In a heartwarming turn of events, a young orphaned foal has found an unlikely champion in the most unexpected place—a dairy cow. Thomas, a purebred foal who tragically lost his mother at just eight days old, has formed a beautiful bond with Rusty, a gentle dairy cow at a family ranch in Gorey, County Wexford, Ireland.
For Des Devereux, a thoroughbred raiser and dairy farmer, the first week with Thomas seemed promising. “Everything was going great,” Des recalled. “The first seven to eight days were perfect.” But tragedy struck on day eight when Thomas’s mother unexpectedly passed away. Time was critical, and Des knew he had to act fast to save the young foal’s life.
The Search for a Foster Mother Begins
“We had to get to work straight away to find a foster mother,” Des explained. The family’s initial attempts with other mares showed promise at first, but sadly didn’t work out. “We found one straight away and tried very hard to make it work, but after two to three days we knew it wasn’t going to happen,” he said. They continued searching, hoping to find another mare willing to nurse the orphaned foal, but each attempt fell short.
A Creative Solution from an Eight-Year-Old
With time running out and options limited, inspiration came from an unexpected source—Des’s eight-year-old son, Charlie. The young equestrian enthusiast suggested they try something completely unconventional: why not let Rusty, their dairy cow, become Thomas’s foster mother?
Desperate times called for desperate measures. “At that stage, we were frantic to find a solution, so we decided to give it a shot,” Des said. “The pair bonded quickly, and it was straightforward from the start. They’ve never looked back since.”
Against All Odds, It Works
What could have been a risky experiment turned into a remarkable success story. “There haven’t been any digestive issues, and the foal is being more than adequately provided for,” Des confirmed. For a breeder whose foals have gone on to achieve National Hunt success on both sides of the Irish Sea, this was unprecedented territory.
“We’ve never lost a mare at this late stage before, and we had to thank goodness it just worked,” Des reflected. “It’s really nice that the racing public has got behind this story.”
The Only Downside? A Little Muddy
While Thomas’s unlikely cross-species friendship with Rusty has proven successful in every meaningful way, there is one minor—and slightly humorous—challenge to their unconventional arrangement.
“The biggest problem is that he loves lying in cow pats and comes up with big brown patches,” Des laughed. “But as long as he keeps sucking away and growing strong, that’s what matters! We’re just taking each day at a time.”
This heartwarming tale reminds us that sometimes the best solutions come from thinking outside the box and having the courage to try something different. Thomas and Rusty’s bond is proof that love and care transcend species boundaries—even in the world of thoroughbred horse racing.