{"id":99424,"date":"2025-08-28T20:46:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T20:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/99424\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T20:46:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T20:46:13","slug":"thoroughbreds-reimagined-the-show-rings-unsung-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/99424\/","title":{"rendered":"Thoroughbreds Reimagined: The Show Ring\u2019s Unsung Stars"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO, August 28, 2025\u2014 Stuart Black was a wide-eyed teenager when he discovered something seemingly unimaginable, yet profoundly magical, about the Thoroughbred breed.<\/p>\n

The 16-year-old from Macclesfield, England \u2013 a market town and civil parish on the River Bollin, roughly 25 kilometres south of Manchester \u2013 found himself in Ireland in the spring of 1975, eager to elevate his equestrian education.<\/p>\n

Working under the watchful eye of Van de Vater, a well-respected and successful international rider, Black quickly noticed the distinct type of horses that dominated the property.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would always have the best Thoroughbreds there to compete with,\u201d recalled Black, of the man who competed for Ireland \u2013 he rode a Thoroughbred \u2013 at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Quebec. \u201cIn Europe, with there being two types of Thoroughbreds, Flats and Steeplechasers, the latter were more designed for three-day eventing, but he imprinted on me \u2013 along with my stepmother \u2013 that conformation is soundness, and the stamina and mind of a Thoroughbred is unparalleled. If you get the right one, you have the best horse in the world. That has been the case since my days growing up in Europe to now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fifty years after that formative trip to Ireland, Black went on to become one of Canada\u2019s most decorated three-day event riders.<\/p>\n

Since beginning his international career at age 16, he has represented both Canada and the United States at major competitions. His r\u00e9sum\u00e9 includes a silver team medal at the 1987 Pan American Games and appearances in two Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

Other noteworthy accomplishments include\u00a0winning The Kentucky 3-day event in 1992 with Von Perrier \u2013 still the only Canadian to do so to this day \u2013 the Radnor Hunt International 3-day event (on three occasions), Red Hills Horse Trials, The Fork, Colorado Horse Park three-day event.<\/p>\n

Today, Black and his partner Victoria Knox run SV Equestrian International Inc., a full-service boarding, training, and competition facility located in Moffat, Ontario \u2013 a hamlet in rural Milton along the Greenbelt route, surrounded by picturesque farmland.<\/p>\n

Of the 26 horses on the property, 20 are Thoroughbreds.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to look at the fact a Thoroughbred is approximately 1,000 to 1,200 pounds and it will only do what it wants to do for you,\u201d said Black. \u201cA horse\u2019s mind and willingness to do things with us is why we looked to them centuries ago. Working with them is wonderful. Having that calmness which makes a great racehorse, it also makes a great competition horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just like Irunformillersburg did.<\/p>\n

Bred and owned by Judith B. Sherman, the son of Replant out of the Exbury (FR) mare Devriya raced 14 times, all at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. He recorded one win, three top-three finishes, and earned $4,004 in purse money.<\/p>\n

But in the show world, Irunformillersburg reached new heights with Black.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was 17 hands, leggy, and had some issues. But he had a quiet mind, so I could do dressage with him. He was careful over the show jumps and he was brave in cross country.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bay gelding also turned heads.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ended up being fifth at Rolex (Grand Slam of Show Jumping event) in the International Division and was selected as the best-conditioned horse,\u201d recalled Black. \u201cThey give a prize every year to the horse who is the best athlete of the competition, and he got it. I knew he would because he didn\u2019t gallop, he glided. He was so easy on himself, and he had a magnificent temperament.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Black, it was yet another reminder of the breed\u2019s versatility and athleticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sport has changed at the Olympic level, where speed and jump ability are key. If you are competing in Kentucky and it happens to rain, the Bluegrass turns to sponge. If you are on a warmblood trying to get home at top speed over four miles, it is not really going to happen. If you are on a Thoroughbred, it is like having a full tank the whole time. They handle things so much differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

That deep admiration has made Black a passionate advocate for Thoroughbreds after their racing careers end.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also a staunch supporter of Southern Belle Thoroughbreds.<\/p>\n

Established in 2017 by Katie Larsen, the matching service pairs off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) who have competed at Woodbine or Fort Erie with new career and life opportunities beyond the racetrack.<\/p>\n

To date, Southern Belle \u2013 Larsen, along with Natalie Frost, who represents Southern Belle at Fort Erie, comprise the team \u2013 has helped rehome over 2,000 horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met Katie years ago at Empire Equine when she asked me to come and help her out with her Thoroughbred mare,\u201d recalled Black. \u201cShe was getting back into riding. Katie then started Southern Belle. She has taken a business that was tiny and made it into something quite remarkable. For them to find homes, for these horses to get the respect they deserve, find fulfilling lives and know they are making people happy \u2013 it is wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larsen is grateful for Black\u2019s strong endorsement of the breed.<\/p>\n

\u201cRehoming retired racehorses to Stuart feels like an honour, given his decorated status in the competitive sport horse world,\u201d said Larsen. \u201cHe has a natural eye and can detect the talent and potential that these OTTBs inherit beyond their careers on the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing the horses thriving in their second careers is truly the basis behind Southern Belle Thoroughbreds,\u201d continued Larsen. \u201cThey are such a keen and versatile breed, so to watch them in the show ring getting the recognition that they deserve post racing \u2013 this is what I live for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, Black has developed a unique method for identifying potential in OTTBs during visits to the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first go in the stall, I rub them between the eyes and if they stand still and let me rub them like that, you know they have a great mind. It might sound strange, but it is something I have found in very much the same way when I feel their legs, down their spine \u2013 I only get 10 or 15 minutes to look at a horse and then I must make a decision if they are right for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blind Trust most certainly is.<\/p>\n

\"Blind<\/a>Blind Trust (Teresa Mae Finnerty Photography)<\/p>\n

The bay son of Frac Daddy out of the Giant\u2019s Causeway mare Me Love raced 15 times, winning three times and finishing in the top three on eight occasions.<\/p>\n

Bred in Ontario, the grey gelding came to Black in December 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is so important how they are viewed after their racing career. He is a very special horse. He is seven, but I think he will eventually be an international Event horse. His name is now SV Northern Lights. He is a very difficult horse to deal with, but he is a very talented horse. He is the epitome of what a Thoroughbred racehorse can be in the show world.\u201d<\/p>\n

That transition takes time and patience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t just looking at the horse at the track,\u201d said Black. \u201cWhen we bring the horse home, their routine and skill set is going to change away from the races. In North America, we race to the left. With the Thoroughbreds, once they are here, there will be times when they work two-thirds of the time to the right and one-third to the left for a time. So, they need to be ambidextrous. But they are very willing to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trick and Treat, bred and owned by Stablemates, is the latest Southern Belle Thoroughbreds addition to SV Equestrian International Inc.<\/p>\n

\"Trick<\/a>Trick and Treat
\n\"Trick<\/a>Trick and Treat winning Race 9 at Woodbine on May 27, 2023 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)<\/p>\n

The five-year-old bay mare has fit in seamlessly since coming to Black.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe absolutely adore her. What Katie sees, as I do, is that they are lovely animals. I hope others, in eventing and elsewhere, see that. Some of these racehorses have barely scratched the surface \u2013 there is very much a wonderful, beautiful athlete there wanting to do other things.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a message Black has spent a lifetime sharing \u2013 with students and the broader equestrian community.<\/p>\n

Many of Black\u2019s students have gone on to successful riding careers, including Skyler Icke Voss, Ashley Minion, Rebecca Howard, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Sinead Maynard (Halpin), Sean McQuillan, Barry Thomason, and Bobby Meyerhoff. All of them have come to appreciate what Thoroughbreds can achieve in the show ring.<\/p>\n

For the man whose journey began with a teenage trip to Ireland, it\u2019s a full-circle moment \u2013 one anchored in a lifelong admiration for a breed that has never ceased to amaze him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThoroughbreds\u2026 they are magnificent in every sense of the word.\u201d \u200b \u200b<\/p>\n

Chris Lomon, Woodbine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TORONTO, August 28, 2025\u2014 Stuart Black was a wide-eyed teenager when he discovered something seemingly unimaginable, yet profoundly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99425,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[3004,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-99424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-racing","tag-racing","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}