This “Where Are They Now” story is a bit of a personal one for me. I first met popular New York-bred stakes winner Blindwillie McTell (Posse), affectionately known as Willie, back in 2018 when he was just a 2-year-old.

I was there the day he made his debut, finishing a game second at 19-1 in a state-bred maiden special weight at Aqueduct. The gutsy little bay impressed trainer Linda Rice enough for her to enter him in a stake next out and he proved worthy of her faith, splashing home to a good-looking graduation in the NYSS Great White Way S.

Willie opened his 3-year-old season in similar fashion, taking the Rego Park S. in his next outing, much to the delight of his exuberant owner/breeder Jerry Zaro. He took the Mike Lee S. two starts later and, once again, I stood in the winner's circle with Willie and his proud connections.

Willie's talent on the racetrack made him a fun horse to be around throughout his career, as did his winning personality. A very friendly and happy horse, he always tried his heart out and did so with plenty of enthusiasm, making him a barn favorite during his four seasons in the Rice barn and a personal favorite of mine.

In April of 2021, Willie let Rice know he had enough. She refused to run him for a low claiming price and Zaro agreed, so the decision was made to retire him. Being a gelding, the best option for the three-time stakes winner was finding a new home as a show horse.

I had recently assisted Rice in placing a horse named Mental Model (Into Mischief) with a friend of mine, who now successfully competes him as an eventer. So the conditioner turned to me to find a home for the lovable Blindwillie McTell.

I always knew Willie was special. I also knew he would love to have his own person and would give that individual his all in any discipline they tried together. I wanted to make sure Willie found a person who would recognize how special he was and would give him the best chance to thrive in his new career. So, I turned to one of my best friends, Caroline Letts, a hunter and jumper trainer based in Colts Neck, New Jersey, who had plenty of experience with off-track Thoroughbreds.

Letts was quick to say yes and we brought Willie to her facility in May of 2021. Under her guidance, my favorite little racehorse-that-could blossomed into a talented hunter and jumper. Her 16-year-old working student successfully competed him in Thoroughbred classes at a recognized horse show that September.

Since then he has taught lessons to kids as young as 12 and competed successfully in a variety of horse shows in both the hunter and jumper divisions. He even helped me achieve one of my dreams of climbing aboard one of the racehorses I had the privilege to follow or work with during my career. He is still as much of a perfectionist and overachiever in his new career as he was on the racetrack.

Willie continues to gain fans everywhere he goes. He is a barn favorite at MCL Equestrian and has a leaser, who adores him. His fans from his racing days, those that love New York racing and fans of Bob Dylan, for whom Blindwillie McTell was named, still follow him diligently. As expected, my old friend Willie is still a winner in everything he does and I'm just thrilled to still be a part of it.

The post Where Are They Now: Blindwillie McTell appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Cash prizes of $2,000 per division were awarded to the 26 divisions offered, which included hunters, jumpers, dressage, combined tests, Western dressage, English pleasure and Western pleasure.

The winners and reserve champions for the T.I.P. Championships, as well as high point award winners, can be found here.

“This past weekend was a true celebration of the Thoroughbred and its potential to thrive in careers beyond the racetrack,” said Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and administrator of T.I.P. “This show would not have been possible without the equestrian community's support of T.I.P. and the effort of the team at Stable View, who helped make the event a success.”

T.I.P. also announced that it has attracted more than 40 horses from 16 states for its inaugural Barrel Racing Championships, which will be held on Wednesday, October 13, and Thursday, October 14, as part of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium. The event is being held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, and will offer thousands in prize money and additional prizes for the top horses.

The T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships are sponsored by The Western Thoroughbred, a grassroots organization that recognizes the contributions of the Thoroughbred to the Western horse industry and celebrates the achievements of Thoroughbreds in Western sports.

To qualify for the championships, a T.I.P.-eligible Thoroughbred must participate in a show offering T.I.P. high point awards, classes, or divisions in the applicable discipline beginning August 1 of the prior year through July 31 of the championships year or participate in the T.I.P. Performance Awards in the applicable discipline. Horses shown at a horse trial or combined test can also qualify for the championships through the show jumping phase.

To be eligible for T.I.P. shows, a Thoroughbred is defined as any horse that has been registered with The Jockey Club or a foreign Thoroughbred stud book recognized by The Jockey Club.

Created and announced in October 2011, T.I.P. recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high point awards at sanctioned horse shows, performance awards, and non-competition awards. In addition to the complete schedule of T.I.P.-sponsored shows, other information about the program is available on the T.I.P. website. Those interested in T.I.P. can follow the program here.

The post 2021 T.I.P. Championships Winners Announced; Inaugural Barrel Championships To Be Held October 13-14 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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When asked why she enjoys the breed, she says she appreciates that they are innately wired to please. Once a Thoroughbred understands what is being asked of them, she says, most want to work with their riders. The key to successfully retraining them is patience, she says.

Once Caitlin determines an OTTB is safe to ride, she will placea pole in the ring and ask the horse to walk over it to determine if he is bold or overwhelmed, which will factor into how he is trained. Once the horse is ready to begin jumping, she doesn't train a Thoroughbred any differently than she does any other breed.

Caitlin reminds riders that a Thoroughbred was first trained for speed and that a forward, galloping Thoroughbred hunter can be lovely to watch if trained to relax and jump correctly.

Caitlin says she has seen more Thoroughbreds in the show ring, and more groups and individuals advocating for their return. She expects the Thoroughbred classes at horse shows to get more competitive.

Read more at The Plaid Horse.

The post Florida Hunter Trainer Advocates For Return Of Thoroughbreds To The Show Ring appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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