War Horse Place Founder Gerald Aschinger Dies
Image:
Description:
Photo: SV Photography
Gerald Aschinger (left) was an avid polo player
Gerald Aschinger, co-owner of War Horse Place, died May 17 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Aschinger, known to many as Gerry, and his wife, Dana, founded War Horse Place in Lexington in 2004.
An avid polo player before moving to Kentucky, Aschinger achieved a one-goal rating. While an active member of the United States Polo Association, he was elected as governor of club membership and development as well as acting chairman. The move to Kentucky not only marked the beginning of the farm but also Aschinger's Thoroughbred training career.
Aschinger enjoyed success training his own horses, but his greatest achievements as a trainer came in the form of his clients' horses, with graded stakes-placed Lots o' Lex and Dramedy , who won the Dixiana Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) and stood at War Horse Place for his first years at stud before relocating to his owner's state of Oklahoma.
Aschinger had a passion for life. Whatever he set in his sights, he pursued until he was satisfied with the result—whether riding dirt bikes competitively or winning a graded stakes at Keeneland.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor are welcome to his favorite charities—Thoroughbred Charities of America, America's VetDogs, Polo Player Support Group, and Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Services have not been announced.