From Racehorse to College Student

Wasabi Ventures Stables claimed Whiskey Plank in April 2022. He initially raced in the barn of Jesse Cruz, before heading to Canterbury Park and trainer, Tony Rengstorf. At the end of that Canterbury meet, he returned to Tampa and Jesse, until he was claimed away in February 2023. Not ready to be Whiskey-less, WVS claimed him back in March. Once again, he shipped to Canterbury and Tony for their 2023 meet. Unfortunately, in June 2023, Whiskey planned suffered a sesamoid injury.

At this point, Wasabi Aftercare Fund (WAF) took the lead and began working on a plan for Whiskey. Our Executive Director, Michele, reached out to This Old Horse about rehabbing and retiring him with them. WAF paid for Whiskey’s initial medical bills and six months of boarding.

Thankfully, Whiskey’s recovery went smoothly, and by November 2023 he received limited turnout and handwalking. Throughout the spring his permissions increased, and he enjoyed full turnout.

From racehorse to college student

This past summer Whiskey Plank began to contemplate the journey to college. He became part of the Soul Train project at This Old Horse and worked three times a week with one of the volunteers. Whiskey learned new skills, including ground driving and longlining.

As summer rolled to a close, Whiskey decided that college was the right place for him. He headed to University of Wisconsin at River Falls (UWRF) to partake in the Racehorse Retraining class that started in August. In this program Whiskey will be matched with a student who is part of an Equine Science degree program. At the end of the semester, Whiskey will perform in a “Show What You Know” showcase on Saturday, December 14th. Whiskey will be attending the program with ten other horses from This Old Horse.

We are so excited for Whiskey Plank! While we are sure he is in a class full of amazing horses, we think Whiskey might just be the star pupil!