Episodes

In this Season 1 Finale of OTTB on Tap, we continue our conversation with Jessica Redman of Benchmark Sport Horses, who brings her expertise on the latest trends in the Off-Track Thoroughbred market as 2024 concludes. Jessica offers her professional insights on buyer demand, examining whether small chestnut mares might be the next rising trend, as well as differences in interest from amateur versus professional buyers. We also tackle hot-button issues in pre-purchase exams (PPEs), including h...

Get into the Halloween spirit with this entertaining episode of OTTB on Tap! Hosts Niamh and Emily team up with Madeline Conley and Cat Boiler of Bridge the Gap Equine for a lively "Myth or Fact?" game that dives into the quirkiest Thoroughbred myths. From chestnut mares to racing superstitions, the gang debunks or confirms popular beliefs about OTTBs. You’ll also hear Madeline and Cat share updates on their latest venture—a new stable in Southern New Jersey. Get ready for laughs, surprises, and...

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we’re joined by Jessica Redman, an expert in Thoroughbred resale and the owner of Benchmark Sporthorses, to discuss the latest Thoroughbred bloodline trends for sport horses in 2024. Jessica shares her industry-leading insights on what makes a bloodline stand out for eventing and other equestrian disciplines, along with tips for buyers on how to evaluate bloodlines when selecting an OTTB. This is Part 1 of a two-part series, where we focus specifically on bloodlin...

Join us for a packed episode of OTTB on Tap! We reflecting on our first OTTB On Tap Evaluates episode, sharing updates from the owners on listener-submitted horses like Baybuilt, Floo Powder, and Dragon Moon. Were we right in our evaluations? Find out in today's episode! Also, hear from our amazing listeners as we give shout-outs and share feedback about their OTTB journeys. Interested in submitting your horse to be evaluated in an upcoming episode? Fill out our OTTB on Tap Evaluation Form to...

In this episode, we kick off our new series, "OTTB on Tap Evaluates," where Niamh and Emily take a closer look at listener-submitted off-track Thoroughbreds. Using conformation photos and Jockey Club names, they evaluate each horse for pedigree, structure, and potential career suitability. Want to submit your horse for an upcoming OTTB on Tap Evaluates episode? Click here to fill out our submission form. Using only conformation photos and their Jockey Club pedigrees, we analyze their physi...

In this episode, Niamh and Emily take listeners back to 2013, when Emily participated in her first Retired Racehorse Project Makeover—then known as the Retired Racehorse Training Project (RRTP). Emily shares her personal journey, from living in Philadelphia and rediscovering her passion for riding, to selecting and training her OTTB, Victory Money, or "Prima", for the Pimlico Showcase. She dives into Prima's pedigree and conformation, explaining why she chose her for the competition, and gives i...

Join us for the latest episode of the RRP Trainer Chronicles, where hosts Niamh and Emily sit down with Julianne Pangal and Ashley Olin to check in on their OTTB, Brooklawn (aka Rye), fresh off a successful run at the American Eventing Championships (AEC). Get an inside look at their journey as they share Rye’s training progress, key moments from the AEC, and how they’re preparing him for the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover. Though he has excelled at eventing, they describe...

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we catch up with RRP Trainer Chelsey O’Brien as she prepares off-track Thoroughbred, Unbeknownst To Me (UBie), for the 2024 Retired Racehorse Project Makeover. UBie is owned by Pastured Place, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving the needs of Thoroughbreds. Chelsey shares insights into UBie’s training for Western disciplines, including barrel racing and ranch work, emphasizing the importance of "creating value in the undervalued" OTTBs like him. She also discusses the ch...

In Part 2 of Madeline's Camp Windurra experience, we follow Madeline and her OTTB, Pepe and Heywood or "Pete" as they wrap up their final days at Boyd Martin’s Camp Windurra. On Day 4, Madeline worked closely with Olympic-level trainers, including another cross country school with Boyd and dressage with Silva Martin, honing her dressage skills and focusing on precision, rhythm, and connection with her OTTB. By Day 5, Madeline and her Thoroughbred faced a mock horse trial, tackling a challenging ...

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we sit down with Madeline Conley, an active duty member of the US Air Force and co-owner of Bridge the Gap Equine, an OTTB resale and equine wellness business in Southern New Jersey. Madeline shares her recent experience at the inaugural Camp Windurra - an eventing training camp hosted by Olympic Eventer Boyd Martin. Throughout the episode, she discusses the training sessions led by fellow Olympic equestrians: Dressage rider Anna Buffini and show jumper Peter W...

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we talk with event rider Caitlin Reamy as part of our OTTB Underdog Series. Caitlin shares the journey of her young Thoroughbred, El Patrone, who she restarted in the fall of 2021. Though he had a previous injury from racing - a surgically repaired condylar fracture - Caitlin and El Patrone have quickly progressed through the eventing levels, recently completing a 2-star long event. Caitlin discusses her background in the equestrian world, including her time at...

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we reconnect with Lauren Garrett-Bond to see how her giant, chestnut off-track Thoroughbred mare, Tizbit, is progressing on the road to the 2024 Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Makeover. Joining Lauren is her trainer, Sabrina Morris, an expert in OTTB training with years of experience turning retired racehorses into versatile sport horses. Sabrina shares her unique insights into training Thoroughbreds, from her days at the racetrack to running Another Round Far...

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, Niamh and Emily catch up with Annika Greaney, one of the trainers we’ve been following as she prepares her two OTTB ex-broodmares for the Retired Racehorse Project’s Makeover in October. Annika shares how she’s been adapting her training approach to fit the unique needs of Tizso Majestic (Tessa) and Egoli, and why she’s focusing on slow, steady progress. We’ll hear about Tessa’s fun adventure at ranch camp, Egoli’s impressive success in barrel racing, and how A...

Join Niamh and Emily on this episode of OTTB On Tap as we chat about Thoroughbreds in the Olympics. We spotlight Bold Venture, an Australian OTTB who made a dramatic entrance at the 2024 Olympics, and Regal Realm, Lucinda Green's remarkable partner with a wild backstory from the Australian outback to Olympic silver. Hear William Fox-Pitt and Lucinda Green discuss their favorite TBs from their past - in their own words - exploring the exceptional Thoroughbreds that propelled them to the top. D...

What happens when an army officer who has never ridden a horse (but has jumped out of planes) marries an event rider? He starts eventing, of course! In the first installment of our newest series, “OTTB Underdog Stories,” we explore how Brian Roberts began riding just over three years ago, taking on an OTTB with a tricky reputation. Now a successful training level eventing pair, Brian and his OTTB, Bombino, are a fixture at Area 2 events. We discuss his journey, from his first trip to the tack sh...

Join us for a bit of a mashup episode! We bring back Taylor Cusack, who was a guest on Ep 17: OTTB on Tap Clinic Recap: Riding OTTBs with Olympian William Fox-Pitt with her charismatic OTTB, CV’s Eventing Rebellion, or “Darcy” as he is known to his friends. Taylor has been hitting all the clinic high notes this year, by adding Lucinda Green to her resume. We get her take on Lucinda’s famous ‘Ready for Trouble’ position and how it has helped her center her riding, even though she still has a stra...

Buckle up for a positively fun episode with special guest Kathy Goodman! In Horse Before the Course, OTTB on Tap speaks with Kathy about 4 seemingly separate, yet intertwined topics: Pressure Proof Clinics that challenge your “mental RAM” and teach ways to tap into your inner super power and perform under pressure USDF “L” Judging Program - how learning to judge dressage has transformed Kathy as a rider and trainer (spoiler alert: learn tips straight from the judge’s mouth!) RRP Makeov...

OTTB on Tap had the good fortune of attending a Pressure Proof clinic at the After the Races facility in Elkton, MD on June 15. Taught by Kathy Goodman, Niamh jumped at the opportunity to catch ride one of the adoptable ATR horses, Some is Nine. “Nine” is a 6 year old Thoroughbred mare by Super Ninety Nine out of an Awesome Again mare. She came to After The Races in partnership with Beyond The Wire. In this episode, we find out about Niamh and Emily’s impressions of the Pressure Proof training s...

It only takes a moment of meeting Merrilyn Ratliff and listening to her sing the praises of her OTTB, Koda Bear, to realize how strong their partnership is. We had the great fortune of watching Merrilyn and Koda Bear while auditing the Lucinda Green clinic at Loch Moy Farm, home of the Maryland Horse Trials on April 29-30, 2024. In this episode, which is Part 1 of 2 of our clinic coverage, we’ll recap Merrilyn’s past and present experiences riding with the six-time Badminton winner, 1982 World C...

*** The full episode starts at the 3:55 mark, we were having such a great recap of Devon Arena Eventing before we started and wanted to share it with everyone!*** In 2017, Kirsten Schuitema accompanied a friend who wanted to try a couple of OTTBs that our hosts, Emily and Niamh, had sourced from the track and had been bringing along. Little did Kirsten know that she would meet her future upper level partner, One Sly Fox, or “Tango” as he is known in the barn, that day. Back then, Tango was owned...

Join us for another installment of our OTTB on Tap - Retired Racehorse collaboration! In this episode, we chat with Virginia-based trainer, Chelsey O’Brien, about her 2024 RRP Makeover horse, Unbeknownst to Me, or “UBie” as he is known in the barn. UBie raced 15 times and earned a little over $71,000 as a racehorse. He’s owned and sponsored for the RRP Makeover by Pastured Place, a 501(c)(3) providing retirement, rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming to Thoroughbreds. In this episode, Chel...

Can an amateur rider with a full time job still have time to train a fresh off the track OTTB? Julianne Pangal certainly can, and does, as her own website, OTTB Makeover, demonstrates. For the 2024 RRP Makeover, Julianne has teamed up with longtime friend, Ashley Olin, to train and compete her horse, Brooklawn. Both Julianne and Ashley have versatile backgrounds in foxhunting, hunter/jumpers, and eventing, and are taking a unique approach to decide what “Rye” will compete in at the Makeover. Lea...

Take a trip down memory lane with Niamh and Emily as we discuss 4 memorable OTTBs from our past. We discuss Thoroughbred pedigrees, conformation, temperament, and more, along with the horses’ back stories, why we chose them, and what made them special to us. Maybe even a couple were “the one that got away” to us! Included in this episode are: Kiwi Gal, a 2009 chestnut TB mare by Stormello out of Mikey’s Gal, by Montbrook. She had 13 starts, 2 wins, and about $59k earnings. Bridge of Flowers, ...

Join us to catch up with Niamh and Emily about OTTBs in the big events this spring: Kentucky and Badminton. They also chat about the Kentucky Derby, William Fox-Pitt's retirement, and a sneak peek into our upcoming episode about riding OTTBs in a Lucinda Green clinic. Finally, they recap about the OTTB on Tap - Retired Racehorse Project trainers: Annika, Lauren, Julianne, and Chelsey. Supporting links to horse/riders discussed: Rachel Lawson and High Tide Joe Meyer and Harbin Meghan O’Donohue ...