Should we just go ahead and re-name Saturday as OTTB Spotlight Saturday?  Well at least for today, we are.  Today I am featuring Bohemian from Eventing in Color.  He’s a neat horse with a neat owner and a neat story… so enjoy!

What is his registered name? Jockey Club name is Bohemian Spirit. I kept “Bohemian” as our show name for registration with USEA. He goes by Bohemian or Hemie at the barn.

Lineage? Not impressive to my (admittedly ill-informed) eye. The well-known names such as Bold Ruler and Native Dancer are way, way back. His sire, Detox, had an okay career; however, Hemie took after his dam, Country Girl, with a lackluster race record. His pedigree is here.

Did your OTTB race? Yes, a total of 12 races over the course of 3 non-consecutive years. He never “broke his maiden” meaning he never won a race. He placed 2nd once, and earned a career total of $800. He then had an interesting 2nd career in Hollywood where he portrayed a racehorse in the HBO TV series “Luck” with Dustin Hoffman. He was used for just a few episodes before the show was cancelled, but the film crew said he had a good mind and was used for filming close-up racing shots with their camera truck while galloping on the track.

What do you do with him now? Hemie and I do eventing. We are currently competing at Beginner Novice level, doing mostly small local derbies with the occasional horse trial as the budget allows. We take lessons twice a week and also trail ride, bareback ride, and snuggle. Lots of snuggling.

If your OTTB was a musician, who would he be? True to his name, he’s quite the hippy. But he has no rhythm whatsoever. So maybe he’d play the triangle or cowbell for Simon & Garfunkel?

Your OTTB is on a desert horsey island. He can bring three items – what are they? Salt, a buddy, and another buddy. He’s a very social horse and I think he’d roll in the sand and play in the surf all day.

Your OTTB is deathly afraid of … Small children/babies (I agree they are quite terrifying) and animals with limps.

Your OTTB is really brave about … Cross country. He loves it!

If your OTTB could change one thing about his environment or training, what would it be? He’d prefer to pass on dressage completely.

How would your OTTB introduce himself to a new herd of horses? “Hi!! Let’s run around like maniacs for about 1 minute, then stand around licking and nipping each other in the face and neck for as long as possible!”

And finally, my OTTB makes me proud everyday because … He’s so pleasant to be around. Excellent ground manners, willing attitude, and great personality. Plus he’s a blast to ride cross country! Also I think he’s easy on the eyes 😉

Want to submit your OTTB to be featured on this blog? e-mail me answers to this set of interview questions and some pictures to be featured, and maybe next time you check She Moved to Texas your horse will be featured as the OTTB Spotlight of the week!

You may also like:

OTTB Spotlight – Henry OTTB Spotlight – Viper OTTB Spotlight – Skye OTTB Spotlight – Rozzy Ridge OTTB Spotlight – Cuna