I have been watching the Belmont reruns on ESPN Classic and wonder whatever happened to Cavonnier who bowed in the 1996(?) Belmont. Did he get a second career or end up on someone’s dinner plate?
He came back and raced (and won) at Santa Anita.
Is this his record? Last race 2000.
http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=1398194®istry=T
[QUOTE=imissvixen;7022266]
I have been watching the Belmont reruns on ESPN Classic and wonder whatever happened to Cavonnier who bowed in the 1996(?) Belmont. Did he get a second career or end up on someone’s dinner plate?[/QUOTE]
:rolleyes: Because God knows those are the only options for a racehorse.
Last owner of record was the Robert H. Walter Family Trust, who were his owners in the Derby so they kept him. Last time that owner raced a horse was 2010. He finished fourth at Golden Gate Fields in the 2000 Silky Sullivan Handicap, decent considering he was spotting the next nearest weighted horse two pounds (and gave the horse who finished third eight pounds.)
He lived on the owner’s farm in retirement
3 Likes
[QUOTE=keepthelegend;7022854]
He lived on the owner’s farm in retirement[/QUOTE]
That’s what I was wondering. I am glad to hear it especially since he was a gelding.
1 Like
They had a big winery. I can’t think of the name but that’s where he lived/lives. There’s a race named after him at…Pleasanton? And he led the post parade for that for many years.
1 Like
I have a Robert H. Walter bred horse… by Robannier. The farm was Vine Hill Ranch in Santa Rosa. Robert Walter died in 2003. Barbara Walter just died this past year in November. She was not well according to reports and had started dispersing stock back in 2009. In an article I found, it talked about Cavonnier being retired on their farm, and acting as baby sitter for all the young colts/geldings in the pasture. At one time they had their own galloping track… as well as the water treadmill they put in place for Cavonnier to bring him back. I believe when Mrs. Walters died last year, he was sent to one of the TB retirement facilities in N. California to live out his days.
1 Like
My dad and his business partner briefly owned Cavonnier around 2013-2014, when they purchased the 63 acre property in Sebastopol, California, where Robert Walter used to live.
Cavonnier was still living on the property at the time, with one of the first equestrian aquatic treadmills ever (which was specifically built to rehab Cavonnier after he came up lame during a race). This treadmill was mentioned in one of the previous comments, and is was down at the bottom of the hill next to the barn.
The 63 acre property with Robert Walter’s 7,200 sqft house on it (basically the whole top of the hill), was all that was left of a former 800 acre Vine Hill Ranch thoroughbred horse breeding facility, with all of the other land having previously been sold off to Kosta Browne, Sonoma Cutrer and other wine producers.
Since the property was purchased to plant a vineyard, they were able to contact Cavonnier’s trainer, and gifted Cavonnier to him. I wish I could tell you where they took him…
The new vineyard “Winners Circle Vineyard” was named in honor of Cavonnier’s racing history has 33 acres of grapes planted (90% Pinot & 10% Chardonnay). The vineyard and Robert Walter’s house were sold last year, and last I knew you could rent Robert Walter’s house as a vacation rental through the Inspirato vacation rental program.
13 Likes
I wonder where the trainer placed him.
His trainer was Robert L. McAnally who trained John Henry among many others. He is 92 years old.
Horse racing: Like John Henry, trainer Ron McAnally endures – San Gabriel Valley Tribune
