The horse that played The Sopranos' Pie-O-My is happily retired on a New York farm

In The Sopranos’ fourth season, a race horse—a “beautiful innocent creature”—named Pie-O-My ends up dying as a result of a feud between Tony and that rat bastard Ralph Cifaretto. The horse is yet another victim of Cifaretto’s heartlessness, its death leaving yet another symbolic wound (and a really nice painting) behind with its exit from the show.

Fortunately, the horse actor that played Pie-O-My left The Sopranos under much pleasanter circumstances. As Mel Magazine discovered, Goldee the horse is still kicking and living out her golden years on a farm in New York.

Writer Brian VanHooker learned of Goldee’s whereabouts after finding a Twitter account called, appropriately enough, “Pie o my from the Sopranos” that posts behind-the-scenes photos from the horse’s acting days and pictures of her just hanging out.

VanHooker went out to meet Goldee at her home—“a beautiful, 10-acre clearing that consists of just a few fences and an old barn that’s currently being restored.” He learned from owner Kimberly Martin that, as a proper Sopranos horse, Goldee was living in New Jersey until just a few months ago and has now moved to the New York property to spend her final years hanging out with Martin’s other horses.

Goldee ended up in The Sopranos after Martin heard that HBO needed horses and sent in photos. The show wanted a horse that looked like the one depicted in racing footage and Goldee matched up, aside from her needing to have one “sock” painted on. Since her casting, Goldee’s done like many character actors before her and appeared at conventions. She also has merchandise and does meet-and-greets that Martin uses to “raise money to care for my horses.”

Martin says Goldee “was the first horse I bred and kept for myself,” though she’s not the best to ride because she’s “a stubborn redhead.” She also keeps nine other rescues, including “a small, 30-year-old pony” named Candy who’s Goldee’s best friend. The only aspect of Goldee’s retirement that isn’t idyllic is that she suffers from Cushing’s disease, “a common ailment for horses” that requires her to eat a special diet that keeps her from enjoying her beloved clovers, carrots, and apples.

Still, she’s getting up there for a horse at 23 years old, seems well cared-for, and has a pony for a best friend, so it could be worse. For more on Pie-O-My and Martin, check out the rest of the article at Mel Magazine.

Send Great Job, Internet tips to [email protected]