all in Horse Country

In this blog post, I would like to introduce everyone to my second 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover mount, Roul the Ice. I had originally bought this guy as a resale, but from the second I saw him step off the trailer, I knew there was a pretty solid chance he’d stay. 

If the last six months have taught me anything, it’s to embrace the unexpected, to avoid becoming too attached to plans, and to continually alter my course, finding joy within the chaos. As you are aware, the Thoroughbred Makeover itself is the latest part of our journey to change. In light of COVID-19 concerns, and with a goal to give competitors the experience they hoped for, the decision was made to postpone the 2020 Makeover and run it at the same time as the 2021 Makeover.

It's been a little while since we've updated everyone on Mr. Park and his journey to the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover! As most of you know, the Retired Racehorse Project had to push back the Makeover due to the pandemic, so he will actually be competing against the other 2020 horses in October of 2021. This was a bit of a bummer, but I deeply feel it was the most responsible choice for the competition to make. We support them 100% as we know it was a super difficult decision.

When you are open and accepting of the lessons courtesy of the curve balls thrown to you in life, you will constantly adapt, overcome, become resilient, and are available for growth opportunities. Relinquishing attachment to outcome is much easier said than done but I have learned to find joy in the journey wherever it takes me beyond my self-declared destination and goals. It seems that training and fostering JC: Saintly Ballad, aka “Athena,” has been another excellent exercise in learning to be open to a different outcome.

When Saul Castellanos worked for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the 1980s, he used to ride in the horse van between Churchill Downs and Keeneland. Peering out the truck windows, he would see the white fences and seemingly endless pastures of Calumet Farm – the legendary expanse of land that raised eight Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown legends.

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