Andrea McGowan adopted her first LongRun Thoroughbred Adoption Society graduate in 2010. The organization was recommended to her by a friend, who exercised racehorses at Woodbine, as being a trusted source for horse adoption. Creemore was Andrea’s equine partner for 11 years before his well-deserved retirement in 2021.

After retiring Creemore, Andrea knew where to look for her next horse.

“There was no question of where I'd find my next partner in crime,” Andrea declared.

A new journey with Andrea McGowan (Courtesy of Andrea McGowan )

Rule the Sea, now known as Britania or Britta for short, raced seven times at Woodbine and Fort Erie from 2020 to 2021, earning a total of $6,794. She was just a couple of days off the track when Andrea rode her for the first time at LongRun. 

“It was just about love at first sight,” wrote Andrea. Britta was all business, seemingly unbothered by the pigeons that flew around in the area. “She just put her feet down in such a confident, classy way.”

Andrea quickly recognized Britta as the smartest and quickest horse she has ever had the pleasure of riding and the pair progressed rapidly in their training.

They competed in their first Hunter-Jumper show just 18 months after Britta’s adoption, pinning in every class they entered.

“In her first Jumper class, she turned and burned like a pro,” Andrea remarked.

Enjoying life after the racetrack (Courtesy of Andrea McGowan )

Soon after their successful first show, they tried their hand at short-course Eventing.

Andrea has big goals for herself and Britta, but most importantly, she wants to enjoy every second that they have together. Her ultimate goal is to have as many wonderful, adventurous years with Britta as she did with Creemore.

“I look forward to Britta becoming a great all-rounder,” Andrea shared.

She hopes to continue to progress in Dressage, participate in lots of clinics, and continue to show in the Jumpers. Andrea said, “I'm so grateful to Longrun and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for giving these superb athletes the chance to shine in their post-racing life.”

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.