About Julie and Brig

I’m the part-time Mom of three step-kids, a soon-to-be wife, a professional, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a dog-owner and last, but not least, a horse-owner.  I try really hard to fit it all into 24 hours. 

A horse-crazy girl, I finally started riding at the age of ten.  I would do anything to get on a horse!  Finally, at the age of 12, I had one of my own.  I showed successfully until high-school ended and then gave up horses, only to dream about having one of my own for years afterward, leasing here and there, even taking the odd lesson on occassion.  Like many, I paid my dues: College, working 15 hour days and living broke in an apartment with three other people.  I’m past that, now.

Originally I wanted a rescue.  Then I wanted an OTTB (off the track thoroughbred).  Did I have the time?  More importantly, did I have the guts?  No.  And no.  After dozens of dead-end calls, Craigs List searches and disappointment, I found “the one”. 

Brig sold as a yearling in Ireland for $250,000.  He broke his maiden turf in Great Britian before being shipped to Santa Anita as a three year old.  There, he won a couple races and one major race.  A slab fracture to the knee put him out of commission in 2002.  When he was deemed sound for racing, he didn’t have it in him any longer, so they sold him to a “show home”.  His career winnings were just under $35,000 and $30,000 of that was won during just one race.

The “show home” ended up being almost his last home, and not in a good way.  Pastured in a one-acre sand lot with three other horses, Brig was 400 lbs. underweight and suffering from abscesses on his feet.  The “show home” had 48 hours to find all of their horses new homes or the horses were going to be taken away. 

Through a friend and favors or something, Brig ended up finding a home in Washington with a man who has a small western pleasure barn and has some dealings with racehorses.  He was shipped up, sight-unseen, and when he was backed off the trailer, the first thought was euthanasia.  Luckily for Brig, they decided to give him a chance.  They threw a sheet on him so the neighbors wouldn’t turn them in and nursed him back to health, physically and mentally.

Once Brig was sound to ride per his vet, they put some training into him, dabbled in some shows and, as planned, placed him for sale to a good home.  When I met him, he had been hanging out in pasture for several months and frankly, he was a brat.  He didn’t want to move, stamped his foot and swished his tail.  I was too afraid to canter him.  But I loved him and knew he was mine.

This is our story.