Racehorse conformation

Racehorse Conformation is one of the most important factors to consider before you buy. A racehorse is an athlete and therefore its physical appearance, known as the horse’s conformation,

Conformation is the mixing of the different body parts of the horse, and how well they fit together visually and physically to create a high-performing, talented racehorse. It is the arrangement of muscle, bones, tissue, and overall body structure that come together to create the horse and the resulting athletic ability of said horse.

Naturally, a lot of emphasis for conformation is placed on the horse’s legs. The front legs support the majority of the weight of the running horse and the hind legs provide the propulsion forward.

Furthermore, these requirements are very significant to look out for when buying a horse.

Pedigree

This is the very first area to review when buying a horse. Pedigree plays a part in determining a horse’s future, the ultimate factor determining any horse’s success in sport is its functional conformation.

An understanding of the race performance of the ancestors will also indicate whether it has been bred to sprint or stay.

It is vital to pay high attention to the Dam’s facet of the breeding.

The pedigree will probably show what number foal it is out of the dam, what date it was foaled, list the sire, dam, grandsire, grand-dam, and the most important thing is showing the race performance of relations on the dam side.

Another thing is It provides a good guide to what you should expect to see in the horse, what kind of physical or mental traits run in the family and which members of the family had ability but didn’t race or win a race for other reasons.

Every horse is attributed with relation to pedigree and conformation. The artwork of picking a horse out at public sale or in the paddock is identifying which bodily characteristics will have an effect on the horse’s capability to race.

Looking at the pedigree of the horse can provide clues to faults that may also have been handed down from generation to generation, and whether or not these faults have an impact on the horse or on the racetrack.

muscle tone

The power of muscle tone comes from a horse’s hindquarters so much attention to muscle and strength stretch comes from here.

Muscle definition across a horse’s shoulders additionally contributes to strength even though this is now not always built up when buying yearlings. A horse naturally develops from behind first with the shoulder being one of the last areas to develop.

Muscle is the powerhouse of a horse. It also adds support to horse’s skeleton and strength to its joints.

Everything about the muscle structure should reflect speed, power, endurance, and athletic ability.

Bone Structure Conformation

A horse’s bone shape needs to be in proportion and it’s important to inspect a horse from every angle.

Does it have a good, strong, nicely developed bone structure?

From the rearview, the gaskin bone slant barely inwards between the stifle and the hock without turning the hock inwards as well. Working down the leg, the cannon bone must be shorter than the gaskin bone and align straight up with the factor of the butt.

It is additionally a top thought to experience the horse’s legs for any bumps or splints, or even worse any heat.

Good foot structure is incredibly important.

A horse must be in a position to lift its very own weight efficiently.

Many horse’s feet turn out (or in) barely or dish in circles in stroll and trot.

This leads to greater strain on joints which places them more susceptible to injury when under the pressures of training and racing.
A horse’s bone shape needs to be in proportion and it’s important to inspect a horse from every angle.

Does it have a good, strong, nicely developed bone structure?

From the rearview, the gaskin bone slant barely inwards between the stifle and the hock without turning the hock inwards as well. Working down the leg, the cannon bone must be shorter than the gaskin bone and align straight up with the factor of the butt.

It is additionally a top thought to experience the horse’s legs for any bumps or splints, or even worse any heat.

Good foot structure is incredibly important.

A horse must be in a position to lift its very own weight efficiently.

Many horse’s feet turn out (or in) barely or dish in circles in stroll and trot.

This leads to greater strain on joints which places them more susceptible to injury when under the pressures of training and racing.

Some of the areas to assess the structural bone conformation:

Legs – Start with straightness. When looking at a horse from the front with him standing quietly, the front legs should appear to be straight.

Cannon – The cannon should be short and flat when viewed from the side. It should have tight, well defined tendons set well back to give the appearance of abundant support below the knees

Bone – Bones in and leading to the knee should line up in a balanced manner; not tilting forward (“over at the knee” or “buck-kneed”) or back (“back at the knee” or “calf-kneed”), nor severely offset to one side or the other.

Pasterns – The pastern of the hind legs may be slightly longer than the front pastern and will slope at a greater angle.

Hoof – The hoof of the hind legs is sloped, slightly more than the forefoot. The angle of the hoof and pastern should be equal.

Length of rein – properly balanced and in proportion

Walk – does the racehorse have a pleasant flowing walk with an appropriate overstep

Hocks – It should be clean, well-defined, powerful, and having no soft tissue swelling or bony projections.

Back – The back extends from withers to loin or last rib. It should be short, straight, strong and muscular.

Balance

Balance essentially means how proportioned a horse is and how this relates to his athletic ability. It refers to equal distribution of muscling and weight from the front of the horse to the back of the horse, from its top to its bottom and from side to side.

Balance is essential for both quality of movement and performance in any event, and is determined by the horse’s bone structure.

When looking at balance, the neck, back, and hip need to be of equal size in order for a horse to be properly proportioned.

Younger horses are usually barely greater up in their withers or quarters but this is because there is greater development to come. Some even say horses aren’t wholly grown into themselves till they are 5-years old so anticipate seeing some traits in a 2-year old.

Overall balance is important for most equine work.

Below are the illustrations:

Neck
A well-balanced horse will have a long, smooth neck. The neck should: Be proportional to body size. Tie cleanly into the shoulders and withers. Tie high into the chest.

Back
The back extends from the withers to the loin and has to be short relative to the underline. Top: A short and solid back allows for carrying extra weight. Bottom: A long underline let on the rear legs reach far underneath for a long stride.

Croup and Hip
The croup and hip are essential parts of the hindquarters, which are the engine of a horse’s stride. The hip must be long and sloping. The croup has to blend smoothly over the hindquarters.

In Conclusion

This article provides only a very general guideline related to racehorse conformation.

The above criteria will assist you in your endeavour to select a potentially sound and capable racehorse.

Please feel free to contact me mark@regalbloodstock.com if you would like assistance in your search for a future champion

RACEHORSES FOR SALE

What is shin soreness?

We all know bone pain is a common hazard for all athletes. Horses are no exception and bone pain is very usual outcome in training horses especially for fast galloping competition and of course, racing.

The pain is due to the bone’s natural response as it adjusts to the struggle of training and working at speed.  

Shin soreness is a training injury in Thoroughbred horses especially 2 to 3 years old that is characterized by pain on palpation of the shin, or third metacarpal bone, and is often associated with an unwillingness to work at speed. The condition is certainly not new and has long been a birch of trainers of young Thoroughbreds.

Shin Soreness is properly known as Dorsal Metacarpal Disease. The bones of the horses change eminently as training executes. Nevertheless, while the bones go through this transformation, there may be pain and stiffness which can lead to sore shins.

The bones of young Thoroughbreds are very soft and spongy. Due to high impact training, it can be resulted in increased inflammation within the bones. The bones will start to swell and might cause stress fractures. Shin soreness should be treated immediately as it can be a serious problem and might end the horse’s racing or performance career.

Young race horses are the most affected. Why? Because they are always galloping at a high speed on hard tracks. Shin soreness will start to develop when the front of the cannon bones in the forelegs are forced to a high impact training.

Symptoms of Shin Soreness in Horses

Heat within the shin of the horses is one of the first symptoms of shin soreness. It would be helpful to have a daily examination to bring any changes to attention. The shin soreness can only be noticed in quite some time as the changes within the forelegs of the horse may be mild and hard to detect. Once you notice some changes, it’s very important to contact the Veterinarian for a full assessment and consultation. Some of the other symptoms to look out for include: 

• Lameness
• Stiffness within the forelegs
• Pain when touched
• Swelling
• Shortened stride
  

What causes shin soreness?

Shin soreness occurs when the cannon bone attempts to repair any damage caused by high impact exercise that has overloaded the forelegs. The cannon bones will grow new, spongy bone when the bones breakdown. This causes inflammation, swelling and soreness within the front of the cannon bones or the shins. 

Horses that are trained on hard and compacted dirt tracks are most likely to develop shin soreness than those trained on wood fiber tracks. 

Below is the sample image for Wood fiber tracks for horses. 

how to prevent shin soreness?

Good horse management can help to prevent shin soreness in horses. It would be advisable to not push young and athletic horses to work beyond their growth capacity. Ideally, wood fiber tracks that are properly banked will help prevent increased strain on the cannon bones. Studies have shown that shin soreness is less likely to develop in young horses galloped on straight tracks. 

Although financial considerations often drive training that allows young horses to train and race beyond their maturational development, consideration should be given to training horses in such a way as to increase their longevity by setting performance standards that do not trade the physical well-being of the horse for an early start on any promotional circuit. 

If you notice some changes in the forelegs of the horses, it would be best to take the horse to the Veterinary Clinic. The more you don’t take actions to cure the shin soreness, the more the horse will suffer. 

The veterinarian will begin their assessment by doing a thorough physical examination. They will also ask you to describe the training process and the track that your horse currently trains on. 

X-rays will also be needed to look for hairline fractures and any secondary bone formations within the forelegs. Based on the findings from the x-rays, your veterinarian will develop a treatment plan that is fit for your horse.

treatment of racehorse shin soreness

 The recommendation to ease the pain of the shin soreness on your horse is the application of cold compresses using ice packs. The cold compress should be applied to the affected shin at least two or three times a day for approximately fifteen to twenty minutes. This will help reduce inflammation and ease discomfort. 

In acute cases of shin soreness with severe swelling and lameness, the horse should be confined to stable rest to avoid the risk of long-term bone damage. 

A veterinarian may decide that a course of phenylbutazone is also needed. What is phenylbutazone? It is often referred to as “bute” which can last around 8 to 12 hours, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for the short-term treatment of pain and fever in animals. Once the inflammation and the pain have diminished, your veterinarian will most likely re-examine your horse’s cannon bones. This is done to assess the severity of any secondary bone deposits that may have developed

X-rays may be necessary to check for secondary bone formation and hairline fractures. The veterinarian will recommend treatment depending on the findings.

Following the veterinarian’s recommendations, the horse can be reinstated to a creative exercise program designed to keep the horse sound and encourage active and long-term modeling to permanently adapt the cannon bones to fast exercise. 

recovery of shin soreness in horses

Great horse management and not pushing too hard the horses to train can easily prevent from having shin soreness. Early detection through daily examination combined with appropriate treatment and training techniques much reduce the chance of sore shins and other musculoskeletal conditions occurring. 

The veterinarian will provide a treatment plan and also an expected timeline for returning to a full training process. The treatment plan should be strictly followed as it is prescribed and give them time to heal – this could be anything from 6 weeks to 4 months, depending on the severity.

When they return to training, they are galloped over shorter distances to ascertain what they can handle and their training program is progressed from that benchmark.

RACEHORSES FOR SALE

 Process I Used To Select Our Yearling – Nicconi Colt (lot 319)

Do you want to know how to select a yearling? Please click the video above to learn of what features I pay particular attention to when it comes to breaking down a particular prospect’s conformation / Biomechanics.  

We have strict selection criteria in place when choosing the next group of horses to join the stable. It’s very important to look for the horse that fill the eye.

In selecting great horses, you have to know everything about this particular horse.

Balance – it all has to fall in place. Great shoulders are very important to a horse.

Over 70% of all prospects at the sale are unbalanced or carry structural weaknesses which will invariably lead to being unsuccessful on the track. 

Being able to identify, sift and separate between such prospects provides a profound advantage to the observer with such skills. 

Watch the following video to learn further reasons why I came to chose Lot 319 from Inglis Classic Sales 2020 – Nicconi x Miss Twin Peaks

Watch the video : Click Here

RACEHORSES FOR SALE

Wayne Bucklar:  You’re listening to Business Radio Talkers.FM. My name is Wayne Bucklar and in conversation with me today is Mark Burckhardt, Director of Regal Blood Stock. Mark welcome to the program.

Mark Burckhardt:  Good morning Wayne, nice to be here.

Wayne:  Now Mark I could have a guess what Regular Blood Stock does but I’m in one of those moods where it would be silly so why don’t you explain to us what you do, and who you do it for and where you do it?

Mark:  Yes, certainly. So pretty well Regal Blood is all about providing people with unforgettable experiences and when I say that is we’re looking to chase, certainly from my point of view or what I’ve actually experienced in life – there is specific moments in your life that you’d like to remember and cherish and one of those things for me was definitely the horse racing and winning my first race as a young owner. This experience it’s captured me for pretty well most of my life and I’d like to be able to pass it on to other people. Look, how racehorse syndication works is about basically what I do is I buy horses at value, I go stay do the pedigree analysis of horses about three months prior to the major sales, I then get a bit of blood. A couple of people that work closely with me to go on in inspect horses on the farms prior to the sales and then on the sales and sales day themselves we go in and do the last inspection. We work out a value for the horse and then we determine a very good price which we expect that the horse may go for on our shortlist and then we go bidding. And then once we were able to achieve a price we’re looking for, that horses we are buy. We buy for our customers and then later on, we break those horses into shares to make it affordable for customers to actually race a horse and have the experience just like being a sole owner. So basically a person that buys a share in a horse has a full privileges as a full-fledged owner and I think that’s a wonderful way for people to join a racehorse syndication that racing is a very expensive hobby as most would understand. A decent-size commercial racehorse, it would be starting in a minimum prior price around about $80,000 and yes upkeep costs around about 35,000 a year with a trainer. So we breaking it into shares, the optimal option is around 5%. I would say it’s a starter and if you bought by 5% share it’s certainly a viable prospect for people to really enjoy the experience of owning a racehorse. Certainly they have the full privileges as a normal owner or a sole owner would occupy. This is how racehorse syndication works.

Wayne:  Now Mark, lots of questions come to my mind here and I’m sure for lots of people this will be a new concept. So when you syndicate a racehorse, how many people are in your average syndication? How many people are you co-owning with?

Mark:  That’s a very good question and recently legislation has actually changed again but you can have up to 50 people in a racehorse syndication. Actually racing a particular racehorse under the current model, yes. So it is a very good experience, I mean to me, early in the days I used to race horses individually and also with a couple of close friends. But I can honestly say to you, the experience is much better with more people and thus therefore I’ve actually followed my passion and decided to open a syndication company and embrace that and actually opt to try bring more people involved into racing and certainly with the horses that I have raced myself. There’s no feeling like having 15, 20 people in a syndication all supporting or even greater supporting our particular horse and following it through for its path, its journey. Yes, it’s a fantastic experience.

Wayne:  Now this brings to mind timeshare a little bit and some of our listeners will have had experience with joint timeshare on luxury boats and maybe some apartments and stuff and there’s issues about management decisions and issues about who gets to use the boat, what weekends, and where. How does syndicated owning of a racehorse overcome all those sorts of problems?

Mark:  Firstly, if you’re a 5% owner or if you have a minimum of 5%, when it comes to timeshare there is no such thing, as you’re an owner. You have 5% and you have all privilege as an owner. That means you have access to that horse when you require that, you’ll get communication as much as you wish to have. So for example you’re able to get access to the trainer or to myself in regards to feedback and our updates. In regards to the horse, you are able to visit the horse. So you’re able to go across that whole journey and be part of that whole experience. None of those privileges that you have as a single owner are off the table if you’re a minimum level 5% owner.

Wayne:  Right. And what about the decisions about how the horse is handled? Are they made by vote or are they made by someone else? So how does that give in?

Mark:  That’s a good question. So obviously, I would consider myself reasonable professional in the industry now. I’ve been involved in racing for over 20 years and of course the trainer is certainly the expert when it comes to this type of matters. But look everyone, the most important thing about syndication is communication and when you do have regular updates at least once a week with all owners and via social media or email etc or telephone call as wished – very, very few issues arise. Of course every person does have a say, and anything as dramatic happening with the horse, any sort of changes or etc, must be communicated and also signed off by all members. But I found in my experience by and large, communication is the most important factor and as long as it’s transparent and that the information carries forth and everyone knows exactly what’s happening with the horse, very few problems arise.

Wayne:  Now it does sound like a very clever way to make a start into horse racing syndication. Now you describe it as being the experience that’s the valuable part, just tell us about a little bit more about us for those people who haven’t experienced the races other than perhaps as you know a few glasses of champagne in the backyard on a Saturday and that annoying occasional galloping goes past in front of them. Yes so you’ve had a very different experience as an owner I imagine, give us some sense of what that’s like.

Mark:  Let me break it if I may, I may lead into a story, which one of my first horses and one of its just like I mentioned before it’s about these unforgettable moments. And one particular story that does come to mind was when my very first horse I owned actually had a race or was having a race at Randwick. Now as a child, I absolutely have a deep passion for racing, I wanted to be jockey. I just wanted to be involved in racing and I’m sure there’s many people out there that feel exactly how I did. It’s like any sport, once you’ve got that desire, you just want to get as close as possible and actually feel that and experience that and be part of that. So every horse has a character, they all have their temperaments and just funny ways about them. When you actually own a horse you actually get to see this and it’s not just about the horse, it’s about the team that plays for that horse. I mean you’ve got the trainer, you’ve got all the people that work with that horse. You’re actually riding these very big waves that goes forward and end to that and you it’s an incredible support or feeling and you do feel being part that, being involved in that horse. The horses had all different like I mentioned characteristics, some horses are very dominant, some are very recessive, some horses like to race in the front, some like to run behind. You get to know your horse and what type of characteristics are dominant in that particular horse and you get to observe the strategies and you get to follow that part with that horse on its journey and that’s the most exciting things. Like I mentioned there was a story, I had a horse that it actually was quite a gifted horse. It won pretty well on every race track except in its home track which is a Warwick Farm and we couldn’t understand why it was winning there and horses are very much a routine animal and this particular horse. When it came to race day we had a look at it at the farm and it basically just went berserk, it went crazy and what we put it down to basically was the horse normally gets trained very early in the morning around about three o’clock when it’s dark. And basically it goes through its processes, well this horse on its home track could not relate to being out in the middle of the day and having all these people looking at it. It just broke its routine and mechanism so this horse, it was very much shaken up, it was nervous and etc and basically didn’t perform on the track. So what we did was we actually put it into a cart, into its horse cart about two hours before the race, drove it around the track three times and then brought it back into the stable and then associated it, knew what the race cart was or you know the actual flow. It understood that “I’m in the float that means I must be up for a race. I’m going to do that.” It understood that particular part of the routine and as soon as we did that by taking it around the track a few times, put in the back in the stall the started winning races on that track. And this is just one story that of thousands that I could tell you about in regards to racing and all those little quirks that race horses do have. And yeah, it is quite touching when you actually see once you work out the key to a couple of them and see the results. It’s just amazing being part of that experience.

Wayne:  I can understand why you’re excited about it especially in syndication.

Mark:  Absolutely. Yes, and being part of that I truly believe yeah it is something special and when a person actually has their very first race then they’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.      

Wayne:  Mark thanks for sharing that with us today. For people who want to know more about Regal Bloodstock or who want to talk to you, how can they connect?

Mark: Well they certainly can go to my website which is a www.regalbloodstock.com. They’ll be able to track all the horses I’m currently are syndicating at the moment and they’ll be able to get a wealth of information there and obviously get in contact with me if they’re interested to get further information about those horses.

Wayne:  I’ve been in conversation with Mark Burckhardt, Director of Regal Bloodstock and if you just joined us and missed our conversation, the good news is on our website we have a transcript, we also have an audio archive on both SoundCloud and YouTube. This is Wayne Bucklar, you’re listening to Business Radio Talkers.FM.

RACEHORSES FOR SALE

Here is the Transcript from a very interesting Interview I had with Internationally Acclaimed Bloodstock Agent – Craig Rounsefell.

Mark Burckhardt: Hello and welcome everyone to another episode of The Racing Show. Now this is one of my very first interviews where I interviewed my very good friend and business partner Craig Rounsefell. Now Craig is one of the leading bloodstock agents in Australia if not the world. He’s brought racing success to just about everyone he’s touched. It was a real pleasure catching up with him and I hope you enjoy the interview. Craig, good morning, it’s really good to catch up with you today. You’re quickly rising as one of the highest regarded judges of horse flesh in the industry. Can you tell us a little bit more about your background and where it all started?

Craig Rounsefell: Hi Mark, yeah so I was sort of born into the industry in a way, my family on both sides have been involved in the horse business. My father has an insurance company and part of that was bloodstock insurance sales. So I was attending races and sales from an early age and my interest grew from there. To the point where every holiday I would spend working on farms and spent time over in Ireland working with John Oxan. I got lucky break when I started University meeting Gai Waterhouse and I worked for her for three years and during that time George Smith, who is world renowned especially here in Australia as one of the top judges in the last 50 years. I got to spend a lot of time with him so that was a good start for me and as time with Gai as I finished University I finished with her and was lucky to get on the Darley Flying Start programme. So travelled around the world for a couple of years and learnt my trade before spending some time in America in the training side before starting out in my business.

Mark Burckhardt: How do you rate that Darley scholarship? I mean I’ve heard a lot about that and there’s been a lot of people who’ve done extremely well going through that particular scholarship. Did that really help you grow, in regards to your trades?

Craig Rounsefell: Absolutely, it’s a two year programme fully sponsored by Sheikh Mohammad the ruler of Dubai. Who we know here in Australia runs Godolphin, who owns Godolphin, and they select 12 people from around the world. Each day is broken down, the first part will be hands on and the second part will be theory. You spend two years studying in Ireland, England, America, Japan, Australia, and Dubai. You get to work with all the leading trainers, veterinarians, all the leading feeding programmes, every aspect of the thoroughbred industry. You got immersed and taught by the leading professions from around the world.

Mark Burckhardt: What a fantastic experience. I believe that didn’t you take the very first course that was ever offered, wouldn’t that be correct Craig?

Craig Rounsefell: I was on the third intake and graduated in first position. It was sort of a goal of mine from the start we had a great group a lot of the guys I went through with we are still very close friends. And even now a few of the guys now are training in their own right in America and I’ve been buying horses for them so it’s come full circle.

Mark Burckhardt: That’s fantastic, so along your journey thus far what would you say your greatest inspiration has been, or who has your greatest inspiration and support along the way? If you had to name one, if you could?

Craig Rounsefell: Well, it would probably be hard to narrow it down to one. My family has been are very close unit. My parents have made a lot of sacrifices early on to give me every opportunity to explore my paths of interests. More recently I met my wife and we got married 8 years ago. And she has been a huge inspiration and my biggest cheerleader along the way, but within the industry it would be my father-in-law, my wife’s father. He is one of the leading trainers in America and when I first started my business he really got behind me and gave me some support and just to see how he built his business up from nothing and is now one of the top players in the game. He was a big inspiration for me.

Mark Burckhardt: So would you be able to share with us maybe just a little bit about your systems and routines that you go through, you know prior to going to a sale to identify those quality horses for your clients. Would you be able to go through with us?

Craig Rounsefell: Yeah, it varies from sale to sale. A sale like a Magic Millions for an eastern sale or say like the main sales in Australia the January Classic, the classic sale, the Melbourne Premier and East those sales all you’ll do research work in the book leading up to the sale. I like to mainly not get too bogged down in the pedigrees I like to get more, just keep up to date with statistics on the stallions, try and find any trends there. And then you will visit the farms and try to see the horses in their natural environment and the more you do that leading into sales you get to see where these horses are getting grown up. You know spending the early parts of their life. Then when the sales come around I’ll nearly 99% of the time at the sale I’ll look at every horse in the catalogue. I just think that you do yourself an injustice if you don’t do that. You never know where the good horses are going to come from. So it is important to look at every horse and when you’re looking at them look for the traits that you’re looking for that most successful horses have. And then depending on the clientele you have, the budget you have to play with, then you sort of break them down and look at what the client wants to achieve and try to find the right horse for them.

Mark Burckhardt: Thanks Craig, So you have achieved the success at the highest level of racing with horses in recent times like obviously winning the US Breeders Cup. But of course Scales of Justice the group one sprinter in WA. But you’ve also had plenty of success as you mentioned before with Gai Waterhouse with horses such as Dance Hero which won the Magic Millions and then went on to win the 2 year old triple crown which also includes the Golden Slipper. However is there any particular horse that you selected that is special to you? And what would be the characteristics or reason why that particular horse was special to you.

Craig Rounsefell: It would definitely be Obviously, the horse I purchased, it was early on in my business, my father-in-law as I mentioned previously. One of his bigger clients, he got the backing from them to send me on a mission to find them a horse in Europe. And I selected Obviously and brought him to America to California, and he was just an absolute marvel. He raced, he only recently retired, he raced over five seasons every year he ran in the Breeders Cup. And, he won ten  Stakes races, and two group ones, and then finally last year with the crowning stone where he won the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint. He is just such a genuine horse, he would, he was just one of those horses that would just get out in front and run very fast sectional times and just break the other horses heart. He loved to train and he just loved game day. Just a pleasure to be around, just a true professional. He had a big heart and even recently I took my son who’s only six months old and took him around to the barn and met him and he is just like a little teddy bear. When it is game day he has his game face on and he’s ready to take on the world. But he also has that kind heart and I just he is just a very special horse to me. He did a lot for my career early on and just one of those horses that you will be forever grateful.

Flavien Prat celebrates after riding Obviously to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint horse race at Santa Anita Park, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Mark Burckhardt: Well you’ve already achieved so much in racing but what’s the greatest goal, motivation that keeps driving you now Craig?

Craig Rounsefell: I think you want to continue to build. Racing is a game where you never stop learning. So I really enjoy it. I spend a lot of time travelling working with various styles around the world and that is what drives me to keep on. You know I want to be the top of the game as an international agent, one that does very well in Australia and overseas, and I want that sort of stand where they know that if you buy horses with me then they know that if you buy a horse with Boomer than he believes in that horse and want that horse to reach that highest level and win Group Ones. The thrill of winning any race is when you start winning the big ones it takes it to a whole ‘nother level and I just enjoy being around good clients and good horses and I just hope to continue to build that in the years to come.

Mark Burckhardt:That’s fantastic Craig, look I know you’re an extremely busy man. You’re always jetting across all different countries selecting thoroughbreds etc. But you know life needs balance. So might I ask what activities you like to do in your down time? If there is any, and do you follow any other sports or hobbies apart from racing?

Craig Rounsefell: Well, before we had our son this year my wife and I every year we’d travel somewhere new. We love to travel to various places around the world, And do little trips. I do love fishing so we try sort of cross it in when we can. We did a great trip to Alaska, my wife and I a couple of years ago and we try and get that in. It is obviously hard to do but we also, my wife and I are quite strong in the Christian faith. So we have been trying to build in more where we can give back to the community and trying to get involved in more of that. My mother-in-law she does quite a few mentoring works too in Asia so we want to sort of be involved in things like that and try and give back. But, yeah it is one of those times now where our time’s even got a fuller plate, we’ve got a little 6 month year old child so he’s got us on the run and we just really enjoying the family time now.

Mark Burckhardt: Look Craig well thanks so much for your time. Very much look forward to strengthening our alliance and growing with you along your journey. I really appreciate your time today Craig.

Craig Rounsefell: Great thanks mate.

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