Etruscan was foaled at famed Sam-Son Farm in Milton, ON, in 2003 to the stakes-placed mare Forever Classic. The son of Old Trieste raced at the allowance level through a career that saw him win three races and almost $175,000. Following his last race at Fair Grounds in January, 2008 (he never started in a claiming race) the flashy chestnut gelding was retired to the Sam-Son Ocala, FL farm before being re-homed.
Several years later in March of 2017, in the small town of Mims, FL, Etruscan was discovered by Erin Frew (17), who saw an ad for the gelding on Facebook.
“He had been there quite a while,” said Frew, whose only previous horse, also a retired thoroughbred, had been too difficult for the teenager to handle.
“He didn’t look all that good; he looked kind of rough, was scraggly and had this blue mark, maybe from an old injury.”
Frew had no intention of purchasing Etruscan, who was being ridden western-style but was proving to be too big for a planned career in barrel racing.
Once she took a short ride on the gelding, however, Frew quickly fell in love and Etruscan had a new home.
In less than 10 months together, Frew and Etruscan are hopping over hunter fences, skipping around courses and working their way to the jumper level. Now known as ‘Howie,’ the gelding has quickly taken to his new owner.
“He is easily the silliest horse at my riding stable,” said Frew. “He loves mints, but instead of chewing them, he sucks on them and rolls them around in his mouth.”
It turns out that Etruscan had this odd mint-sucking habit during his racing days, a fact Frew found to be true after she wrote a message to Sam-Son Farm on Facebook:
“I recently purchased a horse by the name of Etruscan. I love him to death and just wanted to see if I could learn more about his past!… Etruscan (now called Howie) was born in 2003 and from what I can tell raced until about 2008 (age 5). Anyways, today he is my hunter/jumper and loves it so much! He’s got such a dorky personality so it’s crazy to see videos (I found a few on Equibase) of him dominating some races. He also loves sucking on peppermints and getting some cuddles in. Anyways, like I said, I just really want to learn more of his past!”
Several current and former Sam-Son employees responded to Frew as well as owner Mark Samuel, who thanked her for updating the farm on one of its homebreds.
“Thanks for reaching out, so glad to hear he has a loving home,” said Samuel.
Considering the way Frew found Etruscan, it seems as if the pair were meant to be together.
Sam-Son keeps many of its retired horses on its farms in Ocala and Milton. In Florida is Horse of the Year Soaring Free who enjoys retirement with graded stakes winner Aldous Snow and 19-year-old Follow the Piper.
In Ontario, farm manager David Whitford reports that champion and 2001 Queen’s Plate winner Dancethruthedawn is currently among the retirees along with another champion, Catch the Ring, plus stakes winners Classic Reign (the oldest of the group at 28), Portcullis, Rainbow’s Classic, Water Music and Silver Ticket.
