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Successful Racing Quarter Horse Now Besting Barrel Competition

Second career racehorse This Is Debt and owner Ty Lloyd receive an award. PHOTO: Courtesy of Brandi Lloyd

A warhorse, in racing parlance, is a horse who has made more than 50 career starts. By its very definition, a warhorse has to be not only talented, but also sound and gritty enough to withstand the rigors of an extended campaign.

This Is Debt, a 2005 sorrel gelding, is a warhorse –and is now a first-race speed event horse.

Bred in Ontario by Brian Farrell, he was campaigned by the Farrell family–owned by Bill, trained by Laurie–exclusively at Ajax Downs in a career that spanned from 2007 to 2011. He won or placed in 15 of his 52 starts, earning $57,698, including appearances in the 2008 Maple Leaf and Ontario Bred and Foaled derbies.

Sired by Royal Evening Snow, he is out of the Pacific Bailey mare Pipe Dream Bailey.

Brandi Lloyd is a lifetime horsewoman and is friends with the Farrell family. She served as a groom for This Is Debt during his racing career and loved his Pacific Bailey bloodlines. She asked the family if she might be able to get him when his racing career was over and train him for speed events like barrel racing and pole bending.

“They called and said he's ready to come and get,” Brandi says. “I picked him up and we gave him about a year off, and then I started him back. He's been super easy. He's light, runs to the snaffle, took to the barrels really easily. He's excelled in pole bending. He keeps getting better and better.”

The horse the family calls “Pretty Boy Roy” or “Roy” has adapted well to his new life. Brandi trained him on the barrel pattern by riding exhibition runs at events while her two sons were running their ponies. She says that Laurie Faurell's horsemanship and early training of Roy made the horse's transition from racing to arena competition especially easy.

When her son, Ty, was old enough, Roy was given to him for a Christmas present. They have been competing together for about four years.

“Roy and Ty just click,” the proud mom says. “They make a great team. I trained the horse, but he runs harder for Ty. Ty motivates differently than I do, too, and kinda hangs it out there, and Roy really tries for him.”

Roy has earned 6.5 points in limited AQHA competition, as well as several Top 10 finishes in barrels and pole bending at the prestigious All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

The family goes to events together, mainly competing at National Barrel Horse Association and Ontario Barrel Horse Association competitions, with Brandi and Ty riding, and her dad and younger son sitting together in the stands, providing priceless Statler-and-Waldorf-type commentary on their videos.

“He's pretty great,” Brandi says of Roy. “He has an attitude some times, but as far as working with him, he has a great work ethic, he's happy to do his work and do his job.”

While Roy is the family's first second-career racehorse, he's probably not going to be their last. In addition to having a great horse, they've also gotten checks from the Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program, which promotes the careers of Ontario-bred racehorses even after they leave the racetrack.

“Honestly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat,” Brandi says. “I'd encourage anyone interested to look at one for sure.”

This story, which is part of the Second Career Stars series, originally appeared on the American Quarter Horse News website and is republished here with permission. Second Career Stars is an ongoing series on retired racing American Quarter Horses in new careers. If you know of a horse that should be featured, write to acaudill@aqha.org. AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, “like” Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.

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‘Lovable Loser’ Zippy Chippy Still Winning Over Fans At Old Friends At Cabin Creek

As Zippy Chippy nears his 30thbirthday, fans of the lovable loser will be reassured to know he has not lost a step. Then again, he never had a step to lose.

The oh-so-slow bay gelding has been retired for the last 10 years at Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield Center, N.Y., where the infamy of falling short in all 100 of his starts has given way to fame.

Before the pandemic, scores of visitors wanted to spend time with Zippy Chippy, to get a glimpse of the horse that sometimes stood still while opponents charged from the starting gate. On other occasions, he would attempt to nip at rivals as they sped by. Such antics allowed him to make People magazine's list of the Most Interesting Personalities in 2000.

Foaled in 1991, the son of Compliance endured the ignominy of being acquired by owner and trainer Felix Monserrate in 1995 in exchange for a seven-year-old Ford truck. He performed so poorly that he was banned from numerous tracks that included Finger Lakes, which banished him after he failed to break with the rest of the field for the third consecutive start in racing's version of “three strikes and you're out.”

Monserrate retired Zippy Chippy in December, 2004, approximately three months after the horse hit the century mark in defeats in a race at Northampton Fair in Northampton, Mass. Fittingly, he finished last.

After a stint as a pony for an outrider at, of all places, Finger Lakes, Zippy Chippy ultimately made his way to the division of Old Friends named for Bobby Frankel, the late Hall of Fame trainer, in upstate New York. It is there that he found a soulmate in Red Down South, a chestnut New York-bred gelding. And it is there that he enjoys rock-star status.

Feed time for Zippy Chippy (right) and Red Down South

“He's brought so many people here and made them aware of how long horses live and all of their needs,” said JoAnn Pepper, who oversees the 40-acre retirement facility.

Like racing itself, celebrity did not come easily to Zippy Chippy. As part of its grand opening a decade ago, Old Friends at Cabin Creek set up a winner's circle with the idea that he would parade around the enclosure to the delight of fans who never saw that happen in reality.

This went as badly as many of his races.

As soon as Zippy Chippy and Red Down South were separated from the paddock that only the two of them share, trouble began.

“He was about 20 feet away from Red and they both went crazy not being together for 10 minutes,” Pepper said. “We had to put Zippy back in the paddock. That was after he kicked over the (winner's circle) sign and threw a fit. He hated every minute of it.”

Zippy Chippy celebrating his birthday

Zippy Chippy got loose approximately eight years ago. Not surprisingly, he did not run far. He was breathing heavily at the end.

“Maybe that was part of it, that he couldn't breathe as good as he should have while he was racing,” Pepper suggested.

There is no reason to think Zippy Chippy will run anywhere any time soon. To be sure, he goes at his own sluggish pace. Red Down South, only somewhat faster as a winner of two of 32 starts, has been known to bring his hay to him. When it rains, Red will force his best buddy to seek nearby shelter with him. In other instances, he will put pressure on him to walk, perhaps sensing that his roommate is 10 years older and will benefit from light exercise.

Zippy Chippy will make his way to the paddock fence, but do not come empty handed. “It's all about the candy,” Pepper said. “He eats a lot of candy for his age, but he seems fine with it.”

He will tolerate picture-takers. Well, somewhat. He often sticks out his tongue.

There is something about Zippy Chippy in retirement that makes him as endearing off the track as he was on it. Rosanne Frieri, 68, a professional photographer from Richmond, Mass., cannot get enough of him.

“There is something about an underdog. I migrate toward them,” said Frieri. “When I found out about Zippy Chippy with his record, I fell in love with him.”

She donates $100 per month to aid in his care. She delivered knitted Christmas stockings for Zippy and Red (“I didn't want either one to feel left out.”) She hopes to be able to safely hold a Kentucky Derby party to benefit Old Friends.

“I just love going up there,” Frieri said. “I love petting him and talking to him.”

Zippy Chipp (left) and Red Down South often express displeasure at photographers

Two authors found him equally captivating. Humorist William Thomas wrote “The Legend of Zippy Chippy: Life Lessons from Horse Racing's Most Lovable Loser.” Artie Bennett wrote a children's book illustrated by David Szalay: “The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn't.”

Bennett was enthralled by the horse that couldn't as soon as he heard the name. “It's like straight out of a nursery rhyme – Zippy Chippy,” he said.

He views Zippy Chippy's career as an inspiring tale for his impressionable audience.

“Children can learn from that, the importance of trying,” he said. “They can learn to give things their best shot, and not everyone can excel at everything. We mustn't let fear of failure keep us from trying new things.”

As Zippy Chippy relishes the idyllic setting that is home, as he takes comfort in Red's company, perhaps he reminds stressed-out adults of the value of taking life at a gentler pace.

Tom Pedulla wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

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Poor Manners In-Hand Lead To Poor Behavior While Ridden, Study Shows

Horses that are dangerous under saddle show several in-hand clues about how they will act when ridden. Horse owners and riders should be aware of these behaviors so they are prepared for what the horse might do with a rider astride, report Drs. Nicole Romness, Kate Fenner, Jessica McKenzie, Ashley Anzulewicz, Bibiana Burattini, Bethany Wilson and Paul McGreevy.

The research team used 1,584 responses by horse owners to the Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) to come to their conclusions. E-BARQ is a global database of horse behavior that allows riders to benchmark their horses against thousands of others in terms of welfare, training and behavior.

The scientists found that bolting, bucking and rearing are dangerously common; nearly 91 percent of pleasure horses in Britain had one or more of these tendencies, E-BARQ responders showed. These tendencies can reflect on a horse's experiences, health or history, the team said.

They found that:

Horses that have issues loading onto a trailer, spook at other animals or don't lead or tie well tend to bolt.
Horses that have issues loading, are intimidated by other horses and don't tie well tend to rear.
Horses that have issues loading, spook at other horses, don't lead or tie well and that don't like having their heads touched tend to buck.
Show jumpers had an increased tendency to rear, while show and companion horses had an increased risk of bucking compare to pleasure-riding horses.

They concluded that good ground manners translate to better behavior under saddle. Addressing issues before a rider is aboard could allow horse owners and handlers to fix them before training measures escalate to involve more force. This would improve the safety and welfare of both horses and riders.

Does Boredom Cause A Horse To Weave?

Stereotypies in horses are repetitive, compulsive behaviors that serve no purpose. Weaving and stall walking are classic stereotypes: weaving is when a horse shifts his weight from one foot to the other while swinging his head and neck to the left and right; a horse that walks compulsively up and down his stall is called a stall walker. Some horses compulsively walk fence lines when they're turned out.

Though many people think these behaviors are caused by boredom from being alone, these actions are actually caused by stress over the horse's forced solitude. Horses are herd animals—when they are by themselves, they don't feel safe. A horse's natural response is to move away from danger and weaving is an escape behavior: the horse is walking in place. Horses tend to weave at their stall door, which is his escape route.

The easiest way to get a horse to stop weaving is to turn him out. If a horse must be kept in a stall, ensuring he can see other horses may help. The ability to see horses outside on a pasture may be more comforting than to see another horse in a stall.

A shatterproof mirror may also help him feel less alone in his stall. Though the reflection doesn't smell or react like a horse, it may offer some comfort. Some people have had success with simply hanging posters of horses in the stall.