Small in Stature, Big in Heart: Knightly Attire’s Second Act

The diminutive gelding has never been short on making a big impression.

Janet Black first met the horse who would become known as Knightly Attire during his racing days, not long after her husband, trainer Ian Black, purchased the chestnut for $20,000 (CDN) on behalf of owners Hat Trick Stable and The Double Eagle Stable.

A great-great-grandson of the legendary Northern Dancer, Knightly Attire stood just 16 hands, smaller than most of his contemporaries.

While he lacked size, his personality and performance stood tall for his connections.

“He was a real character from day one and just a horse that everyone loved,” said Janet. “He might not have been the most talented in the barn, but he tried his heart out every time he ran and that’s all you can ask. He always loved attention in the barn and was spoiled with lots of mints. Just a real character.”

One who could make his presence known in a number of ways.

“When he was a 3-year-old – a very good feeling one! – Ian’s cousin’s daughter was visiting from England and going to travel across Canada,” recalled Black. “She was going to exercise horses for Ian for a while before she headed on and she rode Knightly on her first day. He bucked and kicked on his way back to the barn and she came off and broke her foot badly – she needed surgery. Needless to say, it was the end of her cross Canada trip. But she has always kept up with him, and I send her all the updates.”

Knightly Attire was also a spirited competitor.

Foaled on February 27, 2004, Knightly Attire was sired by Ascot Knight out of Bob’s Choice (by French Deputy) and bred in Ontario by Auchamore Stud.

He finished second in his debut on May 9, 2007, and, after a third in his next start, he broke his maiden that June, taking a six-furlong main-track race at Woodbine with recent Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Richard Dos Ramos aboard.

Near the end of 2008, Knightly Attire, who had been racing in the allowance ranks, along with making a few stakes appearances, was competing in the claiming ranks.

“Of course, with the reality of racing, he had to run for a tag to be competitive,” recalled Black. “I was devastated when he got claimed.”

That disappointment turned to elation when Knightly Attire was claimed back, this time with Black as the owner.

Happiness at his return to his old stall, however, was short-lived.

“He ran twice for me and then he was claimed. But he never ran for them. We got him back and retired him.”

Knightly Attire concluded his racing career with a 5-7-5 record from 31 starts, along with $280,208 (USD) in purse earnings. His final race yielded a third-place finish on June 27, 2010, once again with Dos Ramos in the irons.

Just over 16 years ago, Knightly Attire was donated to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society.

Established in 1999, LongRun is one of the most respected horse retirement and adoption organizations, and the first industry-funded adoption program in Canada. Its property, home to more than 50 retired thoroughbreds, is in Hillsburgh, about an hour’s drive northwest of Woodbine Racetrack.

Three years after his arrival there, he caught the eye of Tracy Greer.

Looking for a second riding horse, Greer, who calls Smiths Falls, ON, home, reached out to some friends for advice.

“I had never really considered a Thoroughbred, I always assumed they were “hot,” especially for me who used to ride dressage and now prefers trail riding, albeit the trail riding my friends and I do is not for the faint of heart.

“One of my friends had adopted two thoroughbreds from LongRun, and she had nothing but amazing things to say about the horses and the organization. So, I went to their website and found three horses that I actually was interested in, including Knightly [Attire]. I contacted LongRun to get more information on the horses I was interested in. They got back to me, asked what my primary use for my new horse would be and I let them know trail riding, but on and off property, in all different places and terrain.”

LongRun staff immediately recommended the then-9-year-old Knightly Attire.

Greer made the 4½-hour trek to Hillsburgh a few weeks after receiving the email.

“He was out in a field with a young horse who was chewing on his halter, which he was tolerating very well. He seemed really calm.”

Knightly Attire also felt like the perfect fit.

“So, I decided on the spot after only a brief meeting and some questions, that he sounded like a good fit. I didn’t even ride him.”

His journey to Greer, at least the final stretch, was not stress-free.

“He came to his new home about two weeks later. The trailer was huge that he came on and we weren’t sure it would be able to be turned around up at the barn. So, we unloaded him at the end of my driveway, which, I might add, is one kilometer long. It made me really anxious. I thought, ‘Was he going to take off or take me for a drag?’ How will I explain this to the people who entrusted me with one of their horses if he gets loose in Smith’s Falls and is gone.”

True to form, Knightly Attire handled the moment like he did during his days on the racetrack—composed and collected.

“Exactly like our first meeting, he just came with me quietly and calmly.

“I had a comfy little paddock all set up for him where he could settle in and get to know my other two horses safely over the fence. He had two weeks of downtime to settle in, though he was really mellow from the get-go. After that, I tacked him up and rode him. It was like he’d been here his whole life.”

Now, some 13 years after he came to Greer, Knightly Attire, now 22, is living a happy existence.

The two have shared countless adventures together.

“It did take us some time to figure each other out, but he has since become my steady eddy, willing to get on the trailer and go whenever or wherever without so much as batting an eyelash and never knowing where he will end up.

“The very first summer I had him, he came camping with me to Sandaraska (in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region), which meant three hours on a trailer.  We crossed paths with a lot of different horses, ATVs and motorbikes. I was definitely more anxious about all this than he was. He was not fazed, not even a little bit.  It has since then become the annual trip in the summer for us.”

Life, now navigated at a much slower pace than he had once known, is perfectly suited for Knightly Attire.

“He has not had the most glamorous after racing career unlike most off track thoroughbreds who get to do eventing or show jumping – most of which end up at pretty high levels – but I feel this is exactly the career he wanted and needed. He has had endless adventures, miles and miles of trail hours logged in his western saddle on all sorts of terrain, many different places and many different people and horses that he has gotten to see and meet.

“He is happier to walk than he is to run. He loves to sleep in the sun, stretched right out on his side, or rolling in the snow or mud.  His life is so far removed from the hustle and bustle it used to be, and he is okay with that.”

As is Greer.

“You will still find us out on the trails or heading to the next adventure or just hanging out at home enjoying the quieter days that he has earned. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a thoroughbred, let alone one that used to race, would be so quiet and calm and accepting of literally everything.”

Greer is effusive in her praise of LongRun and its staff.

“LongRun could not have paired me up with a better horse then they did. They were spot-on for which of those three horses I had originally contacted them about and who would have been the most appropriate. I wouldn’t change a thing.

“For anyone looking for a horse, whether it’s going to be their first horse or not, they absolutely should contact LongRun. It would be a shame for people to miss out on what would be an amazing partnership, however that looks, whether they just want a companion, a sport horse or a trail riding partner. Without LongRun, the owners, and trainers, not many people would realize what amazing, smart and talented horses these guys are.”

Even the small ones, who find ways to make the biggest and longest-lasting impressions.

“We were absolutely thrilled with his adoption,” said Black. “Tracy has been wonderful in sending photos of his life with her. What a lucky boy he is.”

Chris Lomon, Woodbine