Peregrine Lilly | Tayla Shining In Her Golden Years

This 2005 mare retired from racing after only one start. ‘Tayla’ never took to life as a pacer and instead was used as a broodmare before making the transition into an off the track mount. Taken under the wing of Bayley Thomas, Peregrine Lily began the process towards a ridden career.

In 2017, Tayla was introduced to Rosie Atkins and from there, the story begins.

Searching for a project and intrigued by the willingness of Standardbreds, Rosie approached Bayley for anything that would suit.

“I loved Tayla from the start. I could tell that she had such a sweet soul and really just wanted to try her best.”

Green but willing, Tayla turned out to be just what Rosie was looking for. She was still learning not to pace and had never cantered before, nor could she soften or bend, but she was quick to learn and very trainable.

Now in her senior years, Tayla has progressed into a wonderful off the track mount. As a Standardbred mare she is one of few who are actively competing as most are retained for breeding purposes after racing. Since transitioning into a ridden career, Tayla has blossomed under Rosie’s guidance.

“Tayla is a sweet old girl with a lot of sass!”

Over their eight years together, Tayla and Rosie have had many successes. In 2017, they won their first 45cm Hunter Trial class only a few months after returning home. Working with Bayley to establish her training, Peregrine Lily has attended countless SPPHAWA and local events, progressing through the walk-trot classes to reach intermediate and finally open status. In 2025, Peregrine Lily was awarded the SPPHAWA Off the Track WA Classic Open Standardbred title, securing her first garland award. This was a proud moment for Rosie, who has worked hard to showcase the talent of her lovely Standardbred mare.

“I am always proud to be out and about showing off my beautiful off the track Standardbred.”

This year, Rosie hopes to venture into some novice dressage tests and has her sights set on trying some low level jumping and eventing. We are sure with whatever they choose to do, these two will be having fun!

Thank you Rosie for sharing Tayla’s story with us, and we wish you both all the more successes. Standardbreds are such rewarding horses to own and are often underestimated in their capabilities. With stories as heartwarming as this one, it is hard to deny the talent of a Standardbred.

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