My own introduction to the breed came in 2010 when I had moved to Florida to train with the team in preparation for my sport’s ultimate prize, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. I had a horse but needed money for training so I took some advice and started exercising racehorses at various farms and training centres in Ocala. This is how I met Seahawk (his registered name is Mighty Mariner) when he was a two-year-old in training in Ocala, Florida on my first job as an exercise rider.
A son of Chief Seattle – Miss Atlantis, by Pick Up the Phone, he was one of the nicest young horses I had ever come across. He was going through an awkward growth spurt with huge ears and gangly appearance but he moved with confidence. There was a part of me that hoped he didn’t want to be a racehorse.
As the weeks went by I convinced my boss, trainer Jimmy Miranda, to let me ride Mighty Mariner almost every day. We chatted about the horse’s breeding and about his owner and breeder, Jeff Tucker of New York, who often sends his unsuccessful racing prospects to second career homes. Tucker had bought Mighty Mariner back from a yearling sale for $1,700.