Ep 36: OTTB Underdogs: Caitlin Reamy & El Patrone’s Road to Recovery & Upper Level Success

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we talk with event rider Caitlin Reamy as part of our OTTB Underdog Series. Caitlin shares the journey of her young Thoroughbred, El Patrone, who she restarted in the fall of 2021. Though he had a previous injury from racing - a surgically repaired condylar fracture - Caitlin and El Patrone have quickly progressed through the eventing levels, recently completing a 2-star long event.

Caitlin discusses her background in the equestrian world, including her time at Ryan Wood's Woodstock Eventing and how she found El Patrone, or "Patrick" as he is known in the barn. We explore his breeding, what makes him an underdog, recovery from injury, and why OTTBs (and horses in general) don't necessarily need a 'perfect vetting' or perfect x-rays to be sound and successful - even at the upper levels of their sport.

Caitlin also introduces her new venture, Team Patrone—a subscription service offering fans an inside look at the world of owning and competing with an upper-level OTTB event horse, without the risk and upfront costs of ownership.

In this episode, Caitlin provides insight into the training methods used to bring Patrick back to competition, shares some stories from their time together, and talks about her vision for the future of this partnership.

This episode covers the challenges and successes of working with a Thoroughbred recovering from a condylar fracture and offers a look into Caitlin’s approach to retraining and competing with her very first OTTB restart. We hope you join us for the ride!

New to OTTBs or curious about some of the terminology used? Check out our new OTTB Glossary - we include both racetrack terms, common OTTB injuries, and also some helpful products for OTTB owners.