It has been 12 weeks since I first met Imposing Ruler. I purchased him sight unseen from Florida because of the potential I saw in his videos and due to conversations I had with his owner and racetrack connections.
Allison Moorhead and her mother, Robin, first met Concord Joe at Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation in May 2018. The 2013 Kentucky-bred gelding had raced 13 times between 2016 and 2018, earning $33,254. Robin immediately fell in love with Joe, a sweet and gentle giant, but at the time, another tall, dark bay named Yarnaby Road also caught her eye. In the end, Roadie went home with them.
As I pulled out of the Kentucky Horse Park last October after another successful Thoroughbred Makeover – ending in third place with Prince Loki in eventing – I looked over at my husband and swore I was going to take 2025 off. But as we all know, with horses that is rarely ever the case. I had no idea the phone call I would receive in a month would completely change my mind.
When Vera Tune set out to find her next horse, she was focused on finding a partner for Dressage — one with a good brain, safe in and out of tack, one who moved well, and one she could depend on.
My love of Thoroughbreds began the way many of ours did — when it came time for my first horse, it was simply what my father could afford. However, I don’t think anyone could have predicted then how much that gangly 3-year-old, just two weeks off the track, would foster my love for the breed, and ultimately shape my future career. Sure, I’ve tried a few “grown-up” jobs here and there, but I always came back to the horses.
