Eurico Rosa da Silva spends time with horses at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, in Hillsburgh, Ont., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Eurico Rosa da Silva poses for a photo with Safety at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, in Hillsburgh, Ont., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Eurico Rosa da Silva walks through the paddocks at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, in Hillsburgh, Ont., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Eurico Rosa da Silva spends time with horses in "The Field of Compassion" at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, in Hillsburgh, Ont., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Alexandra Rose, a Facilitated Equine Experiential Learning (FEEL) worker stands in the barn at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, in Hillsburgh, Ont., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Long before learning how to harness the raw power of a thoroughbred racehorse, champion jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva experienced the therapeutic powers of the animal's inner strength.
Da Silva, 50, was verbally abused and tormented by his father growing up in Brazil, driven to the brink of suicide. As early as age four or five, da Silva fondly remembers experiencing a horse's gentle nature.
Not only did da Silva decide then that he ultimately wanted to be a jockey, but finding solace in the animal gave him much-needed calm and inner peace.
"The horse has the ability to feel what you're feeling inside yourself," da Silva said. "They bring it into their body and release it.
"They're like sponges, they have that ability to release everything."
It's that ability da Silva channels these days as he supports mental health healing with horses. Through the Equine Experiential Connection, da Silva connects clients with horses at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, a 100-acre facility in Hillsburgh, Ont., that specializes in matching retired thoroughbreds with new owners for a second career.
Da Silva retired as a jockey in 2019 with 2,942 career wins -- including two King's Plates. He was named Canada’s top rider seven times.
Here is a look at some scenes from the facility in Hillsburgh, Ont.
This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published Dec. 23, 2025.
The ºÃÉ«tv Press. All rights reserved.
Get the latest from ºÃÉ«tvNews in your inbox. Select the emails you're interested in below.
Canada is entering a new era of nation-building. From clean-energy corridors and c…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
