Tag: Equus Events

October-November 2021

Our October-November 2021 cover shows Daniel Geitner aboard Vesta de Lavardin winning the $30,000 Aiken Fall Grand Prix at the Aiken Horse Park this September.
Photography by Gary Knoll

Secret Lives of Horses: Tortuga

Tortuga, a 16-hand bay gelding, has a sweet expression and an unassuming appearance. He is a breeding stock Paint, which means that he is registered with the American Paint Horse Association, but did not inherit paint coloring from his sire or dam. (Even his registered name makes reference to this: “OBG No Chic No Spot.”) He is mild-mannered, and although he is very friendly, at 20 years old, he does not seem to demand too much attention. But he attracted plenty of it during his former career as a national champion show horse.

If you were asked to imagine a horse in a therapeutic riding program, you probably wouldn’t immediately think of a horse like Arnie. To start with, he is huge: a 17 hand imported Irish Sport Horse gelding. Then, he is also athletic, beautiful, well-trained and in the prime of his life at 16. What’s more, his resume includes being ridden and shown by not one but two Olympic athletes in two different disciplines.

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Margie was always on the lookout for special horses, and she knew that Indigo was one. The horse had plenty of Thoroughbred in him, and at David’s barn, spent a lot of time outside, perhaps, as was often the case in Australia, even lived outside. For Indigo, that would have been particularly appropriate. “He has more energy than any horse I ever had; he never runs out of energy,” laughed Margie.

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Although Jubilee played polo into her 20s, she retired sound with legs that are remarkably clean. She is still energetic enough to canter around with her friends, and she still has enough mischief in her to nudge open the gate and escape if I forget to fasten the latch. She loves to go visit other horses on the farm, especially to flirt with my 7-year-old, 17.2 hand grey Thoroughbred, Bullwinkle. He likes her too: they sniff noses over the fence and squeal, and Jubilee tosses her long mane like a filly. For Jubilee, age is only a number.

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At 27, Designed to Dazzle, a Palomino gelding, still dazzles in appearance and action. His owner, Kathie Rindge, describes the double registered Quarter Horse/Palomino as the color of butterscotch. “He’s just beautiful all the way around,” she says.

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