Pansy is a Pennsylvania-bred Thoroughbred mare by Silver Train, out of Aquatint, by Not For Love. She made 48 starts, earned over $180,000, and came through Turning For Home when her racing days were over. She was a good, hard-knocking race mare whose owner Nancy wanted to retire while still sound — but what she has become in her second career is really what this whole mission is about.
During Covid, when so many of us had a little more time with our horses, my daughter matched Pansy with Ashlyn. That turned out to be one of the really good things that came from that period. I have personally watched this magical pair bond and grow together from the beginning. Ashlyn is an amazing young girl, and her mom, who was never really a horse person before, learned right alongside her – learning to drive a trailer and haul her daughter so Ashlyn could follow her dreams.
Since then, Pansy has become a true ambassador for Off-Track Thoroughbreds. She started competing with Ashlyn in junior high school rodeos and helped open people’s eyes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to what these horses can do. She helped influence more local families to consider Thoroughbreds, and we even saw more Thoroughbreds show up at Cowtown and in the New Jersey High School Rodeo world because of horses like her.
Pansy has done more than compete. She has gone to schools, attended Kentucky Derby parties, met crowds, and represented Turning For Home at the Harrisburg Horse World Expo on two different years. She has shown people that Thoroughbreds can rope, run, handle noise, handle kids, handle a crowd, and still be the sweetest horses in the barn.
Now Ashlyn and Pansy have qualified to compete at the National High School Rodeo Finals in Nebraska, where Pansy will be one of the only Thoroughbreds there. Ashlyn was also named a Top 10 finalist for Boot Barn’s Future Rodeo Stars program, and Pansy will be included in Boot Barn ads and marketing. That gives this story an even bigger platform.
This is the kind of life we dream of for our horses and our kids. A retired racehorse, a determined young rider, a family learning and growing together, and a little bay war horse mare creating a path for others to follow.
We would love to help sponsor Ashlyn and Pansy’s trip across the country to Nebraska. Sponsorships will help with travel, fuel, lodging, entries, feed, and Pansy’s care on the road. Just as important, sponsoring their journey allows more people to follow along and see what Off-Track Thoroughbreds can become when they are given the right person and the right chance.
Any support would mean so much, and sponsors can be recognized through social media, updates, photos, and posts from their trip and competition.
Thank you for considering helping Ashlyn and Pansy represent Pennsylvania racing, Thoroughbred aftercare, and every little bay mare waiting for a kid of her own.
Cover Photo by Kelly and Craig Photography
