On the Thursday morning of Breyerfest, Mackenzie and I made the very short trek to tour Old Friends. I’d last gone in 2016.
Old Friends provides a dignified retirement to Thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end. By promoting these once celebrated horses through a campaign of education and tourism, our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of equine aftercare.
Old Friends, Who We Are
It’s one of those tours that you can attend numerous times. It’s the final spot for horses of varying fame—where they see adoring fans and receive lots of attention for the remainder of their lives.
After watching the video about Old Friends, our first stop was the cemetery.
There we saw the resting place of Medina Spirit, who also was memorialized by this large wood carving.
Near him was War Emblem. The last time I toured, he was still alive.
From there we met our first resident, Bellamy Road.
And then there was Gorgeous George.
He isn’t a horse, but an adorable and gentle donkey.
We fed Silver Charm his mashed carrots.
And the horse that stopped Silver Charm’s Triple Crown run, Touch Gold.
We visited with retired horses of various ages.
It was so nice to tour the farm and meet so many of their residents.
Kristian Beverly 