Copper Belt (Wingspread / Supremo Chick)

                                       

Copper Belt, aka Butch, is a ten-year-old bay gelding lives a very cruisy lifestyle in Dunedin with his owner Sandra Schluter. He finished racing in 2007 after one win and has been with Sandra before and after his career. Sandra finds him to be a very patient hack with a couple of people even learning how to ride him.

At least once or twice a year, Butch heads down to the local country school with his Icelandic paddock mate, to give the children rides. He has been to pony club for a season with Sandra as an adult rider. They completed their first ever Pony Club show and even won some ribbons.

Together Sandra and Butch often ride into South Dunedin to let children and adults fuss over him. He especially loves visiting the beach and it's even better when the race horses are training on Smails Beach as "he still thinks he can take them on!" says Sandra. 
 
Sandra describes Butch "He has the most unflappable nature and is loved by many, he will always be my boy." She hopes to take him to an A&P show and then it will be a hacking life for him. Some long rides and maybe even another cavalcade at some stage.

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Boomtown Digger (Miles McCool / Paratross)

                                  


Boomtown Digger is a very handsome nine-year-old gelding owned by Maree Dohmen of Nelson. Boom, as he is now called, has turned his hoof to a variety of disciplines after racing. He has competed in two CTR (Competitive Trail Riding) classes, winning one of them and coming third in the other and has also been three-times In-Hand Standardbred Champion!

Owner Maree has this to say about her special horse “He is a once in a lifetime horse, one I will never part with. An absolute joy to have around and a real clown when he wants to be. He is a great ambassador for the breed with his looks and temperament.”

Boom is known to be the bossy on his paddock, making sure he keeps the filly paddock mate in line! Even though he will eat anything, his favourite food is carrots. His other favourite thing is going fast. He thinks" life is a race and everything has to be done at full pace!"

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Croftys Pride (Pride Of Bruntwood / Crofty Lady)

                                          
                                                Who said Standardbreds can't jump!

Croftys Pride aka Jenna, a seventeen year old trotting mare never made it to the racetrack but has enjoyed a varied career as Lorna Coate's hack and competition horse.  She was bought from a riding school where she was somewhat difficult to handle but Lorna has successfully broken her in to saddle and now rides her at pony club events.

Lorna and Jenna have been very successful in their outings, winning too many ribbons to count and also best pony at sports day.  Lorna hopes to compete in endurance this season as well as in-hand showing, their goal is to compete at the 2009 North Island All Breeds show.

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Springfield Gold (Totally Ruthless / Glistening Curtin)

                                     

Springfield Gold finished his racing career in June 2006 after four wins, four seconds and three thirds.  He was trained by Leo O'Reilly of Rakaia and when he retired he went to Standardbred Haven to be re-schooled as a hack.  That was where young rider Danielle Pauly first met him. 

Danielle was a helper at Standardbred Haven and worked after school to earn enough money to buy "Goldie" as he is now known, she has this to say about her pride and joy "He loves swimming in the rivers and hacking in forests and we have a bond together that can never be broken".

Goldie enjoys his retirement as a hack on Danielle's parents farm and couldn't want for more, he may not be a top class show horse but he is still proving that there is very much "life after racing".

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Village Chief (Holmes Hanover / Star Lady)    

Twelve-year-old Village Chief enjoyed seven years of racing before he retired in 2004. Leased and trained by Colin and Julie De Filippi, Village Chief who raced for the Estate of Darren De Filippi, won 11 races from 68 starts and over $110,000 in prize money.

After he retired "Chiefy", as he is now affectionately known, was gifted to the De Filippi's and Julie took him on as her new show horse.

His first season showing (in-hand) was 2007/2008 where he was placed in all of his outings, most notably Christchurch Royal Show - Champion In-Hand Standardbred; Arabian In-Hand Show - Champion Standardbred; Grand National Show - Reserve Champion (Best Presented) and Reserve Champion (Open).

Chiefy will be out competing again this season so if you are in Canterbury, watch out for him at the local A&P shows.