Right to War made it clear that racing was not his forte. The 2009 Indiana-bred gelding raced three times in the state of his birth at Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand Race Course, but the best finish he managed was a seventh. Recognizing that the dark bay gelding was not going to succeed on the track, his owner took the initiative to retire him to Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. That decision was the best thing that could have happened to “Ralph” as he has since blossomed into a wonderful riding partner.
Megan O. of Ohio adopted Ralph after he received some retraining at FFI, including experience with dressage, jumping, and trail riding. The duo are said to have “shared an instant bond” and Ralph has proved “FFI’s mantra was definitely true: ex-racehorses are retired from racing, not from life.” Ralph and Megan have formed a great partnership both in and out of the saddle with the pair shining in the dressage ring, “where his graceful movements caught the eye of all the judges.” Ralph has been tearing up the dressage scene in southeast Ohio, and Megan plans to add eventing to their repertoire in the coming year.
Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. is “dedicated to promoting responsible racehorse retirement by providing racehorses with alternatives at the end of their careers.” FFI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and was founded in 2005. The TAA accredited the non-profit in 2014. Learn more about their program at: http://www.friendsofferdinand.com/.
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization who accredits and funds organizations that provide aftercare for Thoroughbreds. For more information on the TAA, visit: http://thoroughbredaftercare.org/.
