Just 4 starts for a 3rd and a 5th before a tendon injury ended her racing career. I was in love with her so took her home for rehab and she has become my forever horse. Done a bit of everything dressage days, cross country and showjumping, beach and forest. Not your typical orange mare, loves to be a smooch and its cool to look out the window and see her every day.

 

Story shared by Anna Furlong

Antz retired from racing back in October 2020 where I was very lucky to lease him from Amy Clifford. He was based in Palmerston North but has now moved to Huntly in Waikato to start his new life as a sport horse. We have taken it slowly as it took awhile for him to get used to his new surroundings, however, he has settled in well and I have slowly brought him back into work and have only recently found out how much he loves jumping and is showing bounds of potential, so I am aiming to get him out this year to some small competitions. Antz is very well loved and does enjoy a cuddle or two 😊

 

Story shared by Lauren Jones

 

 

Ben Hogan (Kingi) is the grand old age of 19 years old now. I was Kingi's strapper at Lisa Latta Racing for 8yrs . After racing he has been out eventing and show jumping. I am so stoked to have him back and he is at his forever home with me now.

 

Story shared by Amy Clifford

My Dad (Tony Pike) purchased this colt in 2007 in hope of producing a champion despite being very small at 15hh. But he was too slow and always cantered along at the back of the trial field. My mum Kirsten was very quick to snatch him up. Trouble quickly got the hang of being a pretty show pony and had many successes including runner up Park Hack at the prestigious Horse of the Year show in 2012. Trouble got sold on to be an eventer and competed to 1* level. He came up for sale as I was looking for my first hack. He felt like a V8 car compared to my little ponies. Trouble and I had many successes and competed in two Horse of the Year shows having lots of fun together. He is a horse I will never forget. He sure taught me how to ride and be very patient and determined. He is now enjoying life back in the show ring. And he never grew any bigger being only 15.1 🙈
Story shared by Molly Pike

This is Charlestown aka Murray or Muzz. My son Josh took Murray who was raced by Go Racing, when he retired. Josh had only just learnt to ride a couple of months before ge and Murray competed at Beyond the Barriers hence muzz has his own facebook page! After not riding for a few years Josh decided Murray could come to me. Murray is very quirky and not always easy. I’m hoping to one day get to Hoy before I’m on a zimmerframe!

 

Story shared by Bronwyn Lavelle

Cheese Maker raced 33 times for 4 wins over his career, retiring at the grand age of 10. He has now transferred his skills to equestrian sports and is loving life as a trainee eventer in the Manawatu.

 

Story shared on behalf of David Moir

Marsh Racing runner Chettak ( left in photo ) was a successful Group race winner who came back from injury at the age of 9 to win his last ever race. ‘Al’ is now retired in Palmerston North alongside former stable mates Chocante and Top Echelon where he likes to think he’s the boss and is inquisitive about everything going on around him. Very playful in nature, he has to have a few toys in the paddock to keep him entertained - his favourite being a road cone.

 

Story shared by Helen Lawrence

Direct Line (Harry) raced 18 times for one win before retiring in 2014 to enjoy life as a farm hack. Fast forward to 2020, and he got the call up to once more don the track saddle and teach current pilot Kira Gilmour the ropes as a track work rider.
Kira says….. ‘we quickly ditched the track saddle and swapped to a show saddle and Harry loved all the fuss of becoming a show horse. So off we went to our first ribbon day, coming home with his first ever wide and supreme Hunter Hack. We are now out competing most weekends!’

 

Story Shared on behalf of Kira Gilmour

Bought at Karaka as a yearling, broken in and had a lengthy career, 42 starts, 8 wins, 6 seconds and 8 thirds in races and a short stint in Oz winning the Dubbo Cup. Absolute stable pet. Retired the end of 2019 now in a loving home with Nikki Cross in Hokitika on the West Coast. She gushes about him and how safe and quiet he is, so laid back and very smoochy. Happy to go out alone, goes on the float to the arena for a lesson 3x a week and has started some jumping. Nikki will get him out and about for showing and jumping in the future. Fair to say she is in love and he is a forever horse!

 

Story shared by Anna Furlong

Max still thinks he's a 6-year-old and runs things at home. He is happily retired and shares a paddock with his Mum. He takes much interest in the comings and goings on the farm, always the first to check out who is arriving. Max is a tough horse who always gives 150 percent. He can be arrogant and has a ‘don’t mess with me vibe’ but he has a huge heart and he would give you the shirt (rug) off his back. He was a pleasure to train and it was a real team effort, him and me. To win a race like that (2016 Auckland Cup) was life changing.

 

Story shared by Phillip Devcich

Marvin is a loved member of the Marcie Flipp racing Kennels. We got Marvin after he failed to show enough speed to make a racehorse. Food was his number one priority. He loves his food and walking on two back legs. He is now being trained as a showhorse. He recently went to his first show (December 2020) where he won every ribbon except Best Mannered - we got some work to do!

 

Story shared by Jasmine Leigh

Foo was bred and raised in NZ by Murray Baker and raced under the name Furuvik before being sold to Hong Kong. One of his former strappers said he was quite a handful and very highly strung, but she got a shock when she saw him at Beyond the Barriers! After retiring in October 2019 he headed back to NZ to Eventstars where I got him in late June 2020. He is an angel to take out, hardly ever puts a foot wrong and is quiet as a mouse! We both learnt Side Saddle in 6 lessons over 5 weeks and headed to Beyond the Barriers where we performed in front of a huge crowd! Foo is doing Pleasure Classes and lower level Show Jumping and Eventing this season before stepping up next season.

 

Story shared by Hannah Gudsell

Gargamel is best known as being the 2014 winner of the Grand National Hurdles, at the age of eight. Goofy retired in 2017, aged 11, and after having a year in the paddock as chief babysitter – a role he did not enjoy - was put back into the training ranks. This is where his career did a turn. Having been first taught to jump as a racehorse with a lot of schooling over cross country courses, the progression later in life into Eventing, was quite easy. This season Sarah Beck (daughter of trainer  Leda Beck) will aim to event him to 1.05m and hopefully represent her Pony Club at Springston Trophy in 2021 with him. Gargamel is a true champ and will always be a member of the Beck family. They try to re-home their horses to suitable homes, knowing what they are capable of so they can be placed accordingly.

 

Story shared by Heidi Bulfin

Haidee Dawn was bred and raced by Hedwood Thoroughbred Ltd. She is now owned by Chatto Creek Gypsy Cobs in Alexandra where she is a sporthorse broodmare.

 

Story shared by Kay Hood

Hors d’Oeuvre (the Beattie Boomerang!) Syd retired from the track to the Eastern Southland Hunt property in the ownership of Marion Smith. He hunted beautifully there before coming to agist at the property of Anne Beattie. Jayne Beattie then show jumped and hunted him under the watchful eye of Marion.  Marion had a hunting accident on Syd so he got sent to Northland to hunt up there. Things didn’t go well and Syd got very light and had to have rest and relaxation at Otaki on the way back to the Beattie property!  From there he got sold to Donna Smith of Dipton (ex Master of Birchwood Hunt) who was looking for a quiet TB to hunt and show jump on.  Donna hunted and show jumped Syd until her passing in February 2020. Marion still owns him and he is currently in Canterbury with a 12 year old girl teaching her all about equestrian life.

Story shared by Anne Beattie

Bob is special to me as my Nana Thelma Foley along with her partner Peter South bred and trained Bob right through including Nana riding him in trackwork. Bob was successful on the Racetrack with 6 wins and always had to lead out of the gates. He won over many distances including a 3200m race, which means when we are galloping on the beach it can take a while to pull up! He is not the easiest ride and I have come off him countless times but he tries his heart out and has a huge jump on him. I could write a lot more about how much I love, and in Bob's case curse his name sometimes when he dumps me on the road after spying a black sheep, or when he first saw a white pony, or a cone moved 😂 He is truly a one in a million and will be carted with me wherever I end up!

 

Story shared by Hannah Gudsell

Jed, a 16.3 swayback won 4 races including a cup race (The Northland Cup at Dargaville) before accumulated injuries took their toll (suspensory ligament, which require his off-hind being bandaged daily and and lymph gland problems) Jed has the run of a 5 acre paddock with 2 mates.

 

Story shared by Allan Hunt

Shown as Gauntlet, Kyeburn raced 15 times for minor placings. I guess Homer is our all time favourite. He had been eventing a bit when I bought him. My dressmaker said there is a nice horse next door that’s been sacked and he was less than 5 minutes from home. It was a Friday and we bought him and took him to opening hunt on the Saturday and we thought we would continue jumping him. He trotted across the paddock to the first fence and that was the last time he saw a fence. He had personality in spades and was National Supreme Hack, runner Up Hack of the Year and took my daughter to senior rider of the year and then went back with an intermediate rider and she won her title too. He was 16.2hh and a true thoroughbred type. He lived out his days with us.

 

Story shared by Claire Simpson

When the Challenge Eleven Syndicate had the misfortune of their filly Luana (by El Roca) break down, it was important to find a good home for her to rehabilitate and ideally find a new pathway too. Thankfully Don & Jan Avenell, who farm in Gisborne, were good enough to provide an excellent home and had the patience to allow her the time needed to fully get over what was a serious injury. Fast forward a couple of years and it is wonderful to see her beginning a career as a show horse – see photo with Holly Hutchinson riding.

 

Story shared by Adrian Clark – challengeracehorsesyndications.com

Millie Rose, a 10 year old mare by Keeper, originally trained at Wingatui by Marion Stevenson had 11 starts for 1 second and 1 third.  She was given to Janaya Anderton at the end of 2016.  Janaya has done a super job of her retraining and Millie has turned her hoof to everything! She has done a couple seasons of pony club, show jumped successfully to 80cm, evented, trekked, done calvacade and now is in her first season of barrel racing!  She is very versatile and very loved!

Story shared by Claire Anderton

Mr Brown 2008 ( Duelled/True Zephyr) Trainer- Michelle Northcott. Following a short career where his potential was never reached, he travelled to Timaru to the Phiskie family. His real potential will be eventing and following some show jumping training days he graduated to the hunting field. Last season he hunted with the South Canterbury Hunt. This photograph was his first spar at the Whites Hunt. Mr B has a tremendous attitude, is a willing jumper, so honest and a dream horse to own. Michelle did a wonderful job in his education.

 

Story shared by Bill Phiskie

The horse started his career with trainer Roger James. He never got to the races but he ended up with Andrew Nicholson as a top class eventer.

 

NZTR 

HKJC Race Performance

My mare, Doll, missed out on being a race horse. I bred her on my lifestyle block from leased mare Sayyal. She was quite a late foal and was too small to go to the Karaka sales as a yearling. Subsequently, I decided to keep her as a riding horse and she was professionally broken-in for this in late 2018. Doll loves the "cowboy challenge" obstacles and is very clever and a quick learner at this. In 2021 I hope to get her competing in the Cowboy Challenge field. At some time in the future I may allow her to be a broodmare, but she is perfectly happy just being a very spoiled and happy pet.

 

Story shared by Eve Davidson

Anna, of Annarehab near Thames, met Sexabeel while working at Marsh Racing. During a dark time in her life battling a TBI and subsequent depression, she formed a deep bond with this entire, who helped her to heal. When it became apparent that he wouldn’t make a racehorse he was retired to Kate Lambie in the hopes that this stunner would blossom as an eventer.  When that didn’t happen he was offered to Anna. He has matured into a phenomenal therapy horse being particularly drawn to men and teenage boys. We are so blessed to have him doing such important work in the field of men’s mental health.

 

Story shared by Anna Baigent

Reserve Champion Open Riding Horse! (Stonemason, 5 wins) Bred by Levin Thoroughbred Breeders Assn. Trained by Lisa Latta & Andrew Carston.

 

Story shared by Kay hood

FULL BROTHER AND SISTER (FIESTA STAR-PRINCESS DOMINION(GB)): 25YO Sway (Polly) who was unplaced in one start before leaving 4 race winner Balerune (St Petersburg) and 22YO King’s Bard (Benny) who won 3 of his first 4 starts before injury curtailed his career.

The pair enjoy life at home with buddy, Mungo.

 

Story shared by Allan Hunt

Leroy was a winner of 3 races and shares a paddock with Al (Chettak) and his lovely kind nature compliments Al's - there can’t be two bosses in one paddock. Overly affectionate, you have to mind his hard head butts as his way of showing love.

 

Story shared by Helen Lawrence

Ubetcha departed the racing stables in March 2015 and became a mate for young horses at the Wingatui track. He lived at the track. In 2018 he became a hunter for Anne Beattie’s family. Daughter No 1 Jayne rode him as she knew him from track work days and he wasn’t the easiest of horses! He settled in well and went on to join the show jumping team. He successfully competed for a season before being spotted by Kaye Buckley who wanted to purchase him as an eventer. The sale went though as Jayne was to be heading overseas for her big OE and Beattie’s had plenty of other horses on the go! Then Covid hit, no overseas travel, Ubetcha decided he didn’t really like dressage and would rather return to the Beattie’s SJ team, which is now where he is back competing with lots of success.

 

Story shared by Anne Beattie

Wade came to me in September 2020 when he was unwanted by his current owner. I was told he was a standardbred, 13-14yo and had previously been a trekking horse. As his 2” long winter coat came out it revealed thoroughbred brands and it turned out he raced as Wade and is 20yo. In need of a little TLC and still a work in progress, he has thrived since arriving. Renamed Lucky (by a friend) for finding his way to my place, he will be a companion and hack for the Burgundy 2yo I have. I’m not sure who will be babysitting who though as Lucky stresses on his own, while the 2yo doesn’t care less!

 

Story shared by Margaret Larsen

Who Shot Thebarman has been an absolute delight since he arrived. He is quite sociable with visitors especially when they bring carrots. The reports were that he jumped like a gazelle when he came to us and once he joined our legends under saddle program we found this to be the case. He does do some dressage work as well, it is good for his suppleness and flexibility and he has made improvement, but it would be fair to say that he is more of a cross country performer than a “dancing with the stars” dressage performer. Barry is hugely popular with visitors to Living Legends, the name definitely helps but at heart of the matter is his long career, as a very brave stayer competing at the highest level.

Story shared by Andrew F Clarke BVSc(Hons) Ph.D.