11/21/2024
We always say "if there are 250 horses at the Thoroughbred Makeover, there are 250 stories to be told," and to that end, we're going to keep telling these stories through the end of the year. Today, meet Golden Image and his Makeover trainer Allie Silvera.
Golden Image, even before the Makeover, already had a remarkable story: he was a survivor of the San Luis Rey Fire, in training at the facility just before turning two, and went on to make 32 starts with earnings of over $65,000. He landed with Silvera's trainer's husband, farrier Kasey Kinkade, with plans to make him a recreational riding horse. Silvera began riding Golden Image when her trainer Paisley Phelps Kinkade wasn't able to fit him into her schedule, and sensed the athleticism in the horse. "The more I rode him, the more I got the feeling that this horse was a true athlete amongst horses. And not only that, he had the heart of one. I mentioned this to Paisley and Kasey jokingly one day and saw a twinkle in Paisley’s eye. The next day we jumped him to see what he thought. He took to it as if it was the most natural thing in the world to him," said Silvera.
Kinkade offered Silvera the opportunity to produce the horse for the Thoroughbred Makeover, sponsoring the horse's journey to the retraining competition. "Golden Image became my true project. I have been riding for 25 years and yet this experience with the Thoroughbred Makeover has been unlike any other I have ever experienced. Perhaps it was the finite amount of time to train in, or to take a horse trained for a different discipline and teach him something new in that finite amount of time, or maybe it is the unmatched heart of the Thoroughbred. I’m inclined toward the latter."
Silvera credits the team behind her, including Kinkade, trainer Paisley Phelps, and all of her friends at her home barn, for their success at the Thoroughbred Makeover, ultimately finishing 12th in Eventing and 4th in Show Jumper. "It was truly a dream to ride at Kentucky Horse Park. I will always consider it a ride of a lifetime to have ridden my best friend Golden Image there. He gave me his heart. And he will always have mine."
Golden Image (Eddington - Golden Reflection, by Medaglia d'Oro) is a 2016 bay gelding bred in California by John Ernst & Allegra Ernst. He ran for his breeders through 32 starts with two wins and total career earnings of $65,404. He was sourced directly from his racing connections.
