Jakk Farms-Road to the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover

19/06/2022

Our 3 RRP Hopefuls schooling over some fences this weekend 🤩❤️‍🔥

We are SO excited to take these exceptional prospects to KY in a few short months.

09/06/2022

We are SO excited to announce that we will be heading back up to Kentucky as a team entry with two very special thoroughbreds! Flynn and Tiny (owned by the McCarthys) will get their chance to show off their skills at the RRP Thoroughbred Makeover this October!

Madisen Finster will also be joining us this year with her gelding , Fynn! We are so excited to be bringing her along with us and know they will do great!

A big thank you to everyone who has made this possible for us, we hope we make y’all proud in a few months!!

Heather McCarthy Karlie LeBlanc Virginia Kate Morton

09/10/2021

We’ve made it to Tennessee! Sister handled the road trip well and settled right in at Second Chance Thoroughbreds!! We will spend a few days here until the big move into the KHP on Monday.

07/10/2021

Countdown to the RRP- Day 7

Sisters first ever ribbon (That Karlie LeBlanc scored on her!!) and my first ribbon in a really long time. Although I didn’t ride sister much that weekend, it was a good learning experience for both of us. Watching her and Karlie in jumpers gave me confidence that she really COULD be the horse I wanted! Riding Kristen Harrell horse, Fred, was just an awesome chance for me to gain some show miles and experience. Love all the OTTBs I get to work with!

“ Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.”

04/10/2021

10 day Countdown to the RRP - Day 8

Sister and Karlie LeBlanc tackling a 1.05 meter oxer. Watching Karlie work with this horse is one of the only reasons I am where I am with her now. She took Sister from unmanageable to unstoppable, and then took the both of us and created an awesome team!

“There is no magic to achievement. It’s really about hard work, choices and persistence.”

03/10/2021

10 day Countdown to the RRP- Day 9

Posting this gem to remind myself how much confidence i’ve gained over the last few months riding Sister. She scared the crap out of me for awhile, and it took a lot of confidence building with Karlie LeBlanc to get us comfortably going over jumps. Sometimes you have to just hold on, and sing a little bit of hallelujah to get you through it. ❤️😂

“ She was never quite ready. But she was brave. And the universe listens to brave.”
Rebecca Ray

01/10/2021

Ten day countdown to the RRP!

Day 10: the first picture + first ride on my sweet,spicy, fire-breathing mare! I don’t think I realized how far we’d go with each other. I know the me from ten months ago is looking at where we are now with overflowing pride at how far we’ve come.

“Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come.Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won,and all the fears you have overcome.”

20/09/2021

Three weeks to Kentucky! This weekend at Katy, Sister and I conquered out anxieties and made it over every jump we put ourselves in front of. This journey has been a wild one, and i’m excited to show off all the progress we’ve made since Sister came to JAKK Farms in November!

Here is my GoFundMe link for anyone still interested in helping us make it to Kentucky!

https://gofund.me/26365fc4

07/09/2021

So happy with our progress the last few days, the pieces are finally coming together and we’re starting to feel like a real team!! Cant wait to show this weekend !

31/08/2021

Just over a month until Kentucky, and Sister and I are getting better each ride. Excited to show her in jumpers in a few weeks at a schooling show! Wish us luck ✨🤩
It’s not all glitter and gold over here though. During this jump lesson, I took a fall. It was my fault, I didn’t sit up after the jump, and promptly found myself with my butt in the dirt because of it. I took a breath, and got right back on. Many times life will hit you hard, and knock you down flat on your butt (sometimes literally).Remind yourself to persevere. Do your best to get up and keep going. After all, It’s hard to beat someone who never gives up.

26/08/2021

Man, am I a lucky girl or what!! Karlie LeBlanc and I got to run down to Dover Saddlery - Houston, TX, where they gifted me with some show attire for Sister and I to use in Kentucky! A big thank you to Evelyn at Dover for being so generous.

I am thankful for every opportunity this journey has given me. I’m thankful for all of it. The highs, the lows, the blessings, the lessons, the setbacks, the comebacks. Everything. A special thanks to the barn that has ultimately supported and provided me with more than I could ever say thank you for. The JAKK Farms family has always helped me without entitlement, and loved me without conditions. Y’all will always be my biggest support system.

My gofundme is still up for anyone willing to donate!

https://gofund.me/26365fc4

31/07/2021

The journey to the RRP has taught me three important things so far.

1. Take the chance, because every time you take a big risk in your life, no matter how it ends up, you’re always glad you took it. I had zero intentions of applying for the competition, it seemed like something so far out of reach for me, but If you’ve got enough nerve anything is possible.

2. Some people may be offended by your goals and work ethic, they’re not your people. Surround yourself with friends who support you, support your dreams, your ideas, your ambitions. People who bring out the best in you. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a barn family who goes above and beyond in supporting me. Jakk farms is so much more than just my workplace, and i’m so thankful for the people who continue to push on me, who take time to quiet my anxiety’s and remind me that i’m capable of anything I set my mind to.

3. If you want it, work for it. There is no magic to achievement, it’s about hard work, choices and persistence.The video below shows just that, and I can’t take any credit for it. Karlie has trained not only me, but also Sister and turned us both into better athletes. We will continue to work hard, because success is 10% talent and 90% hustle.

Kentucky, we will see you in October.

16/07/2021

My trainer and i decided to start Sister on a new supplement a couple weeks ago to help her put some weight on and i’m so impressed with the difference 🤩 We’re both gearing up for Kentucky and are ready for our official show debut this August!!

28/06/2021

Feeling SO proud of my girl and SO thankful to have such an amazing trainer (Karlie LeBlanc) to work with not only me but my horse! She’s handled her second go at a show amazingly, and we seem to have finally tamed her ulcers ( for the time being at least 😅🙄) Her first time at Katy was spent mostly in a stall because she drew up so bad from stress and discomfort, but on Friday she was calm and comfortable enough to have a nice easy flat with our trainer. She was still a bit drawn up, which is expected, it was only her second time staying away from the farm, but it’s not nearly as bad as before. She was so calm this time around, I know it’ll only get easier from here as long as I keep putting her out on the road! Finally back to feeling so excited to get her to Kentucky!!

19/06/2021

Got to watch Karlie LeBlanc work with Sister tonight and to say i’m happy would be an understatement! Everything about her movement has become so much softer and less frantic, her transitions make me 😍😍 everytime I watch. Can’t wait to get to sit on her again and work together towards the rrp! Until then, i’m happy to sit on the sidelines while she gets the training she needs from Karlie!!

16/06/2021

Vet day for Ms.Sis! Thank you Becker Equine for coming out and taking care of my sweet girl. Excited to see how this girl is feeling after a few days of rest 😇🤗
She’s been doing so awesome with Trainer Karlie LeBlanc that I have no doubt that we will be ready to tackle Kentucky together when the time comes!

06/06/2021

Sister got to go on another outing today and was 100x better than her first away trip! Our trainer, Karlie LeBlanc hopped on her and they had an awesome flat lesson ( in a simple snaffle bit!! ). It’s awesome to get to watch and learn from Karlie while she rides her, and is definitely a confidence booster to watch them both move around so beautifully!

Also! I still have my GoFundMe up for anyome willing to donate, we’re not far off from our goal! Here’s the link : https://gofund.me/76dcd4f3

02/06/2021

After the ulcer flare up a couple weeks ago, Sisters finally starting to fill back out . She’s still got a ways to go, but i’m happy with how much weight she’s started to put on .🤩🤩 This Texas weather hasn’t been awesome, but I think the break in riding is exactly what she needed! Now, I just need to convince her that it’s actually cool to keep her shoes on between farrier visits🤦🏼‍♀️

15/05/2021

If this week at Sisters first show has taught me anything, it’s that i need to take the wins when I can get them, and to not let the losses throw me too off track. After a very stressful first day at the grounds for sister, she drew up really bad and seemed to have a major ulcer flare up. Not unexpected, and easily taken care of, but we spent the day hand grazing and feeding electrolytes rather than schooling in the arenas. After some ulcer treatment, she finally seemed comfortable on Friday for some schooling time. I pull her out to lunge for a minute , and she’s mildly lame in her back leg. 😐 Super frustrating, but in the end, i’m most grateful that i got to take her and put her in this new environment. It’ll only get easier for her from here . The win this week was her settling down in a new place after some time, and i’m excited for the next show !

08/05/2021

making things look easy🤩

08/04/2021

Who falls in love with with their horse more and more after every ride ? 🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️ I know I do!

I took a break from posting, and got to serious work with sister and it’s totally paid off! As a rider who’s way more secure in a western saddle when it comes to working with a green horse, switching over to english has been a huge hurdle for me but I couldn’t be happier with how i’m progressing as a rider and trainer, and how well Sister is too. It’s all about staying out of my head, allowing myself to be uncomfortable ,and working through it !

Yay for the small successes in this awesome journey!

02/03/2021

Last week consisted on a lot of work on our transitions, making sure Sister was staying framed from the trot to the walk, walk to the stop, stop to the walk and walk to the trot. The idea of transitions themselves seems super easy, keep the horse framed and make sure you’re asking the right way and everything should come together, but when you’re dealing with a mare that’s got more attitude than anything else, everything is always a bit more of a challenge then you’d expect 😂 Her attitude just makes me love her more, she gives me her all every single time i ask her too! I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to take on this competition with me and am excited each time we step into the arena to work !
I still have my GoFundMe up, and the link is pinned to the top of this page ! If you’d like to help us move along this journey to Kentucky please feel free to take a look :))

15/02/2021

Best news I could have received during this crazy snowstorm in Texas 🤩🤩 It’s official, Sister and I are on our way to Kentucky in October !

12/02/2021

10/02/2021

Don’t mind me, just fangirling over my girl here!! 🤩🥳💕
Super low quality pictures of our ride today, but it was definitely one of our best ones yet! It’s only my third ride on her in an english saddle and it’s taken a lot of positive thinking (and positive reinforcement via Karlie LeBlanc ) to keep me confident, calm and collected while getting use to her strong step and attitude in a saddle other than the western one. Both her and myself have tons to improve on, but i’m proud of myself for not being afraid to push against my anxieties to conquer new things!

27/01/2021

The difference in these two photos makes me so happy 🥳🤩 You can really tell how well she’s gotten the hang of lunging with her head tied down and how well it’s helping her overall form as she moves ! If i’m going to do any riding with Sister, I always always lunge her for 20 minutes with her head tied like this. Lunging a horse with their head tied down allows them to connect the power from their hind end to the poll via the back and the neck while also maintaining balance. It’s also an awesome way of teaching a horse to accept pressure from the bit and help them focus !

26/01/2021

Sisters handles her Mondays by begging for treats and taking a lot of power naps..at least that’s what she calls them

21/01/2021

Hey!!Hi!!Hello!!

My name is Virginia Morton and I am a twenty year old college student from Huntsville, Texas. I work full time as an assistant trainer at Jakk Farms and absolutely love my job! Within the last year at the farm , i’ve learned so many valuable things concerning horses and everything that goes into the care and training of them.

My boss and trainer ,Karlie Leblanc, is who I have to blame for my OTTB obsession. I started working closely with them when I got the job with her a year ago and the rest is history. The breed is easy to love, and one of the most underrated horse breeds out there.

I now currently own a 5 year old Oklahoma bred mare , “No Saint Sister”, who I purchased back in November . She is a challenge for me in the best way and I fall in love with her the more we continue to work together.

Now to the exciting stuff.. I’ve paid in to show Sister at the RRP Thoroughbred Makeover competition hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park this October. The Retired Racehorse Project created this competition to show off the trainability and talent Off the track thoroughbreds possess. I’ll have until October to train Sister to the best of my abilities and hope to do well at the competition!

This is something I thought was well out of my reach but through a few little miracles, it’s become a reality for me. I hope everyone will like this page and enjoy following me and Sisters journey to the RRP. The support I receive from everyone means the world to me and I wouldn’t be where I am now without it .