Retired Queensland racehorse powering Extreme World Championship dream

By Andrew Smith

Maryborough in the Wide Bay Burnett region is a long way from the small town of Glen Rose, USA.

But for Tiani Cook, the upcoming journey from Queensland to Texas has been made all the more smoother by a retired Sunshine State racehorse.

The horsewoman will head to the Lone Star State early next month after qualifying for the 2026 Extreme Cowboy Association World Championship.

It was former galloper Vitthal who helped Cook qualify for the world stage, with the thoroughbred excelling in the Extreme Cowboy Racing arena since retiring from the racetrack in May of last year.

The gelding kicked off his racing career in 2023 with the Tony and Maddy Sears stable in Toowoomba.

Moving to the Amy Wilson stable in Bundaberg, Vitthal raced 18 times around the Queensland provincial circuit before being retired.

Cook explained how her previous meeting with Wilson – who is now a Queensland Off-The-Track Acknowledged Retrainer - through showjumping lead to her bringing Vitthal home to her property, which sits between Gin Gin and Mount Perry.

“She'd advertised Vitthal on Facebook, but it was my sister-in-law who actually spotted him and let me know about him,” Cook said.

“I went and had a look at him, but thought he’s probably not going to be sound enough for me as he had a bad injury as a yearling. 

"He had also previously broken his wither, and he had a bit of a banged-up back leg too.

“But then I took him for the day and ended up heading to my Mum and Dad’s place – it was the first time I'd ever ridden him and he was just beautiful.

“He listened to me, and within about 15 minutes I had him taking a few steps backwards, he was flexing through the poll and along his neck and dropping his head for me.

“I completely fell in love with him, he had the most adorable temperament, and I rang Amy and said, ‘I'm not coming back, Amy - he's going to his new home’ and the rest is history.”

Retired racehorses are often retrained for showjumping, dressage or eventing, but Cook had Extreme Cowboy Racing in mind for Vitthal.

The discipline been steadily growing in popularity around the world in recent years.

Both horse and rider take on a series of 13 obstacles during competition, including water and ditch crossings, barrel patterns and cowboy curtains, along with lassoing or dragging objects.

Competitors are judged on a combination of horsemanship, technique, and speed, competing in a loud, party-like environment with cheering crowds and music.

Far from being intimidated in the new arena, Cook said Vitthal had taken to the discipline like a duck to water, winning several titles including the Green Horse Buckle at this year’s EXCA Queensland State Championships.

“You typically don't think of thoroughbreds as being a horse that would excel in this sport, but he definitely has,” Cook said.

“He was very brave right from the start, and his development has been nothing short of remarkable…he’s shown exceptional heart, bravery and trainability.

“We've been in maybe one competition where he hasn't placed, he has just been smashing it.

“We went to the OTT Championship Extreme Cowboy Racing Fraser Coast Show, and he won that, which was so exciting.

“We've had a couple of competitions since then, and he's always either got champion or reserve champion.

“He’s such a fantastic advocate for off-the-tracks in this particular discipline, which is not something you think of for this discipline when you think about a thoroughbred.”

It was Vitthal’s winning start to the sport that saw Cook earn enough points to qualify for this year’s World Championship.

The 51-year-old is the granddaughter of legendary Northern Territory cattleman and racehorse trainer Bob Savage.

Before heading to Texas, Cook will fly into Kentucky along with fellow Queensland horsewoman Deb McGhee.

The duo will lease horses off last year’s EXCA World Pro Champion winner Lee Hart and his wife Laura for the World Championship at Glen Rose, which sits just outside Dallas.

They will have two weeks to build a relationship with their mounts ahead of the competition which starts on October 27, but Cook is revelling in the challenge that comes with competing on the world stage.

“I feel like I'm giving myself a good opportunity…we're getting over there a few weeks early and the person who's leasing me a horse knows my riding style, so I think all of the stars are aligning,” Cook said.

“I’ll build the trust and partnership with that horse, and then I just need to perform on the day basically.

“Being from the Northern Territory as well, you’ve got a limited population of people there, so I'm going to be most interested in the fact there’s going to be people everywhere.

“I'm going over there to do my very best - I do want to finish in the top five, that's my personal goal, and if I come home with the buckle, that will be brilliant.”

Regardless of the result, Cook is already looking ahead to taking on the 2027 EXCA Australian Nationals in Maryborough with Vitthal.

The horsewoman is keen to continue to develop the thoroughbred’s skills and participation in the Extreme Cowboy Racing arena, while also attracting more talented retired racehorses to the sport.

“I'm just going to keep training him and keep him moving forward - like I said he's such a great advocate for thoroughbreds,” Cook said.

“I am looking at joining the QOTT Acknowledged Retrainers Program, because so many people come to me and ask where they can find a good horse.

“I’m thinking we've got these beautiful thoroughbreds that could have an incredible future in Extreme Cowboy Racing.

“I'm the perfect conduit because people are coming to me already, and if I can support that, it just seems like a natural pathway.”