Bob and Cathy Hartsock, who bred four horses in their lifetime, sold Oligopolist as a 2-year-old and avidly followed his racing career. They phoned his trainer, rejoiced at his victories – he earned more than $100,000 in 43 starts – until they lost track of his whereabouts after his race career ended in 2009.
For years they tried to find out what had happened to their beloved Ollie, but never found him until 2017 when they plugged his name into a Google search, and up popped a story about how he was rescued by the TRF.
The couple read with sadness that Ollie had been among 80+ horses rescued from Peaceable Farms in Orange, Va., a facility where horses died, or were near death, when authorities raided it in October 2015. But a foster farm had rescued Ollie and another OTTB, before the TRF offered a retirement home for the pair at James River Work Center in Virginia.
On September 18, at the TRF James River’s Fall Open Barn, Cathy rushed in, found the right stall, and threw her arms around the neck of the gelding she’d been worrying about for years.
Bob and Cathy were so thrilled to discover Ollie was safe that they spent the entire day with him at the TRF, and are now sponsors and frequent visitors of their boy!
