Ziggy A Champion Thoroughbred’s Story Continues

by Mary McCashin

If you walked by and saw him standing in the pasture you might think he’s just another Thoroughbred. You might think he retired a war horse, or simply was not sound enough to stay on the track. At 27 years old you might think he’s retired from his second career and is sweet, old gelding who plods around enjoying his retirement. If you believe any of these things, you’d be wrong - very wrong - because you should never underestimate Ziggy’s Berry Boy.

Ziggy is not just another Thoroughbred. Although he appears plain – a bay with two socks and a blaze and 15.2h “on a really good day, standing tall with fresh shoes,” chuckles his owner –he’s anything but plain.

Ziggy’s owner, Rachel Jurgens, acquired Ziggy off the turf track in 2003 when he was seven years old. Jurgens had traveled across the country from Washington to Virginia to ride with the acclaimed Jimmy Wofford for three weeks. Her first day at Wofford’s farm, her mare broke her coffin bone,

“Literally, within hours of arrival from across the country and I was horseless.” whether I wanted to keep him for me or sell him. He was a cheap off the track thoroughbred, but I didn’t really have the cash flow to buy him. He was also full of quirks and terrible ground manners, but I couldn’t seem to let him go and never managed to post him for sale.”

Jurgens figured she’d made the most of her time and hit up a local racetrack to breeze horses, and Wofford encouraged her to check out the Middleburg Training Track. There she met Michelle Truffant, and the rest as they say – was history.

Truffant loaned Ziggy’s Berry Boy to Jurgens for the last two weeks of her stay with Wofford. Two weeks turned into six months and Ziggy journeyed back across the country with Jurgens, “I figured in six months I’d know

Not only did he come with poor, pushy ground manners, but Ziggy was only able to be transported in a box stall, would lose his mind in a stall both at home and at an event, and could not handle warm up arenas with other horses, “He’d simply come unglued, I think it was racetrack PTSD”.

“There were times I would take him to a show, and he’d be throwing himself in the corners of the stall. You just had to walk away and cross your fingers. Magically he’s never hurt himself, but you definitely got some questionable looks from other competitors in your stabling area.”

Jurgens and Ziggy’s owners developed a payment plan, for every year Ziggy stayed sound Jurgens would pay his owners $1,000 towards his sale price. “It took me six years to pay for him, but I never doubted myself or my decision.” Despite some questionable x-rays, Ziggy stayed sound and he and Jurgens keep moving up the levels of eventing, “I rode him all the way through Advanced in a rubber snaffle, no flash, no spurs. I never doubted that he would jump.” The petite gelding came alive when faced towards any fence, although his hot head would get the best of him in a dressage arena from time to time.

Ten years into their relationship, in 2013, Jurgens and Ziggy made their way towards the Rolex Three Day in Kentucky, now known as The Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event. Unfortunately, their initial trip did not go as planned after a fall early on course. However, Jurgens knew she and Ziggy would rebound, and they did just that the following year in 2014 with a Top 30 Finish. The petite, feisty thoroughbred was now a 5* horse.

After Jurgens had competed him in the 2014 Rolex, Andrew McConnon competed Ziggy in several 4* events before heading to England to work for William Fox-Pitt. Jurgens was very hesitant to hand over the reins to McConnon as no one else had ridden Ziggy in years. However, she had other young horses to focus on. Jurgens knew that Ziggy, nowhere near ready to retire, would colic if he was out of work and McConnon needed miles with an experienced Advanced horse.

And so, Ziggy helped McConnon gain his own confidence. Believing that “good horses make good riders,”

McConnon and Ziggy quickly rose through the ranks. They finished 16th at Fair Hill 2* in Fall of 2014, followed by a 6th place finish at Pine Top in early spring 2015. At the CIC3* at Carolina International, Karen O’Connor commented that Ziggy was the kind of horse that made her want to dust off her boots and come out of retirement. He was the confidence booster, and A+ educator, that McConnon needed before heading overseas.

In May 2015, Jurgens decided to hand Ziggy’s reins over to Rachel King. King, under the direction of her instructor Nanci Lindroth, had goals of obtaining her USDF Gold Medal. Jurgens and King agreed on one specific aspect of Ziggy’s work –twenty-minute cool downs and warmups.

“I firmly believe Ziggy stayed sound and going because of Rachel’s diligence to his care,” exclaimed Jurgens, “She was giving him the best physical therapy by making him use his body and slowdown in the dressage arena. Because she wasn’t jumping at that time, she got the most out of him because he wasn’t anticipating cross country.”

At 25 years of age, Ziggy helped King earn her USDF Gold Medal. Once again, he’d risen to the occasion and helped another person achieve this goals.

Jurgens again decided that Ziggy needed a new person to keep him going – “I knew if he stopped he would colic or cripple. I wanted to find someone who could keep him going on the flat and maybe dabble in some lower level eventing. I wanted him to stay happy.”

And that’s how Lexi Field and Ziggy’s partnership began. In September 2021. Field had broken her back in five places in a freak accident on a random horse. When she was finally cleared to ride by her surgeon, Field found herself horseless, scared to get back on, and in need of a confidence booster. Field’s trainer, Amanda Miller, saw an ad for Ziggy on Facebook that said he was looking for a leaser. “I had really low hopes it was going to work out”, says Field, “I wasn’t sure I could do him justice, and I was just trying to overcome my accident.” In true Ziggy fashion, he rose to the occasion.

“Our first ride we just clicked. I took a deep breath and knew I was on a safe horse. He wasn’t intimidating under saddle. Don’t get me wrong – he knows he’s hot stuff! I always knew he’d take care of me though.”

Field began competing in local events in the Southern Pines area. Due to Ziggy’s quirks with trailering and stabling they’ve stayed consistent with day trips and competitions, with Jurgens full support.

In September of 2022, Field selflessly shared Ziggy with Roisin O’ Rahilly –a 79-year-old Irish-born horsewoman with a goal. O’Rahilly wanted a USEA Century Ride Award, an award that celebrates horse and rider pairs who complete an event with a combined age of 100 or more. The pair only got to meet about four weeks prior to the event, “I rode him about twice a week. We jumped about four cross country fences prior and I felt comfortable enough.” With Ziggy, and a combined age of 105, O’Rahilly finished first in her Beginner Novice level event at Carolina Horse Park earning her the third-ever USEA Century Ride Award. “He does not act his age! He acts like a 15 or 16-year-old that’s hungry for more and looking for the next jump. Maybe that’s why we got along so well!”

At 27 years young, Ziggy is still in love with work, “He’s happy to be caught, happy to work, and he just lights up at even the smallest crossrail. The more times of out the start box, the happier he is!” Field is delighted to keep competing (and spoiling) this local celebrity, “The only place you can see his age is in his mouth. He can’t do hard treats anymore so it’s butter mints and Nickerdoodles –he’s earned them”. Their goal is to do a recognized event in 2023, and hopefully be able to travel to an event in the region. Whatever their future holds, it’s clear that once again Ziggy’s Berry Boy is on track to help someone else discover newfound confidence, tackle another adventure, and take off out of the start box for many years to come – and Rachel Jurgens couldn’t be more proud.

Emergency sweat scraper.

Baling twine can make a nice sweat scraper, easily sliding over bumpy and bony areas. Just hold it over your horse and squeegee along the horse’s body. Do not use this on the horse’s face or legs.

Keeping things quiet !

Place a tennis ball on the end of the cross-ties to stop the metal part from damaging your walls and to avoid the banging noise when dropping them. This hack will also discourage some mouthy horses from chewing on the cross-ties.