The Tenacious Thoroughbred! Throughout the month of May, we are featuring Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses.
Did you know… Dressage riders who compete with a member of this speedy breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as The Jockey Club is a participating organization!
Here, a lifelong Thoroughbred rider from Region 4 shares how the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program led her to her current partner, Vintage Print!
By Betsy Burau
Thoroughbreds have completely shaped my dressage journey – the very first horse I took lessons on was a Thoroughbred, and I can’t imagine taking this path with any other breed! Vintage Print is my second Thoroughbred partner, and finding him came at a time when I truly understood just how special these horses are.
My first Thoroughbred introduced me to the incredible heart and work ethic the breed brings to anything they do. When she had to be retired following a diagnosis of kissing spine, it was a difficult but defining moment. There was never a question of whether I would have another Thoroughbred; I knew I wanted to continue that partnership. That’s what led me to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.
In August 2024, I adopted Vintage Print, known to those who love him as Vinny, a nine-year-old off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) gelding by Curlin and out of Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper), bred by Stonestreet Farms in Kentucky. From the very beginning, he showed the qualities that make Thoroughbreds so rewarding: sensitivity, intelligence, and heart. He came off the track ready for a new job, and together we began building a partnership rooted in trust and patience. While that trust took a bit to develop, I had to earn it, which made it that much more important to me when he was ready to tackle the challenges of a new career in dressage right off the bat.
Our first season together focused on learning each other and developing a solid foundation. We competed in USDF Introductory Level classes on our local schooling show circuit, and I couldn’t have been more proud of how he rose to the occasion. At the end of the season, we earned Intro Level Reserve Champion, a milestone that felt especially meaningful given how new we were as a team.
This year, we’re looking forward to stepping up to Training Level and entering the recognized show circuit. Each ride continues to build his strength and our confidence together, and I’m constantly reminded of how much Thoroughbreds want to learn and do well. Our long-term goal is to earn my USDF Bronze Medal together, but more importantly, to continue developing a partnership and have fun together! Vinny truly has stolen my heart, and I think I’ve managed to steal his as well!
Organizations like New Vocations make journeys like ours possible. They give retired racehorses the opportunity to succeed in second careers and connect riders with horses that have so much to offer. Thoroughbreds may come from the racetrack, but their stories don’t end there; in many ways, that’s just the beginning.
Vinny is a daily reminder of why I chose this path again. Thoroughbreds bring heart, try, and an unmatched partnership to the dressage arena. I’m incredibly grateful for where we’ve been, and even more excited for where we’re going!
