I recently saw a post on one of the ex racehorse groups on Facebook and I just had to contact them and ask them to share their amazing story with me! So this Nic Turner’s and her horse Fig’s story! I hope you love it as much as I did!
“We’re just going to look” were my famous last words before proceeding to confirm that I absolutely 100% without a shadow of a doubt wanted to take (Galileo Figaro) Fig home straight away…
He wasn’t quite what I was looking for, being older and smaller than I wanted. But fitted the bill of brown and a boy quite nicely! My top priority was for my new horse was a ‘nice person’. And Fig duly let me prod and poke and test ride him despite not having been ridden for a few weeks, in true testament to his character.
Home he came, 23rd December 2011. The perfect Christmas present to myself!
By Galileo, Fig hails from Australia and raced there, Japan and the UK before retiring late 2011. In total he ran 28 times and was for the most part, rather unsuccessful.
He loved his job and always tried his hardest; he has a proud as punch expression and the heart of a lion. Everyone that I’ve spoken to that was (at some point) connected with him during racing always commented what a lovely horse he was. True enough, he took to his new life admirably, and has never stopped trying his hardest.
That nature sometimes works against Fig; he is whizzy, fizzy and very fragile in his confidence. He is capable of winding himself up, and capable of winding everything else up! On the flip side, he’s a lamb to handle and can be 100% trusted to look after the people around him. What you would call a people pleaser!
In stark contrast to his somewhat mediocre racing career, Figs dressage career is a glittering path of success. There aren’t many horses who have scored 70%+ at Prelim to Advanced Medium and currently scoring mid 60’s at affiliated Prix St George that only cost £1,000!
Together, we have attended the Regionals Prelim – Advanced Medium and the Area Festivals Novice – Prix St George. We have attended the Winter Championships 4 times in 4 consecutive years and have High Profile and Premier League placings to add to the list.
In true ex-racehorse style, Fig has been crowned Elementary and Medium ROR (Retraining of Racehorses) Champion. But ultimately, we have our eyes set on the dizzy heights of Grand Prix.
I have no doubt he is talented enough to get there; we won’t be troubling anyone for a medal of course, but he has a piaffe to rival any purpose bred and that all-important gutsy desire to perform his best.
He’s my one in a million and my best friend; dressage is our competitive focus but we have fun hacking, jumping, at the gallops and the beach too. I have never known a personality like his and feel incredibly lucky and awed to have him.
Without a doubt he’s my horse of a lifetime.
Last Updated on 07/08/2018
Beautiful story, thank you
What a good job you took him on and could give him an even more successful career. Wonderful !
One of the most challenging but without a doubt one of the most rewarding horses I have ever worked with.
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