining could not equate with this extraordinary reality.

While still on cloud nine from American Pharoah’s triumph, my showing situation began to improve. Into my life entered Pinky, a multiple World and National Champion Appaloosa gelding that I had known for several years. With the help of some amazing people, including my parents, Pinky became mine.

However, Pinky and I had only two weeks before Nationals to begin becoming accustomed to one another. The white-faced sorrel gelding had a reputation for being selective in terms of riders he gets along with, but the two of us quickly formed an understanding and bond.

It was not long before we arrived in nearby Fort Worth, Texas to compete with the best of the best Appaloosa horses and equestrians the nation has to offer. It was my third year at this particular horse show, but my first year competing at Nationals as a non-pro – as I was now too old to be competing at the youth level. Oddly enough, as I entered the ring for my first riding class of the show (Novice Non-Pro Hunt Seat Equitation) a familiar feeling consumed me – the same calm nerves I had felt prior to the Belmont.

Pinky and I entered the ring, where I rode the best pattern of my life. I received an abundance of compliments on my ride, which boosted my confidence, but the decision was still up to the judges. After rail work, I – along with my competitors – lined our horses up along the rail as we awaited the placings under all four judges.

It felt surreal when my number was announced first under three of the judges, and second under the other – securing me with my first National Championship. I felt as if I was watching from the stands as someone I knew won the class rather than riding Pinky to the center of the arena to accept my trophy. I attempted to take in the moment, but it was truly a blur. For the remainder of the day, I received congratulations from an overwhelming amount of people. I could feel myself glowing with happiness. It felt like my birthday.

Pinky and I on pattern during Hunt Seat Equitation
Photo by Larry Williams Photography

Hunt Seat Equitation win photo
Photo by Larry Williams Photography

Winning that National Championship would have been more than enough, but just a few days later, I walked out of the arena with Pinky carrying my second National Championship trophy after winning the Novice Non-Pro Showmanship. Considering my first championship still had not sunk in, this one felt unreal as well. With top finishes in the remainder of my classes, I was able to receive the Reserve High-Point award in the Novice Non-Pro division. It was the show of a lifetime.

Showmanship win photo
Photo by Larry Williams Photography

Reserve High-Point win photo
Photo by Larry Williams Photography

This summer has certainly been the best I have ever had, all thanks to these amazing animals. Horses have the ability to give me happiness like few other things can, and the life-changing moments of this summer proved this. Thank you, American Pharoah, for making the Triple Crown dream that I and other racing fans have so long desired. And thank you, Pinky, for allowing what I thought was a pipe dream not only come true, but exceed any aspirations I ever had.

My Latest Magazine Article

My most recent magazine article was published in the May/June edition of American Racehorse (previously Southern Racehorse). It is an honor to have another magazine article published in this magazine.

I am very excited about the timing of this article, as it is about Secretariat - an always relevant champion who has been even more relevant with American Pharoah's Triple Crown triumph - and his first foal, an Appaloosa - just weeks before I compete at the National Appaloosa Show.

Read article - "Secretariat's Forgotten First Foal" - by clicking here.

First Secretary: A Spotted Secretariat

$6.08 million was the price tag that followed Secretariat into the breeding shed, a record at the time. Consequently, when the big red horse entered his stud career at the iconic Claiborne Farm, hopes – and nerves – soared nearly as high as they had when the son of Bold Ruler stepped into the starting gate for the 1973 Belmont Stakes with a Triple Crown triumph on the line. Shareholders could only hope that his success as a stallion would mirror his breathtaking Belmont victory.

But there was a major obstacle to tackle. When Secretariat began his stud career, an abundance of doubt hung over his connections like a dark cloud. Was he fertile? If the answer to that question was no, the record syndicate would immediately become cancelled, as it would be worthless. More than $6 million dollars would go down the drain and the dreams of carrying on the great champion's legacy would come to a sudden halt.

Secretariat was bred to a nurse mare - Leola, a mare owned by the manager of Claiborne, Bill Taylor - to test the stallion’s fertility. But this mare was no Thoroughbred. She was an Appaloosa – a breed that is now one of the most popular in the United States, but, at the time, was far from being highly respected.

A stocky, dark-colored mare with white splattered over her croup, Leola was not the sleek, plain-colored, and royally bred Thoroughbred mare everyone expected to carry Secretariat’s first foal, despite the fact that she was a top-class mare in her own right that had even commanded a record price in 1963. But while the Thoroughbred world was essentially ashamed of the situation, those in the Appaloosa world suddenly coveted the mare. After having been bred to Secretariat and confirmed in foal, she became the most sought-after Appaloosa in the world, one that could make a colossal difference in the breed with her unborn foal.

Into the picture stepped Jack Nankivil, a man from a riverside Minnesota town who ran an Appaloosa breeding operation. The possession of the mare who carried Secretariat’s first foal could serve as the perfect asset to his breeding program, but as is the case with any breeding, there were no guarantees when it came to the unborn foal Leola was carrying.

Nankivil was among many who had proposed offers for the mare, but he was the only one who succeeded. For an undisclosed amount, Nankivil acquired Leola and took her home, spending the time that elapsed before the birth of the foal hoping for a colt that carried the red color of his sire’s coat and the coat pattern of his dam.

The story up to this point was already close to unbelievable, portraying a storyline fit for a corny film. It only became more sentimental when Leola foaled a chestnut colt with a white blanket over his hip like his dam and three white socks like his sire. Maintaining the trend of being unconventional, the foal was born in November as opposed to the traditional foaling season that takes place from January through June.

The colt was named First Secretary and was initially registered with the Canadian Appaloosa Horse Club, as the American Appaloosa Association would not register First Secretary with Secretariat’s name listed as his sire. Rather, the Triple Crown winner would be referred to as “an unnamed Thoroughbred sire.” But the two organizations soon merged, solving this issue.

Virtually an Appaloosa version of his sire, First Secretary was a fine individual, standing nearly 17 hands high and carrying the same impressive build as Secretariat (Please click here and here to view photos of him). He became successful in the breeding shed, producing numerous foals that boasted their sire’s remarkable conformation, thus leading to much success in halter classes at various Appaloosa shows for offspring of First Secretary. First Secretary also quickly encountered success with his racing progeny, with three of the five horses that were among the stallion’s first racing crop finding the winner’s circle.

Nankivil’s investment had proven ingenious and in 1988, he sold First Secretary to a New Hampshire farm, where Secretariat’s first son would then stand for $1,000. The later stages of his life saw him stand stud in Maryland, where he died in 1993 after a bout of colic.

His 247 foals covered a wide range of disciplines, including Appaloosa shows, speed events, racing, eventing, hunter/jumpers, endurance riding, dressage, and trail riding. His produce record of show horses actually eclipsed his produce record of racehorses, as he sired the likes of the National and World Champions Jetta Rue, Helen Wheels, Nanny Brow, Secret Ingredient, and Something’s Sweet in the show ring.

Whereas Secretariat’s effect is still being felt in the Thoroughbred world through descendants of horses like A.P. Indy and Storm Cat, there is far from a strong amount of his blood remaining in the gene pool of Appaloosas. However, numerous Appaloosa descendants of First Secretary do still remain, allowing Appaloosa owners to hold onto a piece of the legendary Secretariat.

FUN FACTS: During his racing days, Secretariat was accompanied by Billy Silver, a pony horse with Appaloosa markings.

As for me, my pieces of the 1973 Triple Crown winner are both Thoroughbreds – Miss Fifty and Wet Paint – both descendants of Secretariat through Storm Cat. But I am proud to own a very talented Appaloosa, Lads Reality Star (AKA Colby), who is not a descendant of Secretariat but does trace back to a few Thoroughbreds, including classic winner and legendary sire Sir Gallahad, as well as English champion Fairway.

Lads Reality Star, AKA Colby
Photo by Terri Cage