In my life, I’ve always been a big believer in destiny, which to me just means being alert and paying attention to all the little events that seem to be directing you in a certain way…unseen helping hands guiding you along helping you to make the right decisions. I’m convinced that I was destined to own Szczerbiak, a Thoroughbred named for professional basketball player, Wally Szczerbiak.

In 2002 I had bought Connery, an off the track Thoroughbred, and soon after became vitally involved with the South Carolina Committee of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (SC TRF). I was hooked…happily and forever hooked by an organization that each day I become even more dedicated to serving. Once circumstances allowed, I really wanted for Connery to have a pasture buddy, so I turned to the TRF. At the time I first began looking for a second horse, Szczerbiak was on a TRF farm in New York state. This beautiful, elegant Thoroughbred had been rescued by the TRF, literally taken out of the pen of a “killer buyer” by a volunteer, at the New Holland auction where so many horses are sold into slaughter. Now he was safe at Excellor farm. The manager sent me his photo and added that she really loved this horse…there was just something about him.  Immediately after receiving the photograph, the South Carolina summer turned into a triple digit nightmare, so I kept the photo, but decided to wait until the Fall to make arrangements for him to be shipped to South Carolina and, in the meantime, I just hoped that he would not be adopted by someone else. It would be up to Fate.

The next thing I knew, we were in the thick of the holiday season, life was crazy busy and Szczerbiak was still in New York. Not long after New Year’s, in January of 2008, I got a call from Diana Pikulski, the executive director of the TRF, saying that she was sending Szczerbiak to Seabiscuit Stables at Wateree as part of a group of TRF Thoroughbreds eligible for adoption. He was on his way South and would soon be merely miles away instead of hundreds of miles away.

Once he’d arrived, my good friend and trainer, Starr Jobson, was eager to go to Wateree with me to take a look at this horse with the unpronounceable name. Now this is the part that makes me cry every time I remember it …I’d called to say I was coming, so they already had Szczerbiak in one of the stalls. I pushed open the door and as soon as I entered his stall, Szczerbiak put his head down right into my arms and just stood like that as if to say…“At last you’ve come for me! What took you so long!” Starr thought he was well boned with great potential, so it was settled. He was mine.

Szczerbiak and Connery now graze contently side by side and delight in going on trail rides together. Szczerbie is a natural jumper and I have high hopes for him with dressage as well. Every single time that arrive at the barn and catch my first glimpse of him, I think what an amazing and wonderful organization the SC TRF is for everyone!