2023 Ambassador, Sarah Turri and Playful Cat
Meet New Vocations' 2023 Ambassadors, Sarah Turri and Playful Cat
My name is Sarah Turri and I am so excited to be a part of the New Vocations Ambassador Program. I adopted my NV Graduate, JC: Playful Cat, in July 2020. Now “Parker” and I compete in eventing and we have developed a lovely partnership.
When I moved to Kentucky in 2017 for college, I fell in love with the heart and athleticism of the thoroughbred. I knew from a young age that I wanted to adopt a thoroughbred off the track and retain them, but seeing and riding so many when I moved to Kentucky further sparked my passion for that goal. When the horse I was leasing was injured in the summer of 2020, I decided to make my dream a reality. I submitted an application to New Vocations and told them what I was looking for. Within the week I had found my perfect horse. I was very impressed with how quickly and smoothly everything went with my adoption and how much New Vocations cared about finding the right match for both horse and rider.
I didn’t even need to see Parker in person to know he was the horse for me. He was big with a lot of bone and seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. It took a few months for his personality to shine, but he has really blossomed in his second career. Retaining him has not been without its challenges, however. Luckily he had a lot of turnout time when I got him, so he was pretty well adjusted to sport horse life. He had some old body soreness that we needed to work through, but luckily I had a great team of vets, chiropractors, trainers, and massage therapists behind us to get him in top form.
Once he truly got comfortable in his body, he became the superstar I knew he always was. The feeling he gives me on cross country is second to none. He was a turf horse so once he figured out that all he had to do was jump a few jumps between galloping around on the grass, that quickly became his favorite activity. He also shines in the dressage ring and I am looking forward to completing some goals of mine in there as well.
I am so glad I decided to adopt a retired racehorse. Every accomplishment we have together is even more special since I have been there from the beginning. When he took 3rd place out of 30 horses at the Area 8 Championships and won the TIP Award out of 40 horses, it meant even more because I remember when he could hardly canter a circle. We also know each other so well since we have been on this journey together from the beginning. We have developed such a strong partnership over the last three years, and I am looking forward to many more!
I am so excited for the opportunity to promote the thoroughbred and adopt a horse from New Vocations. I couldn’t imagine my life without Parker, and I hope my story will inspire others to find their perfect partner at New Vocations!
Ambassador: Sarah Turri
New Vocations Graduate: Playful Cat
Instagram: @zipadee_dooda
