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!
In this story, a Region 2 rider shares how her life revolves around the breed – from living in Thoroughbred horse country, a career at a racehorse adoption facility, to her own Thoroughbred dressage partner!
By Nicole Dlugosz
My name is Nicole Dlugosz, and I own Arizen Acres in Paris, Kentucky, where my passion is developing Thoroughbreds for dressage. I have earned my USDF Bronze Medal on my own self-trained Thoroughbreds, and my long-term goal is to earn all of my USDF medals on Thoroughbreds. As a Certified Public Accountant, I also work for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program as their Accounting & HR Manager.
No Ka Oi (“Kai”) is a 16.3-hand 2017 Thoroughbred by Will Take Charge out of More d’Amour (Tour d’Or). He was bred in Kentucky, then sold as a yearling for $140,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale, and raced in Louisiana. After 22 starts with two wins, he retired from racing and was placed with the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in Louisiana for rehoming.
As I was preparing to compete at my first Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover in the fall of 2023, I knew I wanted to do the Makeover again the following year. As I had already been established as an approved adopter through the New Vocations adopter application process, I started loosely looking at their available horses for my next Makeover prospect.
I reached out to the Louisiana trainer, Morgan Vaughn, who is an accomplished event rider herself. I knew her background in eventing gave her an understanding of what I was looking for in a dressage prospect. She immediately sent me a photo and a 15-second video of a flashy chestnut trotting through the field who had arrived mere days before, and said, “You should see his canter!” As he was such a new arrival, she didn’t have much more information to give me, but I was immediately excited about his presence based on his intake photos and that short video.
Over the next couple of weeks, Morgan let him settle, got to know his personality a bit, assessed him on the lunge, and put his first ride on him. After that, I knew he would make a great Makeover and dressage prospect for me, and I adopted him to compete in the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover.
It is a bit nerve-wracking to take a horse sight-unseen off only pictures and videos, but I trusted Morgan’s judgment, and based on my experience working for the program, I knew that the New Vocations trainers had an excellent reputation for matching horses and riders. I also knew that New Vocations stands behind its horses and is committed to making thoughtful, appropriate matches. That gave me the confidence to trust the process. So, I finalized the adoption and had him shipped to me.
I knew Kai was a nice horse, and I was excited to develop him, but you never really know what to expect when restarting a Thoroughbred. You can have a goal to develop them into a dressage prospect, but they might end up telling you they prefer jumping, or eventing, or trail riding. While I believe all horses benefit from dressage training, no matter the discipline, I also believe in listening to the horse and working with their natural talents and abilities to really allow them to shine.
Kai completely exceeded my expectations in the dressage ring from the beginning. In preparation for the Makeover, I was taking him to some local show and he was receiving very solid scores, given how green he was. Horses can’t begin their retraining until December 1 of the year prior to the Makeover. I don’t have an arena at my farm, so he really didn’t get started in consistent training until March of 2024, just six months before the Makeover. He won numerous Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP) High Point awards at these individual shows and multiple year-end TIP Awards, including 2024 TIP Champion Training Level Dressage for the Central Region, 2024 TIP Champion TCA Green OTTB II in Dressage, and 2024 TIP Fifth Place TCA Green OTTB II Overall. He ultimately placed eighth at the 2024 Makeover out of 99 horses competing in dressage.
Following the Makeover, I continued with Kai’s dressage training and prepared for the 2025 competition year. In 2025, he broke 70% at Training Level at recognized dressage shows, won several TIP High Point awards at individual shows, qualified for the Great American/USDF Regional Championships, and won the 2025 Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Adult Amateur Training Level Champion and Open Training Level Reserve Champion for The Jockey Club. He was also the 2025 Adult Amateur Training Level Reserve Champion through the Indiana Dressage Society.
We continue to work on his dressage development going into 2026, and I think he has shown me that dressage is his true second-career calling! The most special thing about Kai is his presence. He has always had a way of making people notice him, even before he knew much about his new job. He is expressive, athletic, and opinionated, but he also has a genuine desire to understand. He is not a horse who can be forced through a training program. He needs clarity, patience, and consistency, and because of that, he has made me a better rider and trainer. Every breakthrough with him feels earned.
Dressage training can be conceptually and physically difficult for Thoroughbreds coming off the track, because it asks them to use their bodies in a very different way than they did as racehorses. On the track, they are rewarded for forward momentum, speed, and covering ground. Dressage asks them to develop balance, adjustability, strength behind, and a lighter, more elastic connection to the bit.
If I could give advice to dressage riders considering an OTTB, I would tell them to look beyond the stereotypes and be honest about the process. Do not buy or adopt a Thoroughbred for dressage and expect it to be easy! Choose the horse for his mind, soundness, temperament, and potential, then give him the time and support to develop correctly. Work with professionals who understand the transition from racehorse to sporthorse. Prioritize basics. Build strength gradually. Do not be afraid to go slowly to build the horse’s confidence and strength. Patience is key!
I would also tell riders not to underestimate what Thoroughbreds can do in dressage. They may not all fit the traditional mold, and the process may take longer than for a purpose-bred warmblood, but many have the intelligence, sensitivity, athleticism, and heart to become wonderful dressage partners. They often make you a better rider because they require you to be more precise, more patient, and more thoughtful in your training.
My journey with my horses has really developed my passion for Thoroughbreds and combined it with my passion for dressage in all areas of my life. I have absolutely made it my life’s mission to promote Thoroughbreds in dressage between my own horse training, my work with New Vocations, and my recent development of a new nonprofit, Thoroughbred Dressage Alliance. We are still in the startup phase, but the goal of the Thoroughbred Dressage Alliance is to build a community and celebrate the Thoroughbred in dressage while providing educational resources and incentives for people to compete their Thoroughbreds up the levels.
