WB Equestrian Alumni Page

06/01/2026

Before the summer heat set in we said happy trails to Maggie. She's now in greener pastures. Between her unsteadiness, the melanomas, and age it was sadly time. Personally, she was one of my favorites - the rare lesson horse who can be kind and quiet but also super fancy when asked. She was originally with us as a boarder then we saw an ad for her years later and luckily snatched her right up. Her only quirk was you had to bribe her with one single peppermint to catch her.

04/28/2026

Here’s photos of the field

04/28/2026

Throwback to last year's race. This year Saturday May 2nd. Post 6:57pm. Here is more information then you will ever want about the horses. Let us know who you like!

Post Position, Name, Born in if not KY, Jockey, Trainer, Race Record (total races-win-place-show), Parents and mom’s dad, odds, last race result, color if not Bay/Dark Bay, *notes*

1. Renegade - Ortiz, Pletcher, 5-2-2-1, Into Mischief-Spice is nice, by Curlin, Won Arkansas Derby, 4-1 *Tough post for the favorite*
2. Albus - Franco, Mott, 4-2-0-1, Yaupin-Adream, by Bernardini, Won Wood Mermorial 30-1
3. Intrepido - Berrios, Mulins, 6-2-1-0, Maximus Mischief-Overly Indulgent by Pleasantly Perfect, 4th Santa Anita Derby, 50-1
4. Litmus Test - Garcia, Baffert, 7-2-0-2, Nyquist-Study Hard by Malibu Moon, 7th Arkansas Derby, 50-1
5. Right to Party - Elliot, McPeek, 4-1-1-2, Constitution-Havin a Party by Emcee, 2nd Wood Memorial, Chestnut, 30-1 *The Beastie Boys have been invited to the deby*
6. Commandment - Saez, Cox, 5-4-0-0, Into Mischief-Sippican Harbor, by Orb, 1st Florida Derby, 6-1
7. Danon Bourbon - Nishimura, Ikozoe, 3-3-0-0, Maxfield-Wild Ridge by Tapit, Won Fukuryu Stakes, 20-1 *Japanese Road to the Derby Entrant*
8. So Happy - Smith, Glatt 4-3-0-1, Runhappy-So Cunning by Blame, Won Santa Anita Derby, 15-1
9. The Puma - Castellano, Delgado, 4-1-2-1, Essential Quality-Eve of War by Declaration of War, 2nd Florida Derby, Chestnut, 10-1
10. Wonder Dean (JPN) Sakai, Yamamoto, 6-2-2-0, Dee Majesty-Wonder Saing Praw by Wonder Acute, Won UAE Derby, 30-1
11. Incredibolt – Torres, Mott, 5-3-0-0, Bolt D’Oro-Sapphire Spitfire by Awesome Again, Won Virgina Derby, 20-1
12. Chief Wallabee – Alvarado, Mott, 3-1-1-1, Constitution-A La Lucie by Madaglia D’Oro, 3rd Florida Derby, 8-1
13. Silent Tactic – Torres, Casse, 6-2-4-0, Tacitus-Magical Sign by Gun Runner, 2nd Arkansas Derby, 20-1
14. Potente – Hernandez, Baffert, 3-2-1-0, Into Mischeif-Sweet Sting by Awesome Again, 2nd Santa Anita Derby, 20-1
15. Emerging Market – Pat, Brown, 2-2-0-0, Candy Ride-Wild Empress by Empire Maker, won Louisiana Derby, Chestnut, 15-1
16. Pavlovian (CA) Maldonado, O’Neill, 10-2-4-1, Pavel-Mandys Grace by Bellamy Road, 2nd Louisiana Derby, Grey, 30-1
17. Six Speed – Hernandex, Seemar, 5-3-1-1, Not this Time-Browse by Medaglia D’Oro, 2nd UAE Derby, 50-1
18. Further Ado – Velazquex, Cox, 6-3-1-1, Gun Runner-Sky Dreamer by Sky Mesa, Won Blue Grass, Chestnut, 6-1
19. Golden Temp – Ortiz, Devaux, 4-2-0-2, Curlin-Carrumba by Bernardini, 3rd Lousiana Derby, 30-1 *female trainer*
20. Fulleffort – Gffalione, Cox, 7-3-2-1, Liams Map-Callmethesqueeze by Awesome Again, Won Jeff Ruby, Grey, 20-1

04/27/2026

Food for thought - Why do you ride? Answering that question can help you find the right discipline, coach, barn community, and horse if you go that route.

I was lucky to ride at two fabulous barns as a junior. I showed a lot on the local circuits - I am naturally a competitive person. I rode for the love of horses and my love of competing. I was (still am) a horse crazy kid who played sports and genetically I’m inclined to make anything into a game (ask me about beach and Christmas Olympics).

When I started teaching I struggled with people who rode and didn’t show. I felt disconnected from them. …Then I went to Wisconsin after college…

I spent three summers teaching at an all boys overnight camp in the north woods. None of the campers rode to compete. I think maybe a handful even rode at home outside of camp. And here’s the fun part - they were good riders! They just rode to be around horses, be out at the barn, and do a fun activity. After a few weeks of honestly being a little confused, I settled in and had a blast teaching.

That experience helped me realize the first step in teaching is to figure out someone’s why. Once you know it - and more importantly once you don’t judge it - everyone is happier. I’m forever grateful for those summers. By stepping outside my comfort zone I became a better teacher and a better human.

04/15/2026

Lameness can be the result of imbalanced feet, a chronically irritated ligament that isn’t addressed until it’s a bigger deal, or even stiffness.

04/01/2026

GO FOR LAUNCH!!!! 🚀 🚀🚀

Hopefully the crew stayed in their saddles

04/01/2026

I’m sharing this for my friend Mindy Wiper who I taught with in Wisconsin many moons ago. Trust me when I say she is a quintessential Willowbend person. Kind, caring, fun, whimsical, hard working. And her horse - just read his story! - is the type of fabulously quirky guy we would love. With all the negativity that can be floating around in the horse world this is the type of pair we want to put support behind 🏴‍☠️🐰

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-pirate-bunnys-journey-to-the-championships?attribution_id=sl:6b261779-da05-4c96-9bc9-40ef85165847&lang=en_US&ts=1775073796&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp17_te-amp20_control&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&fbclid=IwRlRTSAQ6aVJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEenNH3xgxbctS9szBi6M3ZP1QJchQ0K9Dv-32CVN5S9N_1PwfVJ7W5DX-L16M_aem_xvtGMMCLhrLgkh8-hfdUqg

Call Me Captain Bendanie (The Pirate ‍☠️ Bunny ) is a 19yo Off The… Mindy Wiper needs your support for Support The Pirate Bunny’s Journey to the Championships

03/25/2026

Good read. The conversations need to be had.

This industry is built on the bond between horse and humans. We describe our horses as our partners, teammates, or even family. But even so, we equine welfare debates are commonplace. If riders care so deeply about their horses, why are there so many welfare concerns for sport horses?

In a recent peer-reviewed study, ‘But my horse is well cared for’: A qualitative exploration of cognitive dissonance and enculturation in equestrian attitudes toward performance horses and their welfare,” researchers Erica Cheung, Daniel Mills, and Beth Ventura investigated how equestrians understand welfare and why some practices in the sport can be difficult to challenge or change.

Their findings suggest that the issue is not simply about individual behavior. Instead, psychological and cultural forces within equestrian sport may play a significant role in shaping how riders think about horse welfare.

The study used semi-structured interviews with 22 participants involved in classical equestrian disciplines in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Participants included riders, trainers, and others involved in using horses for performance. Through these interviews, researchers explored how equestrians perceive welfare issues, justify practices, and navigate conflicts between their values and the realities of competitive sport.

One of the central ideas explored in the study is cognitive dissonance, a psychological phenomenon that occurs when people experience tension between their beliefs and their actions. When this happens, individuals often try to resolve the discomfort by adjusting how they interpret or justify a situation.

With sport horses, that tension can emerge when riders believe they deeply care about their horses while also participating in practices that may raise welfare concerns.

The study’s title phrase reflects a common response the researchers observed. As the authors explain, participants often emphasized their own standards of care when discussing welfare concerns, summarizing the sentiment as “but my horse is well cared for.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/03/25/but-my-horse-is-well-cared-for-why-welfare-change-is-so-hard-in-equestrian-sport/
📸 © The Plaid Horse
📄 Cheung, E., Mills, D., & Ventura, B. (2025).
“But my horse is well cared for”: A qualitative exploration of cognitive dissonance and enculturation in equestrian attitudes toward performance horses and their welfare. Animal Welfare, 34, e50.

03/23/2026

The remaining members of the willowbend fencing team reunited twice this month for some repairs. There was significantly less beverages without Laura 🍺💚💙🤣

Thanks Orloff!

12/24/2025

Back in 1983, the great William Steinkraus gave THM this advice for all riders: “I hear people saying that a rider is ‘crude but effective’ but that is a contradiction. If someone is effective, then they are subtle. They don’t make their aids obvious because they don’t have to. The highest praise is to have someone say, ‘It looks as if the horse was doing it all by himself.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2021/08/four-showjumping-masters-part-2-william-steinkraus/