Two older Alberta OTTBs Silver Essence and Mint having fun!
Admin • February 25, 2025
🌟 OTTBs are more than just racehorses—they’re lifelong athletes, partners, and champions in new arenas! 🏇💖 With their heart, versatility, and determination, they shine in second careers like jumping, dressage, eventing, and even therapy work. 🏆🐎 Their journey doesn’t end at the track—it’s just beginning! ✨
🏇✨ Off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) are the ultimate comeback stars! With their athleticism, heart, and resilience, they thrive in second careers like eventing, show jumping, dressage, and even therapy work. 🏆💖 Their spirit and work ethic make them incredible partners for life, proving that retirement is just the start of something great!
Here’s two Alberta bred older OTTBs having some playful fun in the Mane Attractions arena near Olds where they are now boarded!
Silver Essence ( white socks) is Dr. Brenda Abbey's husband Bob Brunt’s 27 year old Alberta bred OTTB .
Essence born in 1998 at Peaceful Valley Stables and purchased by Bob and Dr. Abbey as a yearling from Jack and Linda Johnston. Silver Essence was injured in his 2nd race as a 3 year old and then had a small knee chip expertly removed by equine surgeon Dr. Greg Andrews of the Moore Veterinary clinic. After 6 months of recovery Essence began retraining in Equitation and Dressage. Bob was coached to Level 3 Dressage by Linda Johnston who also delivered Silver Essence as a foal at Peaceful Valley.
Essence’s longtime paddock buddy Mint was a homebred of former CTHS VP Roy Shelnutt.
Mint was retrained and ridden for years in the Dressage discipline by Roy and since Roy’s passing and belongs to Roy’s daughter Rebecca.
Courtesy of Dr. Brenda E. Abbey
Turning Possibilities into Probabilities
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The Western Canadian Derby Series is back and bigger than ever for 2025!
🏇 $100,000 Derby Bonus for any 3-year-old who sweeps the Manitoba Derby (Aug 4), Canadian Derby (Aug 23), and BC Derby (Sept 13) – now all back in the lineup!
💰 Plus, a $25,000 Owner-Trainer Bonus is up for grabs based on points earned across all three races
#horseracingalberta #albertaracing #ridersup #FeelTheRush #bestinthewest
Equineline and T.I.P. today announced the launch of a new report centered on Thoroughbreds in their second careers.
Dual-Breed Dream: Thoroughbred Jockey Omar Moreno Finds New Passion In Standardbreds
While Moreno will continue to be active in Thoroughbred racing, his wintertime passion for harness racing has given him a deeper appreciation for all horses
Chris Lomon/Woodbine Communications21 hours ago
The public comment period for the proposed countermeasures, with feedback from business, stakeholders, and Canadians regarding their impacts has been extended to April 2nd.
Once again, we strongly encourage all industry stakeholders to submit their input through this comment submission form and request an exemption to the Canadian tariffs for purebred breeding and racing horses at https://forms-formulaires.alpha.canada.ca/en/id/cm7upmkx9008rx268zhy9l6pj.
Please make sure you make a note of the following HS Tariff Items in your exemption request:
HS Tariff Item 0101.21.00 Pure-bred breeding animals
HS Tariff Item 0101.29.00.20 – Other For Racing
From the racetrack to the show ring! Code, the first foal out of Crimson Deed by Omega Code, retired sound after his racing career and found a new purpose with a dedicated young rider from High River. Given the time and patience OTTBs need to transition, Carol built a strong bond with him before training for his second career. Now, they’re gearing up for their next big challenge—a show at Spruce Meadows from March 13-16. A true testament to the versatility and heart of Alberta-breds!
Alberta’s breeding industry is thriving, with qualifying stallion owners sharing in an impressive $85,000 in breeding awards for the 2024 season! The Horse Racing Alberta Breed Improvement Program Stallion Bonus rewarded 34 stallions at a rate of 3.25%, building on the momentum of 2023’s $75,000 at 3.26%—a testament to the growing success of Alberta-sired runners.
Cape Canaveral topped the Stallion Bonus leaderboard with an impressive $13,969 payout, followed by Fed Biz ($8,217), It’s No Joke ($6,486), Saturdaynitelites ($5,509), and Imperialism ($5,120), solidifying their impact on Alberta’s breeding scene. With Alberta-sired winners making their mark on the track, the future of the province’s breeding program has never looked brighter!
If you visit Anne Kursinski’s Market Street facility in Frenchtown, New Jersey, you might notice a striking bay gelding with a broad blaze and four white socks being ridden by one of her students or her partner, Carol Hoffman. You might wonder about his breeding—until you remember that for Kursinski, a member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, nothing can beat a good Thoroughbred.
“I am a huge fan of the Thoroughbreds, no question,” said Kursinski, 65, who famously rode ex-race horse Eros to team silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. “Thoroughbreds are intelligent and athletic, brave and light.”
The newest Thoroughbred in her life—Bobby Socks, so named in honor of his four white socks—became part of the Market Street family in 2022, after a chance conversation at a horse show between Kursinski and her longtime friend and retired show jumper Mary Chapot.
“Mary said they had this Thoroughbred that was too slow for Laura [Chapot, Mary’s daughter], and she thought maybe we’d like to take a look,” Kursinski recal
2025 Stallion News – Malibu Moon son MOONSHINE NOW
Malibu Moon son MOONSHINE NOW is standing at Copper Kettle Performance Horses for the 2025 season. Champion Sire Malibu Moon is one of A.P. Indy’s most successful progeny to enter stud. Moonshine Now is out of Ask Me When by Champion sire Speighstown. Ask Me When comes from an impressive female line that has produced multiple black type runners including a full sibling that earned over $500,000 on the racetrack featuring a graded stakes performance.
This lineage is further highlighted by Grade 1 winner and millionaire Honey Rider among other champions on the track.
Moonshine Now raced from 2 through 7, earning over $100,000 on the track. The 2017 stallion will be standing at Copper Kettle Performance Horses in Didsbury, Alberta for a stud fee of $2,000. Contact Don or Kerry Johnston at 403-586-4462 or email copperkettlephs@hotmail.com for further information.
Three key programs designed to strengthen and grow the Thoroughbred breeding and racing community in Alberta. These initiatives are tailored to support our breeders, enhance and grow the local horse racing industry, and incentivize the breeding of high-quality Thoroughbreds in our province
Horse Racing Alberta Boosts Breed Improvement Programs for 2025
As we approach the end of a successful 2024, Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) is gearing up for even greater success in 2025 with significant enhancements to its Breed Improvement Programs (BIP). The programs, which have already paid out substantial bonuses to breeders and owners, are set for an impressive expansion, reflecting HRA’s commitment to fostering a robust horse racing industry in Alberta.