First, some backstory. Frankie built his 500th Equicizer in 2006. It was extra special for a couple of reasons. Frankie had just moved his Equicizer operation from his Long Island single car garage to a rented workshop in an effort to increase his manufacturing capabilities to meet the rising demand for Equicizers. Over the span of 17 years he had built around 400 Equicizers in his tiny garage while maintaining a full time career as a professional jockey and this specific Equicizer was one of close to 100 that he built in that first year of moving into the bigger space. In many ways, it represented the growth that was taking place within the business.
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| Triple Crown winning jockey, Mike Smith, visited Frankie's NY workshop in 2006 for an Equicizer photo shoot. Shown here aboard none other than #500. |
That aside, it was also Frankie's 500th Equicizer ever built, which was, in and of itself, a monumental milestone.
Due to the sentimental value, Frankie decided he would keep this Equicizer and use it as a demo model. Around this time Frankie moved his family and his business to his late wife, Sandy's, home town of Norwalk, Ohio. The 500th Equicizer came with them and shortly after accompanied them to PATH International's (the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) national conference.
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| Equicizer #500 was used as a demo during PATH International's national conference in 2006. |
Around that time Frankie received a call from the Jockey's Guild, a major organization dedicated to the representation of professional jockeys in Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. They were planning to hold a fundraiser and wanted an Equicizer there. What would be the possibility of purchasing one immediately? Absolutely none. Zero. Zilch. It just wasn't possible.
Frankie was back ordered as usual and even if he could have moved them up to the front of his building queue, he still wouldn't have been able to make a brand new Equicizer in time. Unless... he did have his 500th that was being used as a demo... after some internal conflict, Frankie made the decision to part ways with his 500th Equicizer. It was, after all, going to an undeniably good cause in the sport that had given him so much including the customer base that had launched his career as a business owner building Equicizers.
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| Current and past top jockeys from around the country gather around the Churchill Downs Equicizer (#500) for a photo. |
The decision was made, the fundraiser was held and Churchill Downs Racetrack came out on top as the winning bidder. Frankie and Sandy personally delivered the Equicizer to the Churchill Downs Jockeys' Room, up the escalator and all (how we would have loved some footage of that!).
"I remember building my 100th Equicizer in the early 90's, then my 200th in the mid 90's and finally approaching number 500," recalls Frankie. "These milestones meant a lot to me. Every horse I've ever made I've numbered so it was exciting for me knowing I would be getting close to the next milestone. My dream was to someday have a real workshop. To spread out, have all my work stations with other craftsmen working for me. I wanted to someday have an office and showroom where people could come see and try my horses.
At the time, that dream was out of reach, so I made do with what I had which was my little garage, then the workshop I rented and now my very own space right in my backyard here in Ohio. Looking back, I am very proud to have made all of that happen."
We have some awesome photos of recent Triple Crown winning jockeys - Victor Espinoza and Mike Smith - warming up on the Churchill Downs Equicizer prior to their Derby wins. Churchill Downs also uses their Equicizer for various public events at the racetrack.
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Triple Crown winning jockeys Mike Smith (left) and Victor Espinoza (right) warming up aboard the Churchill Downs Equicizer, #500. They both went on to win horse racing's Triple Crown in 2018 and 2015, respectively.
We recently received this video from Clerk of Scales Javier Torres, of jockey Jack Gilligan warming up on Equicizer #500 before a race at Churchill Downs... and it's still going strong.
We recently received this video from Clerk of Scales Javier Torres, of jockey Jack Gilligan warming up on Equicizer #500 before a race at Churchill Downs... and it's still going strong.
wonderful article to read.Thankyou
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