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On December 6, 2010, I left work early. I didn’t want to get stuck in rush hour traffic on my way to see her in person. It was early pre-winter dark as I slotted myself in three-deep outside the back walking ring at Keeneland, sapphire-cased Lumix in hand, determined not to miss a moment. One among a crowd of fans (fanatics?), I waited more than an hour in the frigid cold for my chance to see her with my own eyes. The freezing air drained my camera batteries and I had to remind myself repeatedly that even if I didn’t get a single frame of footage, I was there to experience her. Remember this moment.
At last, she arrived. Her dapples shone under the walking ring lights. She danced for us, her signature moves a delight. Her graceful legs cut through the fog of her breath as she bowed her head and showed us what we all came to see: the magic of Zenyatta. by Rachael Zilboorg  Diva Delite (dam of Verifying) with a colt by Uncle Mo - Photo credit: Woodford Thoroughbreds FB page “Breed to the best and hope for the best.”“Breed to the best and hope for the best.”
That’s the adage of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, often attributed to breeder John E. Madden (1856-1929). But the reality is, while you can stack the odds in your favor by breeding proven mares to proven stallions, Thoroughbred breeding is a game of chance. An exceptional racehorse may fail to pass on his brilliance. An exceptional race mare can fail to produce a winner… and an unraced mare can produce a champion. For fun, and for educational purposes, we’ve done a brief sketch of the dams of each of the Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders below. The Derby will be run Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs. by Rachael Zilboorg  Image source: Kentucky Derby Facebook page - www.facebook.com/KentuckyDerby/ “Breed to the best and hope for the best.”That’s the adage of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, often attributed to breeder John E. Madden (1856-1929). But the reality is, while you can stack the odds in your favor by breeding proven mares to proven stallions, Thoroughbred breeding is a game of chance. An exceptional racehorse may fail to pass on his brilliance. An exceptional race mare can fail to produce a winner… and an unraced mare can produce a champion.
For fun, and for educational purposes, we’ve done a brief sketch of the dams of each of the Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders below. The Derby will be run Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs. by Rachael Zilboorg  “Breed to the best and hope for the best.”That’s the adage of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, often attributed to breeder John E. Madden (1856-1929). But the reality is, while you can stack the odds in your favor by breeding proven mares to proven stallions, Thoroughbred breeding is a game of chance. An exceptional racehorse may fail to pass on his brilliance. An exceptional race mare can fail to produce a winner… and an unraced mare can produce a champion.
For fun, and for educational purposes, we’ve done a brief sketch of the dams of each of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders below. The Kentucky Oaks will be run on Friday, May 5, at Churchill Downs. by Rachael Zilboorg  Photo Source: Kentucky Derby Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyDerby/) “Breed to the best and hope for the best.”That’s the adage of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, often attributed to breeder John E. Madden (1856-1929). But the reality is, while you can stack the odds in your favor by breeding proven mares to proven stallions, Thoroughbred breeding is a game of chance. An exceptional racehorse may fail to pass on his brilliance. An exceptional race mare can fail to produce a winner… and an unraced mare can produce a champion.
For fun, and for educational purposes, we’ve done a brief sketch of the dams of each of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders below. The Kentucky Oaks will be run on Friday, May 5, at Churchill Downs. by Rachael Zilboorg  Lovely Assistant at Virginia Horse Trials CCI/CIC & HT 2018 (Source: YouTube https://youtu.be/6hIEno1tFHw) The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (LRK3DE) is one of the most exciting equestrian events held in the United States each year. Most often held the last week of April, while the majority of the Thoroughbred industry is looking forward with anticipation to the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, sport horse enthusiasts from across the country meet in Lexington, Kentucky, for one of only two top-level Eventing FEI-sanctioned competitions held in the United States each year.
Eventing, especially at the highest levels, requires that a horse and rider be in absolute harmony. All three phases of modern Eventing - Dressage, Cross Country, and Show Jumping - require a laundry list of qualities from horse and rider, including technical skill, precision, agility, strength, bravery, endurance, rapid problem-solving, and trust. With a well-proven legacy of bravery, endurance, and intelligence, Thoroughbreds and part-Thoroughbred horses are common among the ranks of Eventers at all levels, and the LRK3DE and its sister event, the Cosequin Lexington 4*, are no exception. While there are multiple Thoroughbred entries in the LRK3DE and Lexington 4*, the topic at hand is, as always, mares. Keep reading to learn about the pair of race-bred Thoroughbred mares competing in this week’s world-class event! |
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Blog AuthorsKyle Rothfus (aka Kyle the OTTB Mare Guy) Categories
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Mareworthy Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its tax identification number is 88-4420958