05/08/2026
Magna Fortuna "Taxi" 2010-2026
I've been struggling a bit with posting the very sad news that our Miracle boy, Taxi, passed away earlier this year, just shy of his 16th birthday, which would have been tax day 4/15. I'm still in disbelief that this incredibly precocious, charismatic, athletic, and sweet horse is no longer with us.
For those of you who aren't aware of Taxi's story, the ILEHC rescued Taxi before he was even born. I had traveled to the notorious and horrible Shipshewana IN livestock auction to investigate the suspicions that Thoroughbreds from Illinois racetracks were being sold to slaughter there. Whilst sorting through the pen of panicked "loose" horses, I found a Thoroughbred mare that was terrified, lame, and obviously in need of rescue. We purchased that mare from the kill buyer that day for $300 if only to spare her a long and painful journey to a Canadian slaughterhouse. The plan was to get her home, have her lameness evaluated, and if she couldn't be made comfortable, we would help her pass with love and kindness. At this point we were unable to determine who she was via her lip tattoo, so we named her Lulu.
Fast forward a couple of months, with great farrier and veterinary care, we were able to address Lulu's lameness and make her mostly pain-free. Meanwhile , during this time Lulu gained weight and in fact appeared to gain a LOT of weight, so we decided we ought to check to see if she was in foal even though it would be incredibly rare to find a pregnant Thoroughbred mare in an auction kill pen. Good thing we checked, because Lulu was indeed in foal!
Fast forward some months, and on April 15, 2010 our Taxi was born and what a striking young c**t he was! WOW!! As Taxi grew a few weeks old, it was immediately apparent that he was a special individual. His conformation and ease of movement indicated to us early on that he was likely of great bloodlines, thus I renewed my efforts to properly identify his mother and learn more about her story. Through additional tattoo research and DNA typing we were able to determine that our Lulu (Taxi's mom) was Silver Option a very well bred mare that was previously owned by a well known TB owner/breeder. Armed with this knowledge, further investigation led me to learn that Taxi's sire was a horse named Magna Graduate, a stakes winner of over $2M!! Impressive blood on both the mom and dad.
In an effort to highlight the need to better protect all horses within the racing industry, including broodmares, the ILEHC decided to form a racing partnership to show that racehorses can be treated with love and care during their racing career and beyond.
As Taxi grew into a strapping 2 year old, word spread throughout the media of his story and he became quite a celebrity even before he entered his first race. Word spread quickly in the US and even across the pond to the UK and beyond. Our Miracle boy was loved by many!
Taxi quickly proved himself on the track during his brief career and his journey was widely reported by local media and even CBS national news. Word was getting out, thanks to Taxi, that TB broodmares deserved to be protected, and should never end up in a situation like Lulu.
Taxi's racing career was brief, but the light it brought to the plight of horses being sold to slaughter was and still is important and invaluable.
Upon Taxi's retirement from racing the ILEHC eventually found the perfect adopter for him, where he went on to excel in the sport of dressage, winning every competition he entered! An incredibly happy partnership lasting many years with his "mom" Alex.
It was on April 15th this year that I texted Alex to wish Taxi a happy 16th birthday that I learned Taxi had passed due to the complications of colic. Alex is devastated and I'm still trying to cope with the fact that his journey has ended.
Gone far too soon, but Taxi leaves behind a story and legacy of equine welfare, love, care, and compassion, that will never be forgotten. Fly free, Taxi. Thank you for all the love, joy, and fabulous memories you left upon our hearts. 🐎💗
