Cash on The Run did not make much cash when he was running at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, MB. In fact, in his first two career starts in the spring of 2015, the 3-year-old son of Magoo’s Magic finished last each time.

It was in June when Nadine DeKoning — who owns NorthernGates Stables near Birds Hill Park, in Dugald, MB with her husband, Justin— made her annual visit to the Assiniboia backstretch.

“I go every summer looking for horses for myself,” said Nadine, who began riding when she was eight-years-old. “I was shown ‘Johnny’ (as Cash on the Run was affectionately known) and he was owned and trained by people I really admire.”

Dr. Betty Hughes, a well-known name in Manitoba racing circles, bred and owned Cash on the Run and Heather Wallerstedt was the trainer. They told Nadine they had just the horse for her, one who was going to be “special.”

“I have been riding for 28 years,” said Nadine. “I knew Johnny was going to be my favourite horse of all time. He just does everything so easily.”

As he was only 3 years old, Nadine had plans to take it slowly with the gelding while she prepared another former racehorse, Bellissimo Joe, a son of the Pulpit stallion Purge, for the popular Thoroughbred Makeover events at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington in October.

Put on in conjunction with the Retired Racehorse Project, the Thoroughbred Makeover event is a collection of hundreds of horse owners from all over North America who are transitioning thoroughbreds into second careers.

When Bellissimo Joe became sore in his back just a month before the events, however, Nadine made a decision to take Johnny instead.

“I had only taken him on nine rides,” said Nadine, who is a certified professional accountant. “I took him to a couple of horse shows just to look around.”

So Nadine, her husband Justin and their two young children packed up Johnny in the horse trailer and made the 26-hour trek from their farm to Lexington.

“It was the best family vacation,” said Nadine. “We stopped a few times and let Johnny walk around the three-horse trailer. When we got to Lexington, my kids wanted to groom him. He has the best personality for kids.”

Johnny competed in two events, the Show Hunter and Show Jumper classes, and while he was a bit “on the muscle” for the Show Hunter class, he was a natural over small jumps and placed 10th of 43 entrants.

During an evaluation class of walk, trot and canter (that Nadine has on video) one judge, Tiffany Teeter, said the gelding had “a fabulous canter, balanced” and that he “looks like he is going to mature into a very nice horse.”

The hustle and bustle of the three-day competition did not bother Cash on the Run and while he is still very inexperienced, the gelding has already worked himself into the heart of Nadine and her family.

“He is back home now and we will just give him light training three days a week. He still is still very young for any major type of jumping.”

Nadine has ridden many different breeds of horses and “loves them all” but she does have a special bond with thoroughbreds.

“He will never be for sale,” said Nadine. “We have a lot of horses at our farm, some boarders but he is one of my own and he has just made me so happy.”