Jesper Barrett is heading to Equimillion 2026 with three off‑the‑track thoroughbreds and a perspective few competitors share. As a trackwork rider and stable hand, Barrett works with racehorses every day, then heads home to train his own team of retired thoroughbreds.
Photo: Ash Morton Creative
For Jesper, Equimillion is more than a competition.
“Because I work in the racing industry, I’m able to see these racehorses come from the track and turn into performance horses and compete at this event. It’s a cool experience,” Barrett said.
“All the hard work they put in, it really pays off to see such great success for the thoroughbreds, and especially in the success that I’ve had with my own team of horses,” he said.
Jesper’s connection to the breed runs deep. Each morning he’s awake before dawn, heading to the track to ride fast work for trainer Todd Howlett. His job is hands‑on and relentless.
Once his stable duties are finished, he’ll ride anywhere from four to ten racehorses a day.
“I definitely love the thoroughbreds,” he said. “I work there in the mornings and I go to a racetrack and I do fastwork, and then I come home and ride four more of my own.
“Just working day in and day out, I just love the breed and just love the capability and space to learn and take in new information,” he said.
Jesper’s daily immersion in the racing world combined with a strong equestrian lineage - his parents, Craig and Prue Barrett, are leading coaches and former Australian representatives, while his older brother Oliver recently represented Australia at the FEI World Equestrian Championships - gives him a natural edge as he develops retired thoroughbreds in their second careers.
His Equimillion 2026 team includes Ballyhoo, Satodaze and Twenty Four Guns – each at a different stage of their off‑the‑track journey.
Ballyhoo, the 2024 junior dressage champion, returns after an 18‑month break. Barrett hopes to “pull out a great test” and replicate past success.
Satodaze, a careful jumper and bold cross‑country horse, is entered in the one‑star eventing class. “If I can get a good score in the dressage, we’ll be good to go from there,” Barrett said.
Then there’s Twenty Four Guns, competing in show jumping in what will be his first ever outing.
Barrett’s goal is simple: “Hopefully he can keep a cool head and everything stays calm and he just produces a nice, clear show jump round.”
With several off‑the‑track thoroughbreds in work, Barrett is acutely aware of how critical nutrition is during the transition from racing to equestrian sport.
“When they are racehorses, they get fed quite a lot of feed,” he explains. “So, when we bring them off the track, we’ve got to establish their diet so that they don’t lose too much condition, and that they stay healthy.”
Jesper uses Pryde’s EasiFeed products across his team.
“We use a lot of the Pryde’s products in what we do. Mostly, the off‑the‑track thoroughbreds go straight onto the Easi Off-the-track and some of them go onto EasiSport as well. We find that really helps them fill out and keep their condition… even put on a fair bit of weight.”
That nutritional support continues right through to competition.
For riders considering an off‑the‑track thoroughbred, Barrett’s advice is simple: patience and basics.
“When you get them off the track… you’ve just got to give them time to adjust to their new environment,” he said.
“They’re smart animals, they’re quick to learn.”
His approach is slow, steady and structured.
“Just walk, trot, canter around your arena or paddock… make sure they don’t get overwhelmed or overstimulated. Take it day by day, slowly, gradually increasing the workload until you can feel that you can start to produce more from them.”
With a long‑standing commitment to supporting horses through quality nutrition, Pryde’s EasiFeed provides a range of feeds designed to support horses across all stages of their lives and disciplines. As the Official Feed Partner of Equimillion 2026, Pryde’s is on site throughout the weekend, with our Nutrition Team available to offer tailored advice, practical guidance and product support. Riders and spectators are encouraged to visit the Pryde’s team to learn more about setting Thoroughbreds up for success in their second careers.