I purchased Jack in 2000 after he retired from racing. He was quite a handful in those early days and I didn't really get on with him, but we managed to get around a number of training rides before Jack suddenly went very lame in training one day. Xrays showed he had an old bone chip in his near side hock - it had been there since he was a yearling and had just floated around inside the joint all these years, but was now causing problems. I had to face making a decision between paying for a very expensive operation that had a very doubtful prognosis,or putting him down. I chose the former, despite our rocky relationship.

The operation was expertly performed by Dr Geoff Hazard at The Equine Centre at Werribee, and recovery was slow but uncomplicated. After a full recovery, Jack was later purchased by Glen Kennedy and the pair successfully completed a good number of training rides, before completing their first 80km ride at Stockyard Hill in 2005.

Injury and illness then struck Glen, so Jack returned to the paddock for another long spell. It was only after my other endurance mare Lady was injured in the run up to our Quilty bid in 2006 that Jack was pulled out of the paddock and offered to me as a replacement horse to ride. This resulted in a fairytale story of an unexpected rapid qualification to open endurance status and a Quilty success only 10 weeks later - the full story is in Jack's Quilty Adventure.

Jo Brock, Victoria

My Friend Jack and Glen Kennedy Grampains Endurance Ride, February 2004 Photo: Main Event Photography	My Friend Jack and Jo Brock Cobaw Canter Endurance Ride, Aug 2004 Photo: Derek O'Leary