Theresa Brown had the guts to create something horses could stomach

by Victoria Howard

Although Theresa Brown’s family was not involved in harness racing, she grew up near a training farm, and her deep love for animals has been constant throughout her life.

It started when she was in high school. She met and dated a dairy farmer and visited the farm every day helping to care for the calves and cows.

“I was born in Lapeer, MI, approximately 30 minutes from Sports Creek Raceway,” Brown said. “Up until that time, I’d never been around racehorses, but when I started dating a dairy farmer, that was the first time I saw a horse attached to a cart going around a circle in the middle of the bean field.

“I soon discovered these horses were called standardbreds and from that day on I was hooked. It may sound silly, but at that time I knew nothing about horses or racehorses. The trainer who was stabled at the facility was Mike Sweeney. Along with his wife Patty, they operated a small racing stable. Throughout the summer Mike offered me a job as a stall cleaner.”

At first, Brown declined Sweeney’s offer until one day, she didn’t, and the rest is history.

“I still remember my first day working as a groom — I hooked the lines to the halter instead of the bit,” Brown said with a laugh. “I was immediately demoted back to stall cleaner, but was persistent and given another chance to prove I wasn’t some dummy. I just needed someone to teach me.

“I believe we need more of this in our business — for trainers to take time to educate someone who is interested in becoming involved in the sport.”

Since then, Brown has been a groom and an owner of standardbreds.

“Currently, I own two horses: Barley A Lie — an active racehorse who is trained by my partner of eight years, Randy Ehrhardt, and Journeyman, a retiree who has a safe, loving home for the rest of his life. Journeyman is now retired at Full Send Farm, run by Isabella Knecht who does a wonderful job retraining standardbreds.

“I’ve also joined a partnership that is currently in the process of purchasing yearlings — the number of horses isn’t official yet, but it will be a group of between five to 10 yearlings for the 2027 racing season. I would love to own more aged horses, but the meet at Scioto Downs hasn’t been the kindest to the claiming side of the business, but hopefully I will expand my stable once the meet at Dayton resumes.”

What trainers have you worked for and where do your horses race?

“I’ve worked for Mike and Patty Sweeney, Peter and Melanie Wrenn, Kris Hinchcliff, Celebrity Farms, Ned Hodkinson, Steve Oldford, Bucky Goldschmidt, Jarold Hawks, Virgil Morgan, Ron Burke, and the entire group of amateur racing pals from Michigan. I love them all to pieces.

“I race my horses mainly in Ohio at the parimutuel tracks, but I’ve spent time all over the country and in Canada. One of my goals is to own horses in all jurisdictions.”

Besides owning and working with your horses, in what other ways are you involved in the sport?

“I co-own a supplement business called Great Gut total stomach supplement. It all started with a few conversations I had with a friend. After we vented and discussed ideas, we came up with an idea — a recipe used in the past that a veterinarian shared, and how to make an affordable product that actually helps the animal, and horsemen would feel comfortable using.”

What made you think of inventing a product like this?

“At one time I had a horse who was underperforming. Originally, I thought he had a stomach problem, and I didn’t know what to do. The owner of the horse was cutting costs and didn’t want to spend money on medications.

“I was extremely upset, so for the sake of the horse, and every other horse out there whose owner thinks is not worth buying medication for, I went to the drawing board. I’m not talking bad about anyone because I know how expensive it can be, but when you own a horse, you must provide the necessary care to obtain a stellar performance.

“Horses deserve to be happy, healthy, and look and feel good. It’s our job to do the best we can possibly do to help them. We purchase, breed, and raise them to do the things we ask and are responsible for their well-being. People need to realize horses are not machines — they are living, breathing creatures.”

So how did you bring the idea to realization?

“Prior to starting this business, I was in a bad place. I had horses I loved but was not taken seriously by others. I felt undervalued and mistreated so I called my friend [my business partner today] asking, ‘What can be done for these animals?’ How can I work for myself and make the decisions and feel fulfilled? “Can I provide for my family and do something I would be proud to tell my daughter about? The simple ideas led to more challenging ones, so I decided to leave my job, and it was the best decision I ever made. For months my partner and I brainstormed, contacting friends to sample the product. We searched for a business location, researched the rules and regulations for supplements and fine-tuned the recipe.

“We connected with suppliers and worked closely with customers, listening to their feedback. We had before and after photos taken of the horses and watched the races every night to see if the horses using our brand showed improvement. We truly wanted this product to be something that would speak for itself. To see if it genuinely helped the horse at a price owners and trainers were happy with, while helping to give the horse the proper care needed.

“I am pleased with the final results, and the next step is to take it international. The filing and application process has been done, and we are starting to send our product overseas.”

Besides your new business and caring for your horses, is there anything else you do?

“Well, presently I care for a small group of horses for Virgil Morgan, Jr. It may not make sense to some people because my plate is full, but to me it’s not about the paycheck. It’s about having a group of horses that I get to spoil and love until I can build my own stable back up.

“I am also the proud mother of a 7-year-old daughter named Melody, and 16-year-old step-on, Jordan. Melody ended up with her name since music has always been so large in my life.

“I had the chance to name a few horses, so I added the music part in. One was named Cream [a Wu-Tang song], and Ohohoh Im Fire [Bruce Springsteen]. If I ever have free time, I enjoy going to concerts and music festivals.

“Harness racing has been good to me and introduced me to many great people. I hope to give back through my product.”

Is there anyone in particular you would like to thank?

“I am forever thankful for the Sweeney’s and Allison Hill a coworker from my table in that stable. They taught me so much about caring for the horse, jogging, training, shipping and racing.”

What female in the sport do you most admire?

“As far as a female I admire the most, it would be Melanie Wrenn. She is such a strong woman who can do it all. She can be a wife, mother, and now grandmother and still manages to hold the home together. If I can be half the woman Melanie Wrenn is that would be something to be proud of.”