Since the age of seven, Dr. Brenda E. Abbey has been a horse owner and equine enthusiast, but for the past 20 years, she has been captivated by the thoroughbred industry. She is active with thoroughbreds both in her personal life as a racehorse breeder and owner and in her professional life as a psychologist using the thoroughbred as a therapy horse. Abbey estimates she has owned 40 horses in her life and currently owns eight thoroughbreds.
Abbey always had a love of horses. As a child, she recalls her veterinarian father, Dr. Ken Abbey, taking her to the track when he filled in for the track veterinarian on race days in Edmonton. These experiences sparked the passion for racing that has lasted throughout her life. Influenced by her father, Brenda has also been a student of thoroughbred bloodlines and has carefully researched and planned the breeding of her broodmares over the years with Alberta based stallions. She notes that her “homebreds and broodmares are from generations of proven black type producing families.” A principle that guides her racing decisions that was passed on by her father is to “always put the welfare of the horse first.”
There are many highlights from the racing careers of the horses Brenda has owned, but a few are particularly memorable. Most of Brenda’s thoroughbreds work dual careers either as broodmare and therapy horse or racehorse and therapy horse. The racehorse Brass Hit became Brenda’s first racing filly after she purchased the Brass Minister filly at the 1993 CTHS Fall sale as a yearling. Brass Hit went on to race for four years and now at 22 years of age is a retired broodmare and therapy horse. She produced six foals including the successful racehorse Prospective Hit by the Mr. Prospector sire Ihtiman. Prospective Hit raced for six years before retiring in 2007, earning almost $120,000 for owner Bar None Ranches. The last foal from Brass Hit is A Hit Indeed by Alydeed born in 2008 who is a broodmare and therapy horse. Brass Hit now has a Wilko granddaughter produced by A Hit Indeed born in 2014 named Awesome Hit. The multiple stakes placed runner Mocha John by John the Magician out of En Plus was bred by Brenda and raced for a total of six years from 2005 through 2010. He finished his race career with $133,443 in earnings.