HORSE BREED
ABOVE: Spirited, bold and fast, Thoroughbreds are perhaps best known for their racetrack prowess. breathtaking amounts well into
Find (sire Gonski, grandsire US Danehill)
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia
the millions, the Thoroughbred is
was sold for $32,000 at the 2010 Magic
www.tbaus.com; registered
still considered to be one of the
Millions Yearling Sale. After collecting
charity Recycled Racehorses
cheapest breeds to buy, simply
just $26,000 in race winnings from 35
recycledracehorses.com.au/; the
because there are so many of them.
starts, he was retired in 2013 as a failure
And so if you are considering purchasing
and sold for $500 to a Pony Club rider.
a Thoroughbred either straight off the track, or re-trained, or from a breeder,
He went on to enjoy a new lease of life as a much loved and useful all-rounder.
Aquis Farm retirement program aquisfarm.com/racehorse-retirementprogram/; horserescueaustralia.org.au; the Transitioning Thoroughbreds Foundation
you may not need to part with as much
An OTT story with a very happy ending!
money as you might have thought.
Want to know more?
While Thoroughbred yearlings regularly
If you’re on the hunt for a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred Retirement
sell for many thousands of dollars to
here are some links to follow up:
internationalthoroughbredretirement.com/.
investors hoping to find the next Black Caviar, within a few short years many of these horses are rejected by the racing industry and sold off for significantly fewer dollars, or even given away. So price isn’t necessarily a barrier, nor is it a good indicator of breeding, trainability or athletic potential when buying a Thoroughbred for purposes other than racing. As an aside, one of the most expensive Thoroughbreds ever sold was American bred Fusaichi Pegasus. As a threeyear-old colt he was sold for more than US$60 million after amassing $2 million in winnings. He retired to stud but was considered a disappointing sire and died fairly young. But don’t let that price tag put you off! Australian Thoroughbred gelding Rare 94 | H O R S E V I B E S N O V / D E C 2 0 2 0
Fiona McIntyre and OTT Thoroughbred Precedence excel in the show ring (Image by Angie Rickard Photography).
www.transitioningthoroughbreds.org; and International
