Hi, I'm Sarah! This blog combines two of my favorite hobbies - horseback riding and cooking.
I grew up in Charleston, SC and now live near Annapolis, MD. I started food blogging because my friends were always asking me to share recipes for things I made. Cooking for others is one of my favorite activities. I'm pretty sure I get that from my Grandma who loves cooking and sharing what she makes with everyone. “Eat! EAT!!!” is something she shouts often. Even if you say you’re full, she’s always asking, “Are you sure you don’t want something to knabbern on?” (She’s German, so there is also often a mix of German and English going on.) I think last time I visited her, we ate 3 or 4 times over the course of a few hours.
All recipes on this website are human-created, tested, and refined before posting. I do not use AI to generate recipes or photos.
The Horses
All of my horses are former racehorses, also known as off track thoroughbreds (OTTBs). Most racehorses go to new homes to start second careers when they retire from racing. The first name for each horse below is their Jockey Club name, which is their racing name. I also show them under their Jockey Club names. The name in parentheses is their barn name, which if like a nickname or everyday name.
Lure of the South (Cosmo)
Cosmo is the horse you see in my blog's logo. He was born in 2009 and retired from racing at 9. He raced 79 times with 9 wins and retired from racing in 2018. He competed in the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover with his previous owner in dressage and show hunters. He also did eventing with his previous owner.
Cosmo is extremely athletic and smart, but doesn't love to use his talents for the competition lifestyle. He gets stressed easily, so I try to give him a low-stress lifestyle. We do primarily trail riding, but we'll also occasionally pop over some jumps and compete in trail obstacle challenges since he enjoys those activities, too.
Magic Train (Mikey)
Mikey was born in 2017 and retired from racing at 4. He raced 14 times and won once, though the one win was pretty impressive. He retired from racing in October 2021.
We were accepted to compete in the 2022 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover in dressage and competitive trail. We made it to check-in at the TB Makeover but ended up having to withdraw because he had a puncture wound that got infected. It was still a great experience for both of us to be at the Kentucky Horse Park during the show, and we had access to some top-notch vet care down there!
Mikey is often easygoing, but also has a bit of a sassy personality. I always joke that he's a Shetland pony stuck in a Thoroughbred's body.
Mikey's first few years off the track have focused a lot on dressage as he learns how to use his body parts correctly, and we also jump. We competed in Thoroughbred Incentive Program championships for dressage in 2023. Camp Windurra with Boyd Martin, Silva Martin, and Anna Buffini was the highlight of our 2024! Now that he's figured out how to use his body parts correctly, we've transitioned to started low-level eventing, but we still do a good bit of dressage and have some USDF goals for the near future.
Feliciano (Felix)
Felix is the baby of the group. He was born in 2018 and retired from racing at 5. He raced 4 times and had a case of the slows. His last race was in 2022, and he retired from racing in 2023.
We competed at the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover in dressage and competitive trail. He handled the electric environment of Makeover week like a total pro. He's typically quite the chill dude, though he does have some green baby moments where the circus music in his head gets quite loud. It's typically pretty easy to regain his attention, though.
Felix does a little bit of everything, but we've mainly been focused on eventing. He has a goofy personality and is very interactive. He's naturally curious and likes to investigate things many other horses might think are spooky. He made so much progress with his training in 2024, but we had a setback in 2025 when he was diagnosed with EPM. For non-horse folks, that's a neurological condition caused by a parasite from consuming something contaminated with possum feces. He responded well to treatment, and we spent most of 2025 trail riding to rebuild his strength. We're back to arena work now, so hopefully we'll be back in the show ring in 2026.
