Tecumseh’s War: A Gentle Soul at the Perfect Time
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As she pulled into the sprawling property – home to nearly 60 retired Thoroughbreds – Brianna George found herself at an emotional crossroads.
Throughout the drive to the 100-acre LongRun facility in Hillsburgh, Ontario, George, who was traveling with her mother, couldn’t shake a recurring thought.
“I owned an off-track Thoroughbred for 20 years and I lost him in February of 2024. The one thing I was worried about was whether I was moving on too quickly. My horse had just passed – I had grown up with him and got him when I was 13 – so I was a little bit hesitant. He was a big part of my life.”
A conversation soon opened the door to the possibility of finding another horse.
“The lady at the farm I was boarding him at has a horse through LongRun,” said George. “She told me about their adoption program, and I reached out to them, thinking it would take some time to find a horse who could be placed with me.”
Days later, George opened her laptop to find an email from LongRun, one of the most respected horse retirement and adoption organizations, established in 1999.
“They messaged me back within the week after I had sent in the application. They felt they had a horse who would be a very good fit for myself and my family.”
That horse was Tecumseh’s War.
Donated by Angelo and James Freda of Ilium Stables in Connecticut, Tecumseh’s War had one lifetime win – his debut on October 2, 2019, at Indiana Downs – along with $122,923 in career earnings from 15 starts.
The most notable highlight of his career came when the striking son of Summer Front out of the Badge of Silver mare J’s Hot Shot Lady finished fourth in the 2020 Queen’s Plate under the tutelage of multiple graded stakes winning conditioner Catherine Day Phillips.
His final race, a third-place finish, came on June 18, 2023.
George knew none of this the day she visited LongRun.
When she walked out to the field to meet Tecumseh’s War for the first time, she was still grappling with uncertainty.
But that changed in a matter of seconds.
“I went to go see him and that was that – I knew he had to come home with me. It was absolutely love at first sight. He was very gentle and kind. He was across the field when we got there and when they called out to him, he pricked his ears forward and came over. He had this reaction of, ‘Oh, look… people!’ They led him over and he walked over very quietly. He stood to be groomed and seemed to enjoy it. He just wanted to see us.”
The drive home felt entirely different from the one earlier that day.
“My mom said, ‘What are your thoughts?’ I told her she probably knew what they were.”
Another thought crept in, one George told herself was unlikely.
“The signs were all pointing to this being the right thing – to adopt him and bring him into our family. I’m not sure if I believe in this stuff, but I wondered if my horse had sent him to me. He seemed so much like him. They don’t look anything alike, but their personalities are very much the same.”
George was emotional watching the trailer pull into the farm – the same one her beloved horse had called home.
“The moment he arrived, I remember thinking, ‘I needed this.’ He filled that void more than I ever thought he could. I was thrilled before he came home, but once he did, it was confirmed.”
Tecumseh’s War, now known as Moe, has been with George since March of 2024.
Their bond continues to deepen.
“It has been wonderful. The first year, I didn’t do much with him. We just doted on him, but we felt he needed some downtime. I have just recently moved him into a farm that has an indoor arena, so I am able to ride him a bit more. He has been fantastic. Around the third or fourth time I sat on him, I told the farm owner it feels as though he has been doing this Hunter thing his whole life. He’s a really good boy.”
George’s children, Kylie, 5, and Frankie, 3, have also formed a close connection with Moe – helped along by the joy of giving treats.
“He got to know, very quickly, that the little humans bring him treats all the time. Every time he would see them, they got his attention. He was probably thinking, ‘You cut me off after one or two treats, but these ones don’t.’”
Visits to the barn almost always include the kids.
“I don’t really get to the barn unless the kids are in tow with me. It’s wonderful to see how they interact with each other. I was that horse-crazy girl growing up and now I see that same thing in my son and daughter now. They love him.”
So much so that each child now has their own horse-care kit.
“I had to go buy them their own brushes. So, Kylie has her pick brush bucket and Frankie has his blue brush bucket. They each pick a side and brush him.”
George’s mother has found the perfect recipe, literally, to contribute to Moe’s happiness.
“My mom makes cookies, all decorated and fancy. I have her switched over to making a cookie recipe for horses. Moe loves them, so she is making him a batch of his own decorative Christmas cookies.”
Holiday traditions have carried over from George’s first horse as well.
“Every Christmas morning, I would do bran mashes for my horse. So, I have been doing that with Moe the past couple years. The Royal Winter Fair just finished up, so I picked him up a few knick-knacks from there. So, yes, Moe is spoiled.”
And unquestionably loved.
For George, horses have always been a grounding force.
“In my teenage years, horses are what kept me out of trouble growing up. All my friends would go to a party on the weekend, and I would be out riding my horse. It always made me happy.”
It still does.
George is grateful for the efforts of LongRun and its raison d'être.
“I love what LongRun stands for. I was talking to Lauren (farm manager, Millet) at LongRun and she was very honest about which horse would be a good fit. She is very committed to doing what is right for the horse, which I totally appreciate. It was very transparent that they take great care of the horses. The horses are all very relaxed, content and happy. If I have any questions, they get back to me right away.”
“LongRun is so grateful to have the support of caring owners like the Fredas and loving adopters like Brianna who afford our wonderful equine athletes like Tecumseh’s War the happy and dignified retirement from racing they deserve,” said LongRun chairperson and founding member Vicki Pappas.
The organization also put George in touch with Angelo and James Freda.
“The whole thing has been a great experience," said George. "LongRun reached out after the adoption was finalized. They sent an email out to Moe’s previous owners. They put us in touch, and we have been contacting one another, back and forth, which has been amazing. It was nice that LongRun did that for me. His owners said he was the horse who got them started in racing, so he is special to them.”
And to the person who struggled with the thought of it being too soon to bring a horse back into her life.
Her drives to the barn – just 10 minutes from home – are happy ones.
“I am so excited to see him. I don’t even have to call his name when I get there. As soon as he sees us, he comes to the gate.”
It is during those times when George reflects on the life-changing impact of her beloved horse.
“He is never going anywhere. He is part of our family, and he always will be.”
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
