Breeding


Second Career Star Already Rude: Retired Racehorse Exemplifies Versatility
Robby Edwards and Already Rude on outrider duty.

Joe Grimando Photo
Second Career Star Already Rude: Retired Racehorse Exemplifies Versatility

By Andrea Caudill

Q-RACING JOURNAL—FEBRUARY 15, 2015—Throughout our lives, we occasionally cross paths with individuals who leave behind a special impression. They may have taught us something new, broadened our horizons, and left us with fond memories that will never be forgotten. Sometimes that individual is not actually human – it may be a horse.

Already Rude, or “Rudy” is an ex-racehorse who underwent several career changes and touched many hearts in the process. The 2004 gelding by Stoli out of Zany Saltine by Salt Lake (TB) was bred and raced by American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member R.D. Hubbard.

Rudy broke his maiden at Los Alamitos as a 2-year-old. He went on to have nine more career starts – including being a finalist in the $231,796 Ruidoso Derby (G1) and $447,294 Rainbow Derby (G1) – and finished in the money six times, earning $36,675.

Although he held his own at the track, it was his life after racing that spoke verses for Rudy’s character and versatility. Retired as a 3-year-old, he was given to Ty Wyant who wanted him as a trail horse. Rudy underwent surgery to remove a few chips and spent the winter recovering.

The following summer Ty began training him near his home in Ruidoso.

“I started riding him through the hills that summer and teaching simple things like flexing and bending, stopping him, learning how to back,” he said. “You need to get them to respect the bit because they’re used to grabbing it and running with it. He was very willing.”

At the end of the Ruidoso race meet, Rudy embarked on a cross-country trip from New Mexico to North Carolina to live with Ty’s family friend, Marguerite Chludzinski.

“Ty’s instructions when I got Rudy were to make him bomb proof, because he wanted to use him as a trail horse and as a fun horse to enjoy,” Marguerite said. “He was thinking that putting Rudy in this environment would be perfect to de-program him from the track. My backyard is like a zoo most of the time – there are kids in every direction, there’s a trampoline and a swimming pool.”

Rudy spent his time with Marguerite being doted on by horse-crazy girls, learning dressage, hunter under saddle, western pleasure and competing in local open shows. “To me Rudy was a cupcake,” said Marguerite. “The girls all loved him and it didn’t take him long at all to be the most loved and adored horse in the barn.”

Rudy’s gentle, loving personality make him stand out, in addition to his sheer athletic ability and determined mind-set. “I think part of what made him so good for me is that whatever you threw at him, he was going to do it,” stated Marguerite. “He was so incredibly willing; whatever you wanted to do with that horse, he would do it. And I feel like he taught me a lot. He expanded my knowledge by making me come from a different direction to figure him out.”

After spending around six months in North Carolina, Rudy headed back to his life in New Mexico as a trail horse.

“He was a tremendous trail horse,” Ty said. “You could take him anywhere and do anything with him. The competitive side in him came out and he would never quit; he’d go all day long.”

Last year, Rudy changed careers yet again when he was given to Robby Edwards, the retired jockey and current outrider at The Downs Racetrack in Albuquerque, who rehabbed him after his post-retirement surgery.

“I needed a younger horse because the (outrider) job is kind of hard on horses,” explained Robby. “For an outrider horse, you almost need something that’s been to the racetrack because they have the ability to go a lot of miles because you do ride a lot of miles some days. Rudy can go all day; he’s just one of those horses.”

Robby attributes Rudy’s talent to his fantastic pedigree. His sire Stoli – by First Down Dash out of Strawberry Silk by Beduino (TB) – has sired 33 stakes winners, and his progeny have amassed more than $13.6 million in earnings. His dam, Zany Saltine, is out of producer Star Of Sierra Leone (herself a daughter of Denim N Diamonds), and three of her four foals are winners; her produce show earnings of $257,088. Her leading earner is PB And Crackers ($215,163), who was second, a neck back, to world champion Stolis Winner in the 2008 Rainbow Futurity (G1) and also won the Ruidoso Juvenile Invitational (R) and Zia Handicap (RG2).

“He’s a really well-bred horse and that’s what makes him a good horse,” Robby said of Rudy. “Plus he’s got a bit of a mind on him. He is a thinker.”

Robby’s plan is to continue using Rudy as an outrider horse, and eventually try roping with him.

“What it comes down to is that he’s not just a second-career racehorse,” Ty said. “He’s a second, third and fourth-career racehorse.”

Marguerite affirmed Ty’s thoughts by adding “When his race career was over, think of what he had left to give to all of us – to me, Ty, Robby, to my girls. He’s done a lot of different things for a lot of different people and done them really well.”

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.