Most individuals on their final day of work get to take things easy. That wasn’t the case for Nugget, the beloved pony of Belterra Park outrider Kim Jordan. Before he was celebrated in the winner’s circle to cheers after the feature race, he proved that he still had the skills to get the job done.
As the horses were loading for the one mile 4th race, one of the starters spun and dropped her jockey and sped off for the barn area behind.
Instinctively, Nugget and Kim took off after the loose horse in full stride and within 1/8th of a mile snatched him by the reins and safely returned him to the starting gate. Just another day at the office for Nugget, who had been working at the track mornings and afternoons for 15 years.
After the 6th race, well wishers greeted Kim and Nugget in the winner’s circle for an official farewell photo. Belterra Park’s General Manager Kevin Kaufman and Racing Manager Joe DeLuca were among the group, as the track’s farrier and Nuggets new owner Gil Roser treated him to a horseshoe-shaped Carrot Cake.
“The time was right to let him take it easy and retire safe, sound and happy,” said Jordan. “But you saw today – he’s still got it in him! I’ll get to visit him at the farm and take him out for trail rides.”
The handsome Palomino pony was a fan favorite at the track since Kim picked him out of a field when he was only 6-years-old. She began training him to take horses through their morning workout routines and eventually as a guide pony taking horses to the starting gate during live racing.
Kim has served as an official Outrider for the past 11 years and the good natured Nugget was a fan favorite in the afternoons letting children safely pet him near his stall between races. He even gave a ride to Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson after his match race vs. a horse at River Downs.
Jordan has been winding his work schedule down slowly as the meet ended Sunday. “He’s going to retire sound and happy and is going to be in good hands,” she said.
Nugget will be going to the care of Blacksmith Gil Roser who will turn him out on a farm in Bethel, Ohio, not far from the track.
“Don’t be surprised if you see him riding around East Fork State Park,” said Roser, whose father was a leading rider at River Downs. “Kim has done a great job keeping him healthy all of this time and he should have plenty of good years ahead of him.”
Now Nugget is a retiree at the age of 21. He has taken his final bow – but not without one final scintillating performance.
From Belterra Park. Photos by John Engelhardt.
