This month in the New Vocations Horse Highlight we are featuring a well-known, classy horse through the Midwest: Virgil, donated by Tyler and Cassie George. As a racehorse, the beautiful black gelding stepped onto the racetrack 95 times, making his way to the winner's circle 18 times, rolling in over $200,000 to the bank.
“Virgil is definitely a girls horse; he loved me unconditionally but wasn't a fan of my husband or the vet,” Cassie George said.
Virgil spent most of his time racing in Indiana, traveling over to Ohio and made a trip out East a few times. Cassie’s favourite memory while racing Virgil is when he won the Ohio Ladies Pace final during Jug week at the Delaware County Fair.
“When he won the Ladies Pace final, he sat last the whole mile and I still don’t even know how he won," Cassie said, "but he always finished with all he had, and that day he didn’t disappoint, outside post and all. Even though the purse was small, watching that replay over and over again makes me smile every time. He made a lot of people happy that day and I think he knew it."
It was a very tough decision to make when it came time to place Virgil with New Vocations because Cassie loved having him in the barn - he was that one horse she looked forward to seeing every morning when she got there. But she knew to retire him was for the best.
“He fractured his knee about two years ago, we rested him and tried him again but he was never the same," Cassie said. "He just wasn't being competitive anymore. One training day he just didn't seem himself in between training trips, so I completely stripped him, gave him a bubble bath and told Tyler not to worry about going a back with him again. I just didn't want to see him struggle. I know this is a business and about making money, but to me, it isn't everything, I want my horses to be taken care.”
Virgil is the kind of horse that always needs to have a job, the New Vocations program is perfect for him, as they are in search of a new home for him to give him a second career.
“He loves having a job," Cassie said. "He needed to have a purpose - he wasn't quite content with being a pasture pet like my other two retires."
“Virgil was a quick learner and loves being a riding horse," Winnie Nemeth, Standardbred Program Director for New Vocations, said. "He has a great personality and seems to have a permanent smile on his face."
Virgil will be posted soon for adoption. Be sure to visit www.newvocations.org and check out all of the athletes available for adoption.
(With files from Post Time with Mike & Mike)