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Louise Yates still remembers the moment her life was transformed after being introduced to racing as a horse owner. Her son had plans to buy a ‘cheap’ horse with his friends and they asked Yates and her husband whether they wanted to ‘join in’. They quickly agreed to. “So, we looked around and the young fellows found a horse in Victoria, that was coming up to Queensland. We liked him, and so we all jumped in on this horse. He was named Break Time.” Yates recalls fondly.
“He was a winner. We got addicted to that big adrenaline rush. It's really such an extraordinary feeling,” she says.
That horse ownership experience unleashed a domino effect the syndicate found its way to Robert Heathcote’s stable, where they bought into a colt named Rothfire.
“Once my son and his friends found a new home for Break Time, we realized we really enjoyed being Thoroughbred owners,” said Yates.
“My son found Rothfire on Heathcote’s website and we agreed that he looked great. So, we decided to buy into him. Today our group comprises about sixty percent of the syndicate but having met the other owners we found that they are just fabulous people. I have really enjoyed getting to know them.”
Winning All The Way
Rothfire’s co-owner and conditioner found it staggering that Yates’ syndicates had only seen success at the racetrack.
“Fairly soon after we met Heathcote, he asked about our previously owned horses and we told him about Break Time and how he had won five of his seven starts in a row,” said Yates.
“Of course, at that point, all Rothfire had done was to win races
“So, he said, ‘Oh my God. You don't even know what it's like to lose’.”
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Staying In Touch And Enjoying Every Moment
The Yates family took to horses like ducks to water.
“We go in there very frequently. We try to get in there every week, if possible and we have carrot for everyone,” enthuses Louise.
“Rothfire is quite the character, and he loves carrots. He practically inhales them.
“He particularly likes the little ones.”
Rothfire Shows His Inner Fire When Recovering From Career-Ending Injury
With the pandemic in full swing last spring, Yates along with their friends were shocked to discover Rothfire had sustained a career-ending injury. The travel restrictions further exacerbated their worries.
“Racehorses are not just athletes but they have all their own personalities. You can't help but feel totally connected to them and you want to spoil them you want to give them everything,” said Yates.
“When Rothfire was injured, we couldn’t cross the state borders to visit him. As soon as they opened, we were on the highway heading down to see him,” recalls Yates.
“He was at Emeran Park, where the owner Shannon Betts did the first five months of his rehabilitation.
“She was a little bit beside herself when we arrived because she had worked so hard to get him to quieten down. And of course, as soon as we arrived, he started looking around for me and his carrots. The first thing she said was, ‘Oh my God, he knows you!’ We were like those annoying grandparents, that spoil the children and then leave. But she was great. The visit put our minds at ease. We knew that he was okay and that he was happy. We wanted him to know that he wasn’t alone and that worked!”
Rothfire’s recovery was expedited by the critical orthopedic surgery that Dr. Hayley Lang of the Randwick Equine Hospital performed. She saw him every week for five months before he came to Queensland. Then the team at Emeran Park under Shannon went to work on him. Robert Heathcote was the driving force behind it all who didn’t leave a stone unturned.
“Rob has done his job of getting Rothfire back on the track with tremendous skill and an attention to detail. But his team also, they've been absolutely wonderful. There's just three people that have anything to do with Rothfire and they are charged with his safety and his security. He is treated magnificently by the whole team,” said Yates.
“Then there was the Rothfire himself. Anybody that's been involved with his rehabilitation just says they love him. He is always ready to please and so willing to respond in a very professional and mature way to what's going on. It’s quite extraordinary,” she enthuses.
What’s Next On The Agenda For Rothfire?
“The plan really is to get through this preparation. We've seen significant wins, and we all feel that the Everest is unfinished business,” says Yates.
“And our real desire is that that he competes where he belongs, and he belongs amongst the top horses. If we get him through this campaign safely, we hope to keep building him towards a very successful 5YO career. We also want to ensure that he gets the very best out of the experience alongside his owners, fans and supporters.”
Buying More Horses
Rothfire’s popularity, character and do-or-die attitude even after a career-ending injury has inspired the Yates’ family to expand their portfolio of horses and enjoy being part of the Thoroughbred ownership community.
“We now have three more horses. They are all filles,” says Louise Yates with joy.
“We were so impressed with Rob Heathcote and his team. And, of course, as I say, we're addicted.”
“Of our three fillies one is being broken-in now. And the other two are just starting out on their racing careers. One of our girls won her last race and she'll be racing this weekend again. So we are again with the process of another little winning horse.”
“As my husband and I have quite different interests, we would often say, what are we going to do in our retirement? And then of course, along came the horses.
“They have given us a tremendous interest, and it's also brought, us closer to the kids.
“Racing has really added a wonderful aspect to our lives that we could never have imagined before.”