Saintly Ballad (barn name: “Athena”) was rescued from a Louisiana kill pen approximately one year ago. Since she was recently raced, this qualified her to participate in the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover which then became a big goal for us. Due to COVID-19, the October 2020 competition has been rescheduled to next October and will be a “Mega” Thoroughbred Makeover with the 2020 and 2021 eligible horses participating in the opportunity to compete and showcase the versatility of the breed.
Tag: aftercare
Bills Protecting OTTBs Move Forward In NY
Two bills are being discussed in New York that deal with the treatment of racehorses when they retire from the track. One bill in the Democratic-controlled Senate would ban the slaughter of retired racehorses. The other bill, in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, seeks a mechanism to track New York-bred racehorses when they retire, reports Blood-Horse.
Which bill, if either, is approved remains to be seen.
The bill in the Assembly would see the creation of a new, seven-member state commission that would oversee the whereabouts of retired Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses in New York. The bill does not ban the slaughter of retired racehorses.
The bill in the Senate explicitly bans the slaughter of racehorses and racehorse-breeding stock. If passed, the bill would make it illegal to kill retired racehorses “for a commercial purpose” in New York. Any money collected from civil penalties would be funneled into retired racehorse aftercare programs. It also allows New York residents to make voluntary donations to aftercare programs through state income tax filings. Additionally, the bill requires the microchipping of all racehorses so they can be more easily tracked.
Read more at Blood-Horse.
The post Bills Protecting OTTBs Move Forward In NY appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Aftercare Of Charles Town: Doing Right For More Than Just The Horses
Charles Town Races is home to an aftercare organization all its own: Aftercare of Charles Town (ACT). Founded in 2013, the purpose of the nonprofit organization is to rehome, repurpose and retire Thoroughbreds that have raced or trained at the West Virginia track. ACT operates with a volunteer board and no employees.
Georgiana Pardo is a general practice lawyer and the volunteer president of ACT, which assisted 43 horses in 2019. Georgiana explained to the Daily Racing Form how ACT works. To enter a horse in the ACT program, she says, a horseman must file paperwork showing that the horse has raced at Charles Town. Charles Town assesses a paddock fee per start; as much of the ACT funding comes from that fee and from the Charles Town Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, ACT's focus is on assisting horses that have raced specifically at that track.
The retiring horse must also come with vet records that allow ACT to determine what sort of second career may be most appropriate for the horse. Once accepted into the program, the horse will go to a placement partner where it is rehabilitated, retrained and adopted out. The placement partner receives a stipend and ACT pays for any vet care needed to get the horse comfortable for his second career. Placement partners are experienced nonprofit organizations that provide follow up on the horses that were under their care and will take the horse back should it be returned.
Georgiana notes every racehorse deserves a quality life after racing. She believes that track funding for aftercare is achievable, and that it assists more than just the horse: it helps the owners, trainers and the horse's adopters, as well. It's a situation in which everyone wins.
Read more at TDN.
More information on Aftercare Charles Town can be found here.
The post Aftercare Of Charles Town: Doing Right For More Than Just The Horses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
The Show Must Go On for New Vocations
While most organizations, racing or otherwise, experienced a stagnation in business during the midst of the Coronavirus shut-down, Thoroughbred aftercare programs confronted quite the opposite.
When racing in most states was a giant question mark for months on end, for many horses that would have otherwise stayed in training throughout the spring season, the decision was made to enter them into retirement.
Since the first of the year, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program has brought in 240 horses to their rehabilitation and rehoming program, a 23% increase from last year’s statistics.
Thankfully, they’ve also seen an influx in their adoptions, which are up 34% this year compared to 2019.
Despite a global pandemic, the show had to go on at New Vocations. And every show requires funding.
For nearly two decades, the respected aftercare organization has held an All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show in an effort to raise money for the general operation of their eight facilities which serve over 40 racetracks throughout the country.
“The New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show is something that we’ve been doing since 2003,” said Andrea Mandella, New Vocations’ Director of Development and Donor Relations. “The first show was at Turfway Park. It has grown into a really big event that we now do every year in September here at the Kentucky Horse Park.”
The show has turned into New Vocations’ largest annual fundraiser, bringing in $117,000 last year.
The five-day event featured 452 Thoroughbreds from over 26 states, some traveling from as far as Oregon, California, and Texas.
Class divisions include hunters, jumpers, equitation, dressage, as well as western and driving. “War Horse” classes are available to any retired racehorse that started over 50 times, or earned over $100,000. The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) also holds their annual championships in conjunction with the event.
This year, the show is scheduled for September 3-6, dates that have been set on the calendar well before the Coronavirus forced the rescheduling of the Kentucky Derby for September 5.
And while the New Vocations team is said they were looking forward to their annual event, and excited about showcasing the Derby festivities on the big screen of the Rolex arena, they first need to find the capital to make the show possible.
“We’re struggling to find funding in the current climate with COVID,” Mandella said. “Right now our sponsorships are down 50%.”
Mandella said that the money raised during the show goes to the organization’s general operations fund to provide feed, daily upkeep, veterinary care, and any other necessities for the horses in their program. The average cost to rehabilitate, retrain, and rehome each retired horse through the duration of their stay is $3,000.
One gelding that has recently gone through the New Vocations program is now working towards making an appearance at their annual show.
Gozer the Gozerian, a 4-year-old son of Astrology, was adopted last year by Leandra Cooper, the facility manager and trainer at New Vocations’ home base in Lexington.
“He just had a personality that was like a magnet to me,” Cooper said while giving ‘Gozer’ a pat. “He was super sweet and right from the beginning, I knew that he was a horse that I was drawn to immediately.”
Unplaced in two starts as a juvenile in 2018, Gozer was given time off last year before starting full-time training for his second career in December.
“It became apparent pretty quickly that he liked to jump,” Cooper said. “He really likes to work. That’s one of the things that’s great about Thoroughbreds- they have this work ethic. They generally really are true athletes where they like to be in a program. They like to have challenges and he certainly is no exception to that.”
As Gozer continues to progress in his training, Cooper has her eyes set on looking to taking her gelding to the show in September.
“Our big target this year will be the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show,” she said. “We’re really looking forward to competing at this show because it’s so unique to have something where you’re competing against all Thoroughbreds. Especially in an atmosphere of such grandiosity where you’re able to be in the Rolex Ring, something you dream of competing in since you’re a kid, and here we are able to have the opportunity to compete with all these other Thoroughbreds.”
Both Cooper and Mandella spoke of the unique atmosphere the show has developed.
“It’s really amazing to be able to take horses that come off the track with several different career paths,” Mandella said. “Some of them were competitive and winners, some were unraced, and some just weren’t interested in racing and have gone into second careers and all of a sudden they’re excelling. So everyone has a different, unique story, which makes it amazing to watch 400 of them out there doing their thing. And that’s what we strive to provide for them.”
Cooper agreed. “It feels fun and inclusive, and it’s amazing to see all the different levels that these horses are able to compete at and all the different varieties. The people are really committed to the breed and it’s just a celebration, in so many different ways, of their accomplishments. It’s a neat show, and it’s the only one like it.”
The team behind the popular event is pushing now more than ever to find sponsors. While donations can be accepted at any time, the deadline to have a sponsorship recognized in the program is Friday, July 17.
“Typically our donors come from all over the country,” Mandella said. “They’re Thoroughbred owners and breeders, people who have adopted through our program and are showing their horses at the event, and people within the industry that support us, like veterinarians and feed suppliers.”
The majority of sponsorships range anywhere from $100 to become a class sponsor, to $50,000 to be the title show sponsor. A number of different sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of differing donations.
Mandella said that the average cost to rehabilitate, retrain, and rehome a retired horse through the duration of their stay in the New Vocations program is $3,000.
“We’re hoping that our previous sponsors and maybe some new ones will decide to get involved and help us continue to put on this show that we find so important,” Mandella said. “It gives us the ability to illustrate how these horses go from the racetrack to a second career. To put them all together and let them compete against each other is a really awesome event.”
For more information on the event and how to participate, click here.
For those interested in becoming a sponsor for the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show, contact Andrea Mandella at andrea@horseadoption.com.
The post The Show Must Go On for New Vocations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
