After 15 years of leasing horses, Jenna Stockinger knew exactly what she was looking for in a horse of her own. She wanted a horse who was a kind, capable partner, and one that her sister could enjoy riding and showing, too. The search was slow and thoughtful, but none of the horses quite felt like the one.

That changed the moment she reached out to Racehorse Reimagined, a program under the care of This Old Horse. A friend had adopted through them, and Jenna figured it was worth seeing which horses were available. She wasn’t expecting her perfect match to be waiting for her — but there he was.

An 8-year-old bay gelding named Long Awaited Guest, known around the barn as Zephyr, had only made four starts during his short racing career in 2016, earning just $660. It became clear early on that racing wasn’t his future, but this handsome Thoroughbred still had so much more to give.

Stockinger with Long Awaited Guest (Courtesy of Jenna Stockinger )

“When I saw the photo of him, his eyes just stopped me,” Stockinger said. “There was something about how soft and kind they looked. And when I saw him move, that was it. I knew I had found my horse.”

The adoption experience with Racehorse Reimagined was smooth and supportive — everything Stockinger had hoped for. As soon as she met Zephyr in person, there was no doubt in her mind: he was coming home.

Despite a relatively quiet start in the sport horse world, Zephyr had already been exposed to jumping at a previous barn, which gave Stockinger a great foundation to build on. Now, the two are exploring a variety of disciplines together, from pleasure and gaming classes to ranch riding — with dreams of one day trying their hand at cattle work.

“He really tries his hardest to get the right answer,” Stockinger said. “He has the most willing attitude, and retraining him has been going amazingly. He just wants to please.”

Zephyr has not only lived up to his name: Long Awaited Guest. He has become the long-awaited guest that Jenna always hoped would one day walk into her life. And with each ride, each show, and every new challenge, the bond between them grows stronger.

From forgotten racehorse to all-around show partner, Long Awaited Guest is proving that sometimes, the best things really are worth the wait.

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.