Winterfell, “Ned”, is an 8-year-old OTTB. His sire was second in the Kentucky Derby! He was bred by Town and Country Farm and sold at Keeneland as a yearlong to Calumet Farms who trained and raced him. Ned is a handsome bay with a star and white snip on his face. Ned is owned by Sonja Boorman who trains with Morrison Farm in Tomball, TX.

Sonja shared her favorite riding memory was just recently, “schooling him at Pin Oak (where my trainer competed him) and then building on his learning there to ride him myself at a schooling show where he and I finally solidified our new partnership.”

Sonja found him on social media – she met him and took him home the same day, November 2021. “I picked Ned up from his farm in Kentucky where all I had was a good feeling, his racing stats, and hours of conversation with the woman who got him off the track originally. I was trusting luck and intuition, and thankfully it worked out. I rode him for the first few times in the round pen at the faculty my daughter’s trainer stays while they’re in Kentucky and discovered that at the very least I hadn’t made a horrible mistake in taking him. After he settled in Texas (which took a minute- he was allergic to everything here!) and found his footing he relaxed into his new role. I’m a bodyworker, love that he is learning to relax.”

He’s just lovely – all the personality but the greatest brain. Sonja is oh-so excited to spend many years with Ned. Ned is most definitely the forever horse! A funny little quirk Sonja shared is that when Ned gets anxious he chews on his tongue like a baby with a binky! He is obsessed with grazing. Sugar is like espresso for him so we stick with carrots which he loves.

Sonja was a working student in the 80s and was recently reintroduced to riding when her daughter started to ride almost 10 years ago.