Emily Fisher: Wearing Her Heart on Her Silks

White, teal horsehead, teal hoops on white sleeves.

The racing silks catch the eye in an instant, but their significance runs much deeper.

For Emily Fisher, they are a heartfelt tribute to a horse who left his mark on both the racetrack and in the show ring, a versatile performer who gave his all at every furlong and over every jump.

The horsehead emblazoned on the front of her silks is a silhouette of Don’s Folly, affectionately known as Donny, a multiple stakes winner whose 26-race career produced six victories, 13 top-three finishes, and earnings of $467,604.

“When I was going to do create my silks, I wanted to do something original,” recalled Fisher, who is married to jockey Keveh Nicholls. “At first, I didn’t know what to do and then I saw the silhouettes that people were doing with horse’s faces, so I asked a friend of mine to do one of Don’s Folly.”

To say that Don’s Folly is Fisher’s heart horse would be a vast understatement.

The longtime horsewoman – the former vet assistant is currently assistant trainer to Jamie Begg – was immediately smitten by the handsome dark bay son of Tethra when she was working for Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame horseman Ian Black.

That love at first sight moment endured beyond the Ontario-bred’s final race on May 20, 2012, at Woodbine.

“I was working for Ian at Kinghaven one winter and just being a typical horse girl, I fell in love with Donny. Later that season, which was 2012, he was into race and didn’t have a great result, so the owners did the right thing and retired him.”

Don’s Folly then made his way to Fisher through Black and LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, the Ontario-based non-profit an organization that provides care, retrains and helps retired racehorses find new homes and careers.

“He was a lot of horse, but he was a wonderful horse,” said Fisher.

Donny was also not a one-trick pony.

Instead, as Fisher would discover, he had an alacrity for competing in the show ring.

Three years after he crossed the finish line for the final time, Don’s Folly, who once held the Woodbine track record at 5 furlongs on the main track, was in the spotlight again, but this time in a much different setting.

Fisher brought her beloved horse to compete at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the annual event that takes place every November in Toronto.

Established in 1922, The Royal is the largest combined indoor agriculture fair and international equestrian competition in the world.

In 2015, Fisher and Don’s Folly took part in the in-hand class, a competition based on conformation and looks.

That year and the following year, Don’s Folly claimed the title of Thoroughbred Stallion Grand Champion at the Royal Winter Fair.

“As a show-horse girl, you dream of growing up and going to the Royal. To go into that ring and to come out a Grand Champion twice is unbelievable.”

It was also emotional for Fisher.

“The year we first won, I let all my feelings out. Everybody started cheering and he almost ran me over. I had to hang on for dear life. He was a hell of a horse.”

Fisher had other plans for Donny beyond the show ring.

“In 2017, I got him sport-horse approved because I was trying to get him into breeding. Unfortunately, he got sick the year after and I ended up losing him in late 2018. It was one of the worst days of my life.”

LongRun took to social media soon and posted a heartfelt message.

Everyone at LongRun is heartbroken to hear of graduate Don’s Folly’s passing. We know how much Emily cared for him. A top racehorse and Royal Winter Fair champion, Donny was lucky to have spent his life after racing in such loving hands. Godspeed, Donny.

Nearly eight years later, Don’s Folly remains a constant presence in Fisher’s life.

Memories of their partnership are never far away.

“He was featured in a magazine and the LongRun calendar. There was a horse association that was based out of Ottawa that would send out these awards. He also received some trophies as top line horse and of course, the ones from The Royal. I have all these wonderful reminders of him.”

As it turns out, so do many others.

A recent encounter reminded Fisher just how memorable Donny remains.

“Conformationally, he was perfect. Everybody loved him. I met a farrier recently and I have this fake tail, a show horse thing, that makes them look nicer. Donny wore it at the Royal and I was showing the farrier a photo of him. She looked at me and said, ‘Is that Don’s Folly?’ I had never met this girl, but she is the friend of a friend of mine, so it was amazing to find out she knew him.

“Even now, he still comes up in conversation. I always say that he was a once-in-a-lifetime horse. I owe him so much. That was why I wanted to put him on my silks.”

On Sept. 4, 2023, Fisher experienced a picture-perfect moment with them at Fort Erie.

The second race on the card delivered a dream result for the owner of Blues Power.

Ridden by Nicholls, the son of Iqbaal, bred by Wesley Ward, crossed the wire a 2 ¾-length winner in the 5-furlong sprint on the dirt.

“He was the first horse I ever sent out to the track to race,” said Fisher. “It took him three starts to win and that made it even more stressful. The best part was that Keveh was wearing Donny’s silks. It meant a lot to see them in the winner’s circle.

“Every time I see them out on the racetrack, they make me smile.”

Every time Emily Fisher’s silks step onto a racetrack, Don’s Folly is there too, not only as the silhouette showcased across her colours, but as the horse whose legacy continues to inspire her.

“He did a lot for me, more than I could have ever imagined. I know he will always be a big part of who I am.”

Chris Lomon, Woodbine