OUR MIMS RETIREMENT HAVEN

By: Tom Ferry

In 1977, she sat atop the horse racing world as America’s Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Twenty years later, she was more or less forgotten and spent her days in a field with cows on a Kentucky farm. One woman never forgot her, however, and when their paths crossed on an afternoon in 1998, everything changed forever.

When she was 17 years old, Jeanne Mirabito sat at home with her family on a Saturday afternoon in July and watched Calumet Farm’s champion Our Mims win 1977’s prestigious Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). At the conclusion of the race, Jeanne exclaimed out loud, “I will own that horse someday!”

And so began the story of a promise made — and a promise kept.

During her four-year-old season, Our Mims fractured a cannon bone in her right leg during morning workouts at Saratoga and was retired to Calumet Farm’s broodmare band. In the following 12 years, she bore 11 foals. By 1990, however, Calumet had fallen into financial straits and sold the 13 year old mare in November at Keeneland’s dispersal sale for $190,000. Attempts to breed her in subsequent years were futile and by 1995 she was barren at age 21. Three years later, she ended up at a small farm in Paris, Kentucky.

That same year, Jeanne Mirabito was married with a family and would periodically take on extra jobs to help support her own horses. The Mirabitos rented a home on a farm and its owner soon hired Jeanne. One morning, she and a co-worker were walking through a pasture to retrieve a mare. Another mare walked up to the two of them and tried to kick Jeanne’s head off. Mirabito ducked and the mare connected with a fence post and split it. The mare targeted her anger towards Jeanne and stood over her snorting and pounding her hooves into the ground. When she asked her co-worker who this was, he replied, “That’s Our Mims.”

An astonished Jeanne Mirabito found the equine idol of her teenage years was not only angry, but also existing without care from a vet or farrier. Jeanne began to visit the mare each day at lunchtime. She brought Our Mims grain and sat and watched her as she ate her own lunch. Over time, a mutual trust and affection was established. Our Mims began to allow Jeanne to groom her and would meet her at the gate each day. With the help of the Thoroughbred adoption organization ReRun, Jeanne acquired a 26 year old Our Mims in 2000. She and husband Pete found an old tobacco barn and converted it into a facility suitable for horses with nine spacious stalls.

Our Mims died in 2003, but her legacy had been established and Jeanne pushed on to ensure other older and sometimes unwanted mares would receive love, devotion and care once their broodmare careers came to an end. This led to the creation of Our Mims Retirement Haven in 2004 in tribute to the late champion. The Haven’s creed is “specializing in restoring health and spirit in aged mares.” The residents are known as “The Ladies” and when a lady arrives at the Haven, she is there for the rest of her life. And when she dies, she is laid to rest in the cemetery on the grounds.

The Haven achieved non-profit status in the Spring of 2007 and in the years that have passed, more than three dozen horses have lived at Our Mims. Today, there is a considerable waiting list managed on a first-come, first-served basis. There have been several ladies who have been familiar names in the horse racing world. They include graded stakes champions Hope of Glory, Lotka and Our Mims’ half-sister, Sugar and Spice.

Many residents, however, have not come from prominent backgrounds. In August of 2014, Jeanne found and rescued a “walking skeleton” known as Jo Jo’s Gypsy amid a herd of 44 other abandoned horses in the woods of Kentucky. Through love and care from Jeanne and her then six-year-old granddaughter Kaylee, Jo Jo recovered and today is happy and doing well at age 14. Another “lady”, Blue Viking, started only three times in maiden claiming races with total earnings of $1,825, yet came to the Haven and became boss mare of the herd. She died in July of 2019 at age 33 after a life well-lived. A mare’s popularity makes no difference whatsoever at Our Mims, where all horses are treated with love and respect.

In October of 2011, the tranquil collection of mares was suddenly disrupted by a member of the male species. And not just any male, but rather the grandson of Our Mims — 1997 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) Champion, Elmhurst.

The gelding was originally retired to a California riding school, but often went unused due to a temperamental attitude. Since coming to Our Mims, Elmhurst has brought a colorful personality, a rambunctious spirit and a loving heart to the Haven and the ladies. Often called “The Man in Black” or “The King”, Elmhurst has multiple girlfriends at any one time and the back wall of his stall notes a running inventory of the door latches he has broken (25+) and blankets he has destroyed (six, and counting...).

Fans have traveled to the Haven from all 50 states and 26 countries around the world. Today, Our Mims’ mares, Elmhurst and a miniature horse enjoy 42 acres of turnout pasture and 10 stalls within the current facility. A goal of 22 stalls has been set for a new barn, which will be constructed in coming years. Visitors are welcome to come out and tour the farm as long as an appointment is made in advance.

While each tour provides visitors the opportunity to interact with the horses and see their personalities up close and personal, a walk through the cemetery is a sentimental journey through the Haven’s legacy. Most of the Haven’s past residents are buried at the farm — each grave is marked with a stone and a plaque that remembers a time, a place and a horse. And, each name is part of a promise made by a teenage girl so many years ago.

(Note: For information on how you can help, donate, or volunteer, please go to www.OurMims.org)