Underscore - 2021 TB Makeover Graduate

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Underscore - 2021 TB Makeover Graduate Follow the progress of Underscore, known to friends as "Blueberry," in his post-racing career.

Blueberry was born in Ontario, where he was bred by Christine Hayden. He was cared for as a yearling by Shawhan Place, and sold at Fasig-Tipton by Cara Bloodstock to Godolphin. He was trained by Brad Cox and made one start before being retired. I adopted him through Godolphin's Lifetime Care Program in November 2020.

Sometimes the only appropriate thing to do at the end of a test is pat your horse and shrug apologetically at the judge....
14/08/2025

Sometimes the only appropriate thing to do at the end of a test is pat your horse and shrug apologetically at the judge. There's always next time!

How do both these moments happen in the same test?Blueberry. Blueberry and I went to a friendly schooling show at Meadow...
11/08/2025

How do both these moments happen in the same test?
Blueberry.
Blueberry and I went to a friendly schooling show at Meadow Lake Equestrian Center this afternoon, our second outing this year, with two goals: rounder circles and managing anxiety. I'd expected us both to be a little nervous, but my little buddy was quite tense indeed for our first test. He got distracted in warm-up and we spent most of the time in the ring working on deep breathing and relaxation. The second test was much better, except for our last canter circle (pictured). We're not sure how much of his 20-meter bucking tantrum was exuberance and how much was tension trying to escape, but we both shook it off and finished with a square halt.
What can you do? Athletic horses are often the most sensitive, which is a strength and a challenge. Helping Blueberry understand that he can move through moments of tension and come out the other side gentle and focused is so empowering, but it's a long-term learning process. Days like this don't produce the best scores, but they do produce a lot of personal growth--for both of us. And I'm proud!

Blueberry had a great time at the obstacle course at Masterson this morning! I've been wanting to get him to a trail obs...
09/08/2025

Blueberry had a great time at the obstacle course at Masterson this morning! I've been wanting to get him to a trail obstacle day for some time and thanks to our friends Anna and V, we were finally able to get out and see some wild-looking puzzles. Blueberry was a little midblown when we arrived, but settled right in and conquered two pool noddle obstacles, the poles, a bridge, and two hanging curtains. I'm so proud of how he went through the mental process of fear, curiosity, investigation, and confidence -- that's exactly what I hoped he'd get from the experience.

24/05/2025

Here's our teeny, tiny stadium round. A few bobbles for sure, but I'm proud of myself for remaining focused and learning to soften at the base of each fence, even when our approach was awkward or the last departure was stronger than I'd liked. I'm proud of Blue for shaking off his little spooks or little tantrums and moving along to the next challenge, one by one.

We're so proud of Blueberry for finishing second and getting TIP champion in the crossrails combined test at Tuscany Hol...
24/05/2025

We're so proud of Blueberry for finishing second and getting TIP champion in the crossrails combined test at Tuscany Hollow Stables! It was our first outing together in six months, and only our second in the past two seasons. We definitely have some homework to take forward after some minor tension in our dressage test and in our stadium warm-up, but we recovered well from a few mental setbacks and finished on a 31. Congratulations to our Graystone Stable stablemates, Bethany and Ziggy, for winning the training division!

24/05/2025

Blueberry and I are entered in the crossrails CT at Tuscany Hollow Stables tomorrow, so we had a jump lesson this evening to get ready. In true Stephanie fashion, she made sure the course included tougher turns and at least one fence that would be bigger than what we'll see at the show. Predictably, Blueberry is patient with my anxiety and reminded me that he's got this.

Blueberry (pictured as a little guy) wishes everyone a happy Mother’s Day - especially his own mother Unspurned. Wheneve...
12/05/2025

Blueberry (pictured as a little guy) wishes everyone a happy Mother’s Day - especially his own mother Unspurned. Whenever we see the little flecks of red in his bay coat, we’re reminded of where it came from.

Blueberry's swag from the The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program national performance awards showed up in the ma...
01/05/2025

Blueberry's swag from the The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program national performance awards showed up in the mail this week, so naturally we had to get a couple of photos of him after tonight's lesson. I think he was more focused on checking my pockets for cookies than the pretty ribbons.

We were so, so lucky last week to spend some time with Unspurned, Blueberry's dam, at her home in Ontario. We also got t...
30/04/2025

We were so, so lucky last week to spend some time with Unspurned, Blueberry's dam, at her home in Ontario. We also got to meet his brand new little sister, a stunning filly by Charlatan.

Unspurned is the horse who started this whole journey for me. I sought out Blueberry because of his mother, and therefore I owe her everything. It was wonderful to see her looking so relaxed and well, enjoying a breezy day on the farm where she herself was born. I think of her every time the sun catches Blueberry's tail and I see the red streaks he inherited from her, and it's lovely now to have a mental picture of her in the place where she's so loved and happy.

This little chestnut baby though, whew. She's going to be a handful. She's already clever, already spunky, and she has a lovely shoulder to her. I can't wait to see how she grows up...but I am not sure I'll envy the person who has to get her to keep all four feet on the ground if she goes to the sale.

We've been so eagerly awaiting this package from For the Love of Ribbons and it did not disappoint! I have so many ribbo...
14/04/2025

We've been so eagerly awaiting this package from For the Love of Ribbons and it did not disappoint! I have so many ribbons from Blueberry's show career and my own before him, but it's hard to think of ways to display them creatively. The wreath is rosettes from my horse shows at and the ornaments are from my time with Blueberry and Jitterbug. Will cherish these forever!

Blueberry gave us a fright this morning. Apparently after being turned out in a new field with his faithful friend, some...
06/04/2025

Blueberry gave us a fright this morning. Apparently after being turned out in a new field with his faithful friend, something prompted him to try to jump his gate. We don't know exactly what happened, but our best guess is he got to running and playing, came galloping at the gate, and misjudged his own speed (and ability to fully clear the gate).

Fortunately, he escaped this misadventure with only a few superficial scrapes. I think of all the ways this tangle could have resulted in an emergency vet call, or much worse...especially when you see the way the metal is mangled. As our coach said when she sent us the first photo, he had angels with him today, and we're so thankful.

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