GTs
Well-Known Member
All I can say is WOW! For those of you who did not know, I have just spent the past week in Florida at Michael Matzs barn. Michael most notable equestrian achievements are Olympic Silver Medallist (show jumping) and trainer of the world famous Barbaro; the Kentucky Derby winner who broke down in the Preakness.
The opportunities I had over the past week have been fabulous; it has been a complete introduction to life in racing! I have done everything from hot walk a Breeders cup winner, put on blankets, hold horses for the vet, have the training regimes explained to me, feel for heat in the leg with the assistant trainer, ride out with the set on the world famous Messaging, the lead pony that is pictured many times with Barbaro, meet famous jockeys like Edgar Prado and Jerry Bailey, and see/assist/do the1,000,000 other tasks that is needed to run a premier barn with 60 horses in it.
Michael Matz is in a class of his own in the first day I could tell he truly does care about every horse in his barn, and my admiration grew for him everyday. He knows everything about all 60 horses; their diets, their routines, their needs, their behavior, medicines, etc he goes in and visits them, not just a quick check of the tendons, but a rub on the nose, gives them a peppermint he knows each of his horses personally. The exceptional class is not just limited to him; his assistant trainers are exactly the same.
I am not sure what the highlight of my trip was, there were so many memorable moments; getting Round Pounds shoes (Breeders Cup Distaff winner), learning from Michael and Peter (his assistant), hearing all the stories about Barbaro, handling lots of world class race horses. I guess if I had to sum it up, the best part of this trip was knowing that racing is my calling and finally I have confidence in the direction my career is going.
I am sure many of you wonder about their most famous horse Barbaro hearing the stories about Barbaro was fantastic. He really was something else; the stories not only demonstrate he ability on the track, but also as a patient. They give as much credit to his recovery to him as they do to anyone else. It is neat as they say his personality has not changed he is the same in the hospital as he was in the training stables. I have also been invited to go and visit him with Peter I will let you know how it goes.
You may recognize him (and the chaps) from HERE
The opportunities I had over the past week have been fabulous; it has been a complete introduction to life in racing! I have done everything from hot walk a Breeders cup winner, put on blankets, hold horses for the vet, have the training regimes explained to me, feel for heat in the leg with the assistant trainer, ride out with the set on the world famous Messaging, the lead pony that is pictured many times with Barbaro, meet famous jockeys like Edgar Prado and Jerry Bailey, and see/assist/do the1,000,000 other tasks that is needed to run a premier barn with 60 horses in it.
Michael Matz is in a class of his own in the first day I could tell he truly does care about every horse in his barn, and my admiration grew for him everyday. He knows everything about all 60 horses; their diets, their routines, their needs, their behavior, medicines, etc he goes in and visits them, not just a quick check of the tendons, but a rub on the nose, gives them a peppermint he knows each of his horses personally. The exceptional class is not just limited to him; his assistant trainers are exactly the same.
I am not sure what the highlight of my trip was, there were so many memorable moments; getting Round Pounds shoes (Breeders Cup Distaff winner), learning from Michael and Peter (his assistant), hearing all the stories about Barbaro, handling lots of world class race horses. I guess if I had to sum it up, the best part of this trip was knowing that racing is my calling and finally I have confidence in the direction my career is going.
I am sure many of you wonder about their most famous horse Barbaro hearing the stories about Barbaro was fantastic. He really was something else; the stories not only demonstrate he ability on the track, but also as a patient. They give as much credit to his recovery to him as they do to anyone else. It is neat as they say his personality has not changed he is the same in the hospital as he was in the training stables. I have also been invited to go and visit him with Peter I will let you know how it goes.
You may recognize him (and the chaps) from HERE
