PrintImagine getting on an ex-racehorse for the first time in a small indoor arena—during an ice storm—in front of a large crowd of people. That’s what the trainers for the Retired Racehorse Trainer Challenge were contending with as the competition kicked off at the Maryland Horse Expo in Timonium on Jan. 20-21.
In preparation for the challenge, Steuart Pittman, president of the Retired Racehorse Training Project, first chose three trainers (Kerry Blackmer of Middleburg, Va., Eric Dierks of Tryon, N.C., and Tiffany Catledge of Adamstown, Md.) and three judges (four-star eventer Stephen Bradley, former steeplechase jockey Anne Hambleton and former flat racing jockey Andrea Seefeldt Knight).
Pittman’s next project was choosing four horses—one for each trainer and then one to be used as an alternate. Owners contacted Pittman about using their horses, and he went to visit them at their farms. The four horses chosen to go to the Expo for the Challenge were Brazilian Wedding (Milwaukee Brew—Lady In Tails, Black Tie Affair), High Level (Mutakddim—Maria’s Crown, Marias Mon), Solidify (Alajwad—Kali Dearest, Dearest Doctor) and Four X The Trouble (Domestic Dispute—Rynot, Caveat).
A fifth horse, Lorna Starkey's Bodiddle (Bowman’s Band—Granny Gail, Crafty Friend), showed ankle calcification on his x-rays and wasn’t recommended for use in the challenge. He was taken to Pittman’s Dodon Farm in Davidsonville, Md., for a month of training.
Making A Match
The first step in the Trainer Challenge was matching horses and riders, and the three trainers gathered on Friday to make their choices. However, Pittman made things a little more interesting by asking them some racing trivia to determine choosing order. Eric Dierks won first pick, and he snatched up Brazilian Wedding, a 6-year-old mare owned by Pat Dale.
“All the horses were beautiful,” Dierks said. “But this mare, she could do the hunters, eventing, jumping, dressage; she’s just an all-around good horse. The Four X The Trouble horse was just a little on the small side for me. For me to look good on a horse, I’d rather get something that fits me.”
Tiffany Catledge went next, picking up High Level, the 7-year-old gelding owned by Jim Falk. The next morning High Level came up a little lame with a sole bruise, and Catledge ended up riding the alternate, Solidify, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue. Catledge took both horses home with her on Sunday, and she's hoping to bring High Level sound within a few days. If he’s still off, Solidify will be her training project.
“[High Level] struck me as a very athletic horse from the moment he walked into the arena on Friday,” Catledge said. “I loved his expression. I thought he was nicely put together, and he had a fabulous trot. He was a little wild on the video Steuart had, but I liked his enthusiasm. I thought he would be a fun project from the video, and I liked him even more in person.”
