Gail Brackett got hooked on eventing when a friend invited her to Galway Downs several years ago. “I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen,” she says of her first exposure to cross-country competition. “I said right then that I would be doing this!”
So it wasn’t surprising to see Gail embrace a new Galway Downs guest relations role during the Eventing Championships at Galway Downs early this month. The position was implemented concurrent with intensified efforts to introduce the public to equestrian sport. It’s one of many things coming together before the venue’s expected hosting of LA28 Olympic equestrian events.
As an ambassador, Gail stationed herself in the Bridle Brunch tent near the Oasis water complex. She welcomed new fans and helped them understand the challenges, rewards and realities of the sport.
First-hand experience fuels her infectious enthusiasm.
Gail had only ridden a little, and without formal instruction, when she encountered eventing, but she walked her talk about getting into it. She and her beloved mare Tiger were regulars in West Coast competition, from 2003 to 2018, rising to Preliminary and 1* levels.
After a few years break while living in Hawaii, Gail recently fulfilled a longtime dream of living in Temecula. Volunteering at the Eventing Championships began a full re-immersion into the West Coast eventing world.
Tiger’s daughter Genesis is taking time off to resolve mysterious mild lameness issues, but Gail is getting back in the saddle on other horses and plotting her return to competition.
Throughout most of her career with SKYRE, Inc., Gail lived in Los Angeles and commuted to Temecula. She continues to work full-time and remotely as VP, Director of Marketing & Communications. Her barn commute is now a delightful 10 minutes.
Fast Track to Fanatic
A Connecticut native, Gail rode only a little growing up. She was gifted a Morgan horse during her last few years of high school. “I literally just jumped on and my best friend Holly and I rode all around. I never had any lessons, just had that love of the horse.”
She moved to California to attend USC and, except for the recent Hawaii stint, has called the state home ever since. Living and working in Los Angeles, Gail began coming to Temecula regularly as a social member of the Santa Fe Hunt. The hunt is based at Linda and Terry Paine’s KingsWay Farm, across the street from Galway Downs.
That’s where she met her horse of a lifetime, Tiger. The 3-and-a-half-year-old mare was then being ridden by Hunt Master Terry Paine. Bred as a hunt horse at KingsWay Farm, she carried the well-known Tankerbelle mare line and was sired by Starfield.
“I literally just fell in love with her and said, ‘I’m going to buy that horse.’”
So, at 39, Gail had a 4-year-old fiery chestnut mare and a square-one perspective on her eventing path. “We were both greener than green,” she recalls. Understanding that athleticism and a little saddle time riding hunts wouldn’t cut it, she enrolled herself and Tiger in Natalie Rooney’s Four Star Farm, which was based at KingsWay. Erin Kellerhouse (then Bennett) was Natalie’s assistant and became Tiger and Gail’s main coach.
Greener Than Green
“Erin was there from the beginning, and she brought out the greatness in us both,” Gail shares.
Greatness wasn’t obvious in their first event in 2003, a Novice outing at Copper Meadows. “We crashed into the side of the dressage court,” Gail remembers. They went on to finish top 10 in 38 competitions together, and Erin rode Tiger to 17 top 10 finishes, including five Open Preliminary wins.
When Gail retired Tiger from upper-level competition, the mare was bred to jumping sire Billy Mexico. The result, the now 7-year-old Genesis, is Gail’s horse for the future. Tiger also helped other riders get started at lower levels and stepped up when friends found themselves temporarily without a ride.
In her last competition, Tiger helped Becca Huth complete her first Training level outing and finish first, to boot.
Tiger was euthanized in 2019 after a case of lymphoma progressed too far. She left behind a legacy. “She was selfless, smart, kind and incredibly huge of heart,” Gail said. “It was a privilege being her owner and she touched so many peoples’ lives. Her impact was far beyond me.”
Tankerbelle’s offspring were named after tanks, Gail relays. “The Tiger tank was considered the fiercest, the strongest and the most resilient. And that’s certainly what Tiger was.”
Happy Ambassador
Returning to the sport and Galway Downs after two years, Gail is thrilled with improvements made to the venue. Their ability to help more people enjoy the sport was obvious while she served as ambassador during the Championships.
“What facility manager and organizer Robert Kellerhouse and owner Ken Smith have done with the property and for visitors’ experience is really helping to elevate the sport. They are opening more opportunities for more people to be exposed to the sport, which is great.”
Approximately 400 new spectators came out to Galway Downs’ Bridle Brunches. Hopefully some get the eventing bug as badly as Gail did and follow her footsteps as devoted fans, participants and and/or volunteers.
