BY SARAH WELK BAYNUM
Andrew Vanlangendonck has a storied history in the racehorse world and is now the Rehabilitation Manager for Dr. Rullan’s Equine Performance and Innovative Center.
But unlike many owners who caught the racehorse bug and dove into the business, Vanlangendonck was born into the Thoroughbred industry as the son of Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck of Summerfield Sales.
“I was fortunate enough to be born into it and it’s all I have ever known. For me, it’s just my life,” Vanlangendonck said. “I know that there’s lots of people who only dream of doing something that I find to be so normal. I will be the first to admit that I am lucky to be born into an industry that allows me to work with an animal that I love and respect so much.”
He even tested the waters outside of the racehorse industry while serving in the military for 10 years, which provided Vanlangendonck with an eventful career that took him all over the world.
“However, I just couldn’t shake the need to return to horses. Even though I was halfway to retirement, I decided to not reenlist and instead return to what I loved. That decision was the start of a path that has led me to become the Rehabilitation Manager for Dr. Rullan’s Equine Performance and Innovative Center. We’ve made a great team and I look forward to the education I will gain and the successes we will achieve working together.”
Vanlangendonck has had a long and eventful career with many special horses over the years. However, it was Florida-bred Medina Spirit that stands out the most due to several serendipitous circumstances.
“He was bred by Gail Rice and I went to school with her son Kevin Rice, who’s now a trainer. I would even go to their house in high school. They are a family that I have known my entire life and of course, the Rice family is also deeply rooted in the Thoroughbred industry,” Vanlangendonck said.
Summerfield Sales would sell horses for Rice from time to time, and when Medina Spirit was sold at the OBS as a yearling for $1,000, no one knew what he would become.
“He was not a bad horse, but he was plain and not commercial. So, we simply helped Gail reduce her feed bill.”
But it just so happened that Vanlangendonck attended Medina Spirit’s running of the Kentucky Derby with trainer Mark Casse, who had Derby hopefuls Florida-bred Soup and Sandwich and Helium.
“The moment that my plain, uncommercial $1,000 OBS yearling sale crossed the finish line first, I was standing on the track at the finish line leaning backwards against the rail. It was one of the coolest moments of my life. And if I wasn’t already addicted to this game, this absolutely solidified it. I immediately called my dad to congratulate him on making history and he asked me, ‘for what?’ and I told him he sold the cheapest Kentucky Derby winner in history!”
Vanlangendonck says he has an incredible amount of love and respect for Casse, a dual Hall of Famer who has helped him throughout his career.
“My background is mostly husbandry, weanling and yearling sales—I didn’t have racetrack experience growing up. When I separated from the military in 2019, I made a point of working in the 2-year-old sales for different consignors to gain experience in training, or at least learn the very basics and how to properly tack up a racehorse,” Vanlangendonck said.
During the Covid pandemic in 2020, Casse was having difficulty getting his employees back into the United States from Canada after working in his stable at Woodbine in Toronto.
“Mark was at our October OBS consignment looking at yearlings, when he came up to ask me what I was doing in November. I told him that other than the sale, I did not have any plans. Mark then asked me, ‘How would you like to come help me at the Breeders Cup?’ I of course immediately said yes, as that’s every horse person’s dream. This was also my first time gaining real racetrack experience, and I was able to do it at the Breeders Cup with horses such as War of Will and Got Stormy.”
The next time Vanlangendonck was with Casse was at the Kentucky Derby—the same day Medina’s Spirit was running.
“He didn’t need help this time and I could appreciate that. But still I begged him to go and told him that I didn’t need pay—I just wanted to work and learn. He very graciously agreed for me to help the two weeks all the way up to Derby Day and I loved every second of it. I don’t know how many people can say this, probably not many, but the first time I stepped foot onto Churchill’s track, I was leading a Kentucky Derby contender out for his morning training. I was also able to lead Helium over on Derby Day and received a paddock pass to do so. That pass was worth more to me than any amount of pay I could have received for those 14 days and I’d do it again and again if I could. I still get cold chills whenever I think of it,” Vanlangendonck said.
