“Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby” continues in March with a third hat up for bid to honor a much beloved retiree of Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Mr. Cowboy!
Mr. Cowboy is our third Old Friends retired racehorse being honored in this seasons unique “Hats Off to the Horses” Derby hat auction series. Now in its ninth year, “Hats Off” is an annual event which features one-of-a-kind couture Derby hats created and donated by Sally Faith Steinmann of MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® to benefit the retired racehorses of Old Friends with all of the proceeds going to Old Friends.
New York-bred, Mr. Cowboy, the 9 year-old son of Stonesider is perhaps best known for his thrilling victory at Saratoga on August 26, 2012. Mr. Cowboy retired in 2014 and is now an official Old Friend at the Old Friends satellite farm, Old Friends at Cabin Creek – The Bobby Frankel Division in New York.
Old Friends at Cabin Creek is home to 14 Thoroughbred retirees who, under the loving care of JoAnn Pepper and her husband, Mark and over a dozen devoted volunteers enjoy a safe and happy retirement. Named for the late Hall of Fame trainer, Bobby Frankel, Old Friends at Cabin Creek is located in Greenfield, New York.
I recently got the chance to interview JoAnn Pepper about Mr. Cowboy who has an amazing life story. In an August 27, 2012 Bloodhorse article Cowboy’s trainer, James Bond was quoted as saying, “There are miracles in this world, and I think he (Cowboy) was a miracle. But the biggest miracle is he got to be with Mark and JoAnn. They believed in him and they never gave up.”
Sally: JoAnn, welcome to my Hats and Horses blog! I am so glad to have the opportunity to ask you a few questions about Mr. Cowboy. I know just how special he is to you and that made creating his one-of-a kind Derby chapeau for the “Hats Off” fundraiser extra special for me. For those who do not know you, can you tell us how you and Mark started Old Friends at Cabin Creek?
JoAnn: I had always wanted to own a horse farm, since the age of 5. My husband, Mark, is a wonderful builder with great vision and a hard work ethic. We did it; I sometimes still can”t believe it myself. It’s a dream come true in the “Field of Dreams”.
Sally: Am I correct that before this you ran a boarding farm for horses called Cabin Creek Farm?
JoAnn: Yes, for 4 horses: Cowboys mom-I’m a Real Cowgirl, my grumpy Arabian mare and my neighbor’s 2 horses until their barn was built.
Sally: From all that I have read, Mr. Cowboy was a true miracle horse. Can you tell me the story of how he came into the world in the wee hours of March 15th, 2009?
JoAnn: It’s a beautiful story 🙂 His Mom was sweet but came to me late in the pregnancy. The night of his birth, he just popped out.. too fast!!
Sally: You were alone in the barn that morning with I’m a Cowgirl?
JoAnn: Yes.
Sally: And is it true that when he was born, he wasn’t breathing? How did you know what to do for him?
JoAnn: I had seen and assisted with many births, but never had a mare paw once and the baby popped out. I was able to resuscitate him and he began breathing and his eyes opened and he looked at me. Sweet, sweet baby. I fell in love immediately.
Sally: What was the mare doing when all this was happening?
JoAnn: Calmly standing there.
Sally: Did you stay with him until the morning, or did someone come to help?
JoAnn: Yes, my husband, son Cody and I were there all night (after I called and woke them up).
Sally: What were Mr. Cowboy’s days like following his birth? How did you care for him?
JoAnn: Our vet arrived around 5am and taught us everything we needed to know. So, Mark and I stayed up for the next 3 days and nursed him. Which involved milking his mom, feeding him, holding him up, moving his legs, showing him how to walk, giving injections, then starting over. It took 3 days.
JoAnn: On the 3rd day, his mom had had it with me and she tried to kill me. She pinned me against the wall and threw a deadly kick. I was saved by a water bucket. When she shifted her weight to try again, my husband pulled me out of her way and we scrambled out of the stall. I hit my knees, shaking and crying, so grateful to my husband and God!! I had to pull it together and go back in there. We took a break first in the office. When we walked out to give it a go, Cowboy was standing there. Not too sturdy but still…standing there. I decided when he got hungry enough, he would find his mom and figure everything out. He did. 😉
Sally: Tell me about the relationship between Cowboy and Moonshadow Gold.
JoAnn: Moon was our first retiree after joining up with Old Friends. When Cowboy was weaned from his mother, his owner called and said we could have him if we wanted him. So off we went that day to get him. We put him in with Moon and I learned so much about horses by watching Moon show Cowboy manners and how to be a good horse.
JoAnn: Little did I know he was also telling him all about being a racehorse.
Sally: Did you always have racing in mind for Mr. Cowboy?
JoAnn: No. He made us do it!!
Sally: What do you mean, exactly?
JoAnn: His confirmation was beautiful, a little weak on the back end but so close considering his birth. We had so much snow when he was a yearling, my husband took his snowplow in and made a mini racetrack in Cowboy and Moons paddock so he could move around better. Cowboy took off running the proper way and changed leads on the turns like he knew what he was doing…. I was blown away watching him. He made me think that “wow, he could race and maybe beat a few other horses.”
Sally: How did Team Cowboy come to be, and who are its members?
JoAnn: We had a trainer, Bill Allyn, come and see him. He liked everything about him, so we started him here at the farm to see if he enjoyed it. He did. We then asked 20 of our friends and volunteers. Everyone we asked came on board as partners in Team Cowboy.
Sally: How did you choose the silk colors of green and yellow?
JoAnn: They were the opposite of Old Friends, mainly gold so that you could see them on the far turn easy.
Sally: So the trainer, Bill Allyn, came right to the farm for some of Cowboy’s early training?
JoAnn: Yes.
Sally: Did you ever travel to watch him train?
JoAnn: Yes, when he was in training at a beautiful farm just outside of Aiken in South Carolina. I was blessed to be able to go and visit him there with Connie Bush (one of Cowboy’s partners). He had a nice paddock for down time and played with his road cone daily.
Sally: What was Mr. Cowboy’s first start at Aqueduct like for you and Team Cowboy?
JoAnn: Very nerve racking but exciting. We were there. I believe he finished 7th of 8th but when he came back he seemed so happy, like he had had fun.
Sally: Following that first start, didn’t he ship for some time off and more training to the Oklahoma Training Track with Mr. Allyn?
JoAnn: Yes, he just kept slowly training him. All Cowboy’s partners were able to visit and see him galloping on the historic Oklahoma track. It was a wonderful time. A dream come true!!
Sally: And was it during that time that you had him gelded as well? Did you notice a benefit from it?
JoAnn: Yes, it was positive for his comfort.
Sally: Who is trainer James Bond, and what role did he play in the next chapter of Cowboy’s life?
JoAnn: Bond is the trainer that we switched to.
Sally: What was Mr. Cowboy like as an athlete; as a racehorse?
JoAnn: He really seemed to enjoy it. He was a very social horse at the track almost to distraction. He seemed to be introducing himself everywhere he went:)
Sally: It sounds like he improved over time; with every race?
JoAnn: He did. It was nice to see him mature.
Sally: Tell me about Mr. Cowboy’s big win at Saratoga in the summer of 2012. Were you able to attend the race, JoAnn?
JoAnn: Yes, I believe all his partners were there. It was an amazing dream come true for all of us.
JoAnn: We had more folks in the winners circle than Mike Repole and his family.
Sally: What did that feel like, to see Cowboy win?
JoAnn: Really, I sometimes think, Wow…it really happened. A once in a lifetime dream come true, to win at Saratoga where I grew up and had attended the races all my life.
Sally: How long did Cowboy race, and why did he stop?
JoAnn: He raced 13 races. He had a suspensory issue so we treated him and gave him 6 months off. He was young and healed 100%, so we thought we would have a comeback kid as he seemed to be missing his life at the track. We put him back in to training. A few days before we were going to enter him in a race, he came back from a breeze with some swelling in the same area, so we called it quits and brought him home safe and sound.
Sally: Were you disappointed when his racing career came to an end?
JoAnn: Definitely, but I accepted it was the best thing for Cowboy. All of his partners were understanding and had always wanted the best for him. I will always respect them for it!!
Sally: Did you always know that Cowboy would retire to Cabin Creek?
JoAnn: Yes, my husband and I had always agreed that he would come home and we would take full responsibility for his care. We are blessed to own the farm and able to that.
Sally: How did he adjust to retirement?
JoAnn: Just fine. He still plays with his toys and takes long naps in the sun. He became an official Old Friend last year. I think his favorite thing is racing kids up the hill during tours. He has a lot of people who love him and he seems perfectly content.
Sally: What do you think you learned from the experience of racing a Thoroughbred?
JoAnn: It was a whirlwind of excitement and fear mixed together. It was a great experience as we were blessed that he is sound and able to live a good life.
Sally: Would you ever think about racing a horse again?
JoAnn: NO, I wouldn’t do it again:) Once was enough for me. I am blessed to be here managing Old Friends at Cabin Creek and to be surrounded with beautiful amazing retired racehorses.
Sally: Is it possible to put into words what Mr. Cowboy means to you?
JoAnn: He’s so much a part of our family and always will be. He really worked hard and tried his best. I guess I’m proud to be a part of his life!!
Sally: Tell me more about Mr. Cowboy, what’s he like as an individual?
JoAnn: He’s a kind horse who does get a bit demanding as he is spoiled with treats and love on tours. A little goofy as he will play with anything. I think he’s very cool.
Sally: If you asked Cowboy, what would the “perfect day” look like to him?
JoAnn: A big breakfast, some hay and alfalfa and a long nap in the sun. Maybe 2 naps:) a few tours and a nice dinner.
Sally: What people/horses/animals are the closest to Mr. Cowboy?
JoAnn: Now that Moon has past away, I think his best friend is Will’s Way in the next paddock. They have been around each other for a long time.
Sally: Do his fans still come to the farm to visit him?
JoAnn: Yes, he even still gets fan mail. All the horses here seem to be gaining more and more fans even long after their racing days. Its one of the beautiful things about Old Friends. Connie Bush even comes and cleans his paddock twice a week to spend time with him. True love.
Sally: Our March hat up on the block is the “Mr. Cowboy” chapeau. How did the photo shoot go with Connie and Acacia, and did Mr. Cowboy enjoy it?
JoAnn: Well, he really wanted to eat the hat, so it was a bit challenging.
JoAnn: Acacia was wonderful with him and I think he enjoyed it very much:)
Sally: I am sure that people are going to be inspired by your partnership with Old Friends. Why is it important for us to support these retired Thoroughbred athletes? Do you have any suggestions for how people can get involved and participate in helping the retired racehorses?
JoAnn: Horses have always been a big part of my life and loving racing from a young age, I just wanted to be a part of ensuring a good life to as many as we can. People can always help out by coming to the farm to visit or volunteering. There are so many great charities doing a great job and its a lot of work, so any help is always appreciated. I guess donations are always a way to help feed them as they do eat a lot and its their favorite thing to do:)
Sally: If Mr. Cowboy could talk, as I am sure that he does, what would he want people to know about Old Friends at Cabin Creek? About his story? About you?
JoAnn: I’m not sure, I wish he would tell us!!!
Sally: Thanks again for being so gracious with your time and sharing the story of Mr. Cowboy with us.
For anyone interested in learning more about the “Mr. Cowboy” auction hat please visit the Mr. Cowboy Hat page. Bidding on the hat ends March 11th at 8 PM EST. To place a bid go to the Mr. Cowboy Hat EBay auction!
Sally
The thrill of a lifetime…watching Cowboy win in Saratoga with Ramon Dominguez as his jockey. Poetry in motion. Cowboy loved and trusted Ramon.
It must have been an AMAZING experience, Marcia, Cowboy is one amazing horse. A miracle horse, and so loved. <3