Ex-racehorse with Napravnik aboard finishes fifth in eventing competition

Jockey Rosie Napravnik tried her hand at eventing recently, finishing fifth in a novice division of the Riga Meadow Horse Trials in Salisbury, Conn., July 14, with her off-the-track Thoroughbred Old Ironsides.

Eventing, often described as an equestrian triathlon, consists of a dressage competition, a cross-country jumping phase, and a stadium jumping test. Old Ironsides – known as Sugar – and Napravnik scored of 36.10 in dressage, then picked up no time or jumping faults in the two over-fences phases to finish on that score. It was good for fifth place in the Novice-C division, and was less than four points behind winner Laura Leger and Redz Passion, who tallied 32.20.

Old Ironsides, a 13-year-old Rubiano gelding, spent the bulk of his career racing in claiming company on the Mid-Atlantic circuit, winning 6 of 38 starts for earnings of $123,395. Napravnik rode him nine times, piloting him to victory at Laurel Park and Delaware Park. The gelding ran his last race in September 2008, and Napravnik, a lifelong equestrian, re-homed him, taking him to her mother’s farm in Maryland.

Napravnik is an advocate for Thoroughbred aftercare, serving as a member of the Old Friends board of directors and participating in a social media fundraising drive that raised $35,000 for the organization during Triple Crown season. In 2013, the popular jockey became the first woman to ride in all three Triple Crown events during the same year, finishing third in last year’s Preakness Stakes aboard Mylute. She is the only woman to win the Kentucky Oaks, taking the filly classic aboard Believe You Can in 2012 and Untapable this year. She will ride the latter filly in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational this coming Sunday at Monmouth Park.