Wow, did Teddy Spaghetti have a great day today! I had consciously decided to not dedicate this month’s blog solely to his first horse show – but as I am sitting down to write this after just getting back, I don’t know how I can’t. He was an absolute superstar, and I could not be prouder.

Does that mean we were perfectly prepared and stepped into the ring ready to win all our classes? Absolutely not. He’s an OTTB who just turned 3 last week and had never been to a horse show. Combine that with a poorly timed stomach bug that cost us the opportunity to school at the venue the week prior, days of horrible humidity and torrential rain the week of, and a storm that took out the farm’s electricity until the eleventh hour, we were seriously less prepared than I had originally hoped to be. However, that’s the time to trust in all the hard work we’ve already put in, Teddy’s unbelievably great brain, our supportive and unassuming owners that believe in the process, and the incredibly welcoming atmosphere of the annual Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue’s Thoroughbred Benefit Horse Show.

Our previous field trips to a big venue’s local schooling day had me confident that we could handle the morning’s schooling break, but never did I imagine Teddy would settle as quickly and be able to accomplish as much as he did. Pre-entered in the TIP Pleasure Horse and the Green as Grass Horse Divisions, all he technically had to do was jump one 2’ line in a combination class and trot around a course of cross rails – that is, if we felt he was prepared to actually show and didn’t need to just hang out for the day and take in the atmosphere instead. However, he handled his outside line so well, that I felt confident in asking him to trot around the full course in the bigger ring. Wide and colorful boxes, coops, green astroturf barrels, tunnels, you name it, he jumped it.

Earning a win at Teddy's first show. (Courtesy of Caitlan Brooks)

Again, were we perfectly able to canter around a complete course among the chaos that can be schooling? No. But that wasn’t what I was asking of Teddy. I simply wanted to see what he would think of different jumps and bending lines, the likes of which he has never seen, and was thrilled with his willingness to give it a try. So much so that when it came time to school in the little cross rail ring, I had no hesitation in letting the older of his two kids, Grace, school him herself. Confident and settled, he trotted right over the whole course without a care in the world.

After earning a short break back on the trailer, it was show time. I had the ride in the TIP Pleasure Horse to give our first hack classes a try, and we had his brother, my 2024 RRP entry In The Air, with us for emotional support as well. Of course, In The Air stole the show with their youngest kid, Bay, but it was great to have a buffer amongst the traffic and a solid lead to show Teddy the way. While we had practiced riding in a group at home, nothing quite compares to taking an OTTB in their first hack class. With several horses all tracking the same direction, it can be both confusing and reminiscent of their time on the track, so you never know exactly what you’re going to get. Luckily, Teddy took it all in stride and his nerves settled with every gate and direction. By our third class, he was trotting around long and low with the relaxation of an old pro. We struggled a bit with our right lead at the canter, which while conquered at home, was not a huge surprise given the added nerves and distractions. However, the biggest thing to me was that he never once tried to grab the bit and accelerate at the canter, even when others were acting a bit silly around him. He also stood still in line. Hallelujah! Honestly, looking back, I am not sure that I’ve ever had a horse learn so much in a single division at their first horse show.

Teddy (left) with In The Air. (Courtesy of Caitlan Brooks)

Teddy did so well that after a brief, and welcomed, stint in lead line with Bay, he marched down to the little ring with Grace and stepped right up to the plate to win their first ever class together, the Green as Grass Horse Walk/Trot. I’m not sure who was prouder, me, Grace, or Teddy himself, who finally got to leave the line early! Their division continued with courses of both ground poles and cross rails, where they did great, finishing right in the middle of the group. Unfortunately, a downside to having one be so brave and willing is that sometimes they can find the little things a little underwhelming. Add tiredness to that, and their effort can be a bit lackluster. However, I will take lackluster but willing any day over enthusiastic and impressed, especially at show one.

With all of Teddy’s classes behind him, now the true test began. Would he stand and hang out for the rest of the day? Easy-peasy. He happily grazed outside the rings and then stood on the trailer completely unfazed for the remainder of the day, which was probably the biggest ask in my opinion. Most racehorses leave their stall, work, and then go back to their stall, so sometimes the idle in-between times can be the hardest thing for them to adjust to in their life post track. But not Teddy, he was born to relax.

In case I haven’t already made it abundantly clear, Teddy Spaghetti’s first horse show couldn’t have gone any better in my eyes, and I am genuinely impressed with all that he learned and accomplished. The horse we took off the trailer is not the same horse we brought home, and I cannot wait to see how he and his kids progress from here. With hunter paces, hunt trail rides, and more shows on the horizon, I think his future is bright!

Thanks for following along, and check in next month for Teddy’s continued adventures and an update on Natty Bumppo’s early days of retraining. For those of you that may be fellow trainers wondering when your RRP hopeful is ready to start showing, I say pick a safe and supportive environment, and give it a try. We wish you the best of luck and tons of fun!

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.