Elliot's official name is L.E. Font but we lovingly call him Smellie.
He is a 2004 Kentucky bred TB by Five Star Day and out of Art Gallery. He was destined for great things, though racing was not one of them. He started six times. His first two races were at Churchill Downs, his next three at the Louisiana Downs and his last at the Fairgrounds. His highest placing was third.
On Equibase, you can look up not only your horse's pedigree, but also his races, placing, and the race notes. Elliot comments are mostly about breaking early and then giving up about half way through. However, the best comment of all came for his first race: 'unruly post parade'. Sounds about right.
I think they had hoped Elliot would be a big deal racehorse. His reserve price as a yearling was $70,000. He just didn't want to play the game.
Elliot found himself on a truck with a number of other track rejects on their way to Hunter/Jumper trainer Dennis Murphy. Elliot wasn't the stuff of hunters, but he was so sweet that they didn't want to send him off to some unknown and possibly unpleasant fate. So Betsy gets a call and a cryptic message: 'I have your next big time horse'.
Like a drug deal in the night, Elliot was handed off and there was an exchange of money (though probably less than the average drug deal).
He wouldn't get off the trailer when she arrived home, and when the sun came up this is what she saw:
He was skinny, furry, covered in rain rot (hence the name Smellie), and had the propensity to squeal and roll his head when something was scary, hard, or when it just seemed right.
Betsy took him to his first events. He muddled through a couple beginner novices and then got scared when a bike backfired at the at the in gate of his first novice show jump. It undid poor Smellie. Shortly there after, there was a little incident of jumping in dark, which also ended badly. It suffices to say, Elliot thought the jumps were out to get him. It took months and months of a patient, dedicated Betsy to get him not to run back wards to the fences. Bill even thought the horse was blind,. He told Betsy to unload him. We're all so glad she stuck with it.
Jessie started riding Elliot in 2009. Some horses and riders just click and that's what happened. They got the Big E at their first outing, but soon came to a very special agreement: at any point someone maybe scared and need to close their eyes, but they never close their eyes together. Once understanding this, Elliot has really come into his own and moved up the levels quickly.
Elliot's had his ups and downs. Jumping, not jumping, jumping again. He has a very serious colic in 2010 after his first preliminary and needed colic surgery and then a long recovery. But now he's back and better than ever.
He is a very exciting horse, and one to watch for the future.
He is a 2004 Kentucky bred TB by Five Star Day and out of Art Gallery. He was destined for great things, though racing was not one of them. He started six times. His first two races were at Churchill Downs, his next three at the Louisiana Downs and his last at the Fairgrounds. His highest placing was third.
On Equibase, you can look up not only your horse's pedigree, but also his races, placing, and the race notes. Elliot comments are mostly about breaking early and then giving up about half way through. However, the best comment of all came for his first race: 'unruly post parade'. Sounds about right.
I think they had hoped Elliot would be a big deal racehorse. His reserve price as a yearling was $70,000. He just didn't want to play the game.
Elliot found himself on a truck with a number of other track rejects on their way to Hunter/Jumper trainer Dennis Murphy. Elliot wasn't the stuff of hunters, but he was so sweet that they didn't want to send him off to some unknown and possibly unpleasant fate. So Betsy gets a call and a cryptic message: 'I have your next big time horse'.
Like a drug deal in the night, Elliot was handed off and there was an exchange of money (though probably less than the average drug deal).
He wouldn't get off the trailer when she arrived home, and when the sun came up this is what she saw:
He was skinny, furry, covered in rain rot (hence the name Smellie), and had the propensity to squeal and roll his head when something was scary, hard, or when it just seemed right.
Betsy took him to his first events. He muddled through a couple beginner novices and then got scared when a bike backfired at the at the in gate of his first novice show jump. It undid poor Smellie. Shortly there after, there was a little incident of jumping in dark, which also ended badly. It suffices to say, Elliot thought the jumps were out to get him. It took months and months of a patient, dedicated Betsy to get him not to run back wards to the fences. Bill even thought the horse was blind,. He told Betsy to unload him. We're all so glad she stuck with it.
Jessie started riding Elliot in 2009. Some horses and riders just click and that's what happened. They got the Big E at their first outing, but soon came to a very special agreement: at any point someone maybe scared and need to close their eyes, but they never close their eyes together. Once understanding this, Elliot has really come into his own and moved up the levels quickly.
Elliot's had his ups and downs. Jumping, not jumping, jumping again. He has a very serious colic in 2010 after his first preliminary and needed colic surgery and then a long recovery. But now he's back and better than ever.
He is a very exciting horse, and one to watch for the future.
0 comments:
Post a Comment