by Chris Lomon

When it comes to her love of standardbreds, Emma Lewis is unabashedly proud to show it.

For most of her 23 years, the woman from Moosup, CT, had, at most, a minimal knowledge of pacers and trotters.

That, however, all changed when Lewis, who has an extensive background in show horses, recently met Molly D’Agostino, the woman behind MMXX Standardbreds, an organization, founded in 2020, dedicated to creating a market for the equine athletes in the show ring.

“A friend introduced me to Molly and told me that she was looking for some standardbreds to be shown,” Lewis said. “I had never ridden one, but I was very interested in doing it.”

Home to several standardbreds, either permanently or seasonally taking part in events under saddle, MMXX helps racing connections with the retraining of their horses for sale in a second career.

All transactions are done off-track, with MMXX acting as the liaison between racehorse connections and potential pleasure homes.

Lewis quickly discovered something she hadn’t anticipated.

“The standardbreds are easy to fall in love with,” she said. “I didn’t expect them to be as quiet, mentally, and as nice as they are. They are very easy to work with and get along with. They don’t have a mean bone in their body.”

What they do possess, however, is adaptability.

“Some racehorses are known for being high strung, but the standardbreds aren’t that way,” Lewis said. “When I first started riding them, we taught them what they needed to know to become horses that can take on higher-quality quarter horses and thoroughbreds.”

Just like they do at the National Standardbred Show.

Held in late summer in New Jersey for almost 30 years, the show is presented jointly by the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey (SPHO-NJ), the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOA-NJ) and the United States Trotting Association (USTA).

Standardbreds from throughout the United States come to compete in over 40 classes that are open only to the breed.

“The standardbreds come along very fast and pick up things quickly and easily,” Lewis said. “We have brought them into the show ring, and they do amazing. After the first couple of classes, they are winning. They hold their own.”

Lewis holds her head high in those moments.

Working with horses who come to MMXX Standardbreds has become a bona fide labor of love.

“Molly is amazing to work with,” Lewis said. “She is nice, easy to get along with, and very supportive. She wants to do the best for the breed and that’s what made me want to continue riding them.

“I am so grateful that she introduced me to standardbreds.”

Not surprisingly, Lewis has developed close bonds with several horses in her time with MMXX.

Two, in particular, come to mind, although she expects that number to rise significantly in the coming weeks and months.

“Seamus is coming along,” she said. “He had a hard start to life, but he is coming along well and it’s great to see. Other people are able to ride him and you can see how he is flourishing.

“We also have a pacer, Go Daddy Go [a 12-year-old chestnut son of Ponder, who made 94 starts and earned $632,413}. Every time someone walks over, he is ecstatic. He loves attention. He gets me every time. I love seeing him each day.”

From what she has seen and heard during her show ring experiences with standardbreds, Lewis expects more people will start to recognize the talents and temperament the breed possesses beyond the racetrack.

“I have a lot of people coming up and asking where we got the horses, or how they can adopt one, or if we can take one and help rehome them,” she said.

The MMXX adoption program, launched in the fall of 2023, has helped place over 100 horses to date.

Lewis wants to see that number continue to grow.

“Short term, I would like to help find as many homes as I can for them,” Lewis said. “Long term, I would like to work to make standardbreds high-quality show horses.

“I believe they can be, and they have shown they have the talent to do it.”

This chapter of her horse life has been eye-opening, to say the least.

“I came from the world where there were no standardbreds competing in the show ring,” Lewis said. “I was in the Hunter and Jumper side of things, so I never saw the standardbreds shown or interacted with them. It is nice to see that people care about them and realize there is a whole other world for these beautiful horses.

“The work they do under saddle from what they do on the racetrack is so different. They have to learn to use their bodies in a totally different way and learn to do things in a completely new way from what they are used to. But they are very willing to learn.”

Perhaps the highest praise Lewis bestows upon the breed is in how she regards them in relation to their contemporaries.

“These horses are a lot different from what I have known, but that is a big compliment to them,” she said.

As it is to Lewis, who, when she isn’t performing in the show ring, is helping D’Agostino around the barns, dutifully working to ensure standardbreds find a new calling, whether in the arena, grassy field, or on a peaceful trail.

It is a world she had at one time never envisioned but is grateful to have discovered.

“I go look at horses with Molly, whether it is for showing or people that need help so that they can enjoy their standardbreds,” Lewis said. “Once you are around these beautiful animals, you can’t help but develop a great respect and admiration for them.

“There is something so special about them, their spirit, kindness, and beauty. They truly are one-of-a-kind animals.”

Something that Emma Lewis has happily found out.