Weir duties will include development the THS fundraising strategy and expanding the engagement of the organization's herd of retired racehorses through therapy and program utilization

“I am certain that our team will immediately benefit from Kim's diverse business background, successful fundraising skills and her deep relationships across the Thoroughbred industry” said  Dr. Erin Sisk. “Kim's understanding of the racing landscape and personal commitment to sharing the gift of horses with all who need them, will provide our young and growing organization with an invaluable new asset to help us realize our bold vision for the countless lives we can heal and help with the therapeutic benefits of our horses.”

Weir also served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association in Washington, DC.

The San Diego native graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations and received her M.B.A from the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary. She and her husband, Bob, moved to Saratoga Springs from the Washington D.C. area in 2018.

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The funds were generated by donations from the connections over Arc weekend, including Aga Khan Studs, Al Shaqab Racing, Godolphin, Wertheimer et Frère, Juddmonte, Arqana, Coolmore, l'Association des Entraineurs de Galop, Haras d'Etreham, Pascal Bary, Carina Fey, Stéphane Wattel, Gérard Augustin-Normand, Francis-Henri Graffard, Craig Bernick, Serge Stempniak, Haras de la Gousserie, Jean-Claude Rouget, Ecurie Des Monceaux, Baron Edouard De Rothschild, Christophe Soumillon, Mickael Barzalona, Christophe Patrice Lemaire, Eddy Hardouin, Gérald Mossé, Steve Obry, Stéphane Pasquier, Mikel Delzangles, Tim Donworth, Jour De Galop, Equidia, Paris-Turf, Equality.

For more information, click here.

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Courtesy of over 100 supporters in the equestrian and racing communities, funds were raised late into Nov. 29, and pushed over the goal thanks to a $10,000 donation made by Oak Grove Racing Gaming and Hotel, a Churchill Downs property.

“We were blown away by the tremendous response to this year's Giving Tuesday Campaign,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “Due to rising costs in horse care, our funds have been stretched thin this year. Surpassing our fundraising goal will help us serve the hundreds of retired racehorses that go through our program.”

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The event will run from Friday, Dec. 2 through Dec. 10 and the house will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. This year's event has been expanded to include the entire farmhouse and the barn. Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased at www.trfinc.org or for $30 at the door.

Kicking off the nine-day event, there will be a special “Preview Night” Thursday, Dec. 1st featuring a cocktail reception from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Tickets for the Preview Event are $75.

The TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall, located on 25 acres in Prospect, Kentucky, opened in April of 2021 and is home to several members of the Thoroughbred Retirement herd where they serve as equine ambassadors to the local community.

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The event will feature numerous activities, including:

• Equine residents from Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga and demonstrations
• A presentation from the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
• Impressions of Saratoga's Maddy Zanetti will be doing a book reading at 11:30 a.m. with Upset the miniature horse, who will be in attendance all day.
• Renowned equine artist Greg Montgomery, who has been producing artwork associated with Saratoga's Travers S. since 1986, will discuss the inspirations behind the 2022 poster-the 37th edition in the popular series–and sign copies from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Posters will be available for purchase through the Museum's gift shop for $50 each.
• Old Friends at Cabin Creek will be doing a presentation about their mission and organization at 2 p.m.
• The Museum's signature film, What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame, will be presented on the half hour every hour.
• The New York Thoroughbred Breeders will be on hand with a booth to discuss their mission and organization.
• The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will be offering a children's activity inside the Museum.
• The Saratoga Springs Police Department will be making an appearance with police horse King Tut.
• Meet Max the therapy dog
• A silent auction to benefit the participating organizations

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“We worked in collaboration with the industry through local, national and international focus groups to develop the content for this program,” said Sean Beirne, equine industry program director. “We touch on topical and pressing issues happening in our industry including crisis management, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act and an in-depth look at stakeholders including breeding farms, horse sales, racetracks and the rapidly expanding segment of aftercare. “As a former racetrack executive, I believe this certificate will help accelerate someone's career.”

The nine-credit-hour, graduate-level certificate is comprised of six courses. Each course is 1.5 credit hours and runs five weeks. The certificate is intended as a stand-alone program; however, the credits are applicable toward completion of an MBA.

Three courses will be offered in the fall of 2021. All six courses will be available in the spring 2022, with two courses per five-week session.

Horse Racing Industry Business Certificate courses:

EQIN 610 Horse Racing Industry Overview
EQIN 620 Strategic Communications for the Equine Industry
EQIN 630 Management and Leadership of Equine Enterprises
EQIN 640 Racetrack Operations and Related Activities
EQIN 650 Equine and Sports Analytics
EQIN 650 Regulatory Law in the Thoroughbred Industry

As the only undergraduate equine program in the world located in an AACSB accredited college of business, core business administration classes for the UofL Equine Industry Program combine with 27 hours of specialized education, focusing on equine enterprises and event management. Because of the program's location in famed Kentucky horse country, classroom instruction is supplemented with the opportunity for internships, field experience and contacts with prominent industry professionals.

For more information, click here.

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In 2015, Alison Shaw contacted the Maryland-based aftercare organization in search of a dressage prospect and all around family horse.

“(First Lieutenant) was shown to me by Bonnie, the founder of After the Races, and suggested as a good fit for my goals,” Shaw said. “He had a slab fracture as a 2-year-old and it didn't fully heal so he was only cleared for flat work. He was such a clown when I went to meet him, pulling blankets off the stall doors and playing with his lead rope. I knew I had to have him.”

The son of Officer was just four years old at the time of his adoption, so Shaw wanted to take things slow and focus on the basics.

“His restart was slow and steady, lots of ground work, and maybe six months later we got on him for the first time,” Shaw recalled. “He was so quiet and unfazed by the whole situation. There really have been no lows with him.”

As Shaw's family grew, her dressage aspirations were put on hold. Even so, First Lieutenant, now known as “Bodhi,” was always made to feel like part of the family. Shaw's eldest son is especially taken with the Pennsylvania-bred一it won't be long before Alison's ousted altogether.

“Bodhi has had it pretty easy as we've had two kids since adopting him, but he is half leased to a woman who simply adores him,” Shaw said. “All my kids can lead, groom, and ride him on the lead line. My oldest son who is nine regularly tells Bodhi he will be his one day and I should get my own horse.”

Bodhi truly hit the jackpot with his adopted family and vice versa. No matter what they ask of him, Bodhi takes it all in stride.

“He is down for whatever we ask一whether it be wrapping him in wrapping paper and lights for our annual Christmas card or having him do our gender reveal with blue balloons and a chalkboard around his neck,” Shaw said. “He is a gentle, loving clown and comes running every time he's called.

“He is our heart horse, even though I don't really ride much anymore being a busy mom of four, plus running a pet care business,” she said. “We joke he's our favorite child. I hope to get back in the saddle soon.

Not only is Bodhi a wonderful family horse, he's quite the model as well.

“He did a photo shoot for Ralph Lauren back in October of 2020 for the men's spring line,” Shaw said. “I was told to keep an eye out on all social media platforms for the pictures. He was such a professional and relaxed being around a crew of 30 or 40 people and at the Inn he was trailered to.

“Some of the models had never handled a horse but soon felt so comfortable that they were snuggling him on breaks and he wormed his way into every shot,” she said. “He was having a blast stealing one of the model's hats. They adored him and even said they may reach out again in the future.”

But, Shaw's family isn't done growing yet. Up next she anticipates another OTTB in their future.

“He is the best addition to our family and I'll likely plan on adopting another horse from After the Races in the future, as my kids have stolen my horse.”

Read more at Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

This story has been reprinted with permission from the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Learn more about the TAA and its work at thoroughbredaftercare.org.

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Before stepping foot on the grounds of TAA-accredited After the Races, volunteer Susan Miller repeatedly told herself that taking a horse home was out of the question. The time spent around the horses would be enough of a prize for her hard work.

That mantra didn't last long as she immediately fell in love with a bay filly, named The Cake Is a Lie, who was rehabbing an injury.

“My first day there I fell head over heels for this filly, despite having told myself I was not under any circumstances taking a horse home,” Miller said. “'Cake' was rehabbing a bowed tendon, so there wasn't much interest in her.

The New York-bred daughter of Sir Whimsey found the winner's circle four times in 13 starts. She was injured and vanned off in her last start, which took place in August of 2018 at Monmouth Park.

“She stayed at After The Races, and I kept volunteering there, loving on her as much as I could, and daydreaming about adopting her,” Miller said.

After months of volunteering and growing closer to Cake, Miller and her husband were on the move to Kentucky after her husband accepted a new job. Not wanting to leave her friend behind, she adopted Cake to bring along for the journey.

“I kept telling myself, 'She's just a gangly bay filly, nothing special,' but it didn't work,” Miller said. “There's just something special about her and we clicked. She's wonderful. She lives at my house with my other Thoroughbred.

“Her bowed tendon healed nicely, she's grown and filled out into a huge, strong, shiny beauty,” she added. “Most importantly, her personality has really blossomed. She is quirky and intense but also fun, sweet, and caring.”

Now that the rehab is finished, Cake and Miller are taking it one day at a time with retraining, as they focus on lower-level dressage, trail riding, and learning a few tricks.

“She is the first OTTB I've retrained by myself and she is teaching me so much and becoming a really fun horse to ride,” Miller said. “My biggest goal is just for her to be happy and healthy and enjoy our time together.

“She's already worked hard and given a lot for people, and I value her comfort and the relationship I have with her more than riding achievements.”

While Miller says she'd love to eventually dabble in eventing or fox hunting if it's in Cake's wheelhouse, she's just incredibly thankful for the organization that allowed her to find her perfect equine partner.

“I am so incredibly grateful for this horse and to After The Races for all the fantastic work they do on behalf of OTTBs,” she said.

Read more at Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

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Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits interested in applying must complete the application by the closing date of April 1 at 6 p.m. EST. Since TAA accreditation is only granted for a specific period of time, organizations with accreditation status ending in 2021 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply.

Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five areas of an aftercare organization: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Organizations passing the application review will be subject to site inspections of all facilities housing Thoroughbreds.

Organizations that receive accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants from the TAA, but prior grants awarded are no indication of potential future awards. In 2020 the TAA awarded $3.5 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $20.7 million awarded since 2012.

Any organization interested in applying for TAA accreditation must fulfill the following five minimum requirements:

1. Organization must have a current status as a 501(c)(3) federal not-for-profit (U.S.) or must be a registered charity within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
2. Organization must have been in operation for at least three years. The TAA will confirm operation information, including with the secretary of state or provincial business registry.
3.  At time of application, organization must either (1) currently exclusively own and provide care for a minimum of five (5) registered Thoroughbreds, or (2) currently exclusively own and provide care for at least 3-4 registered Thoroughbreds AND must have exclusively owned and provided care for at least 10 registered Thoroughbreds over the previous 12 months. Registered Thoroughbreds leased by the organization or owned by third parties at the same facility should not be included.
4. Organization must have a written euthanasia policy consistent with the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
5. Organization, or a principal of the organization or individual directly related to the organization, shall not have any current legal proceedings pending against them which adversely impact the aftercare operations, the organization's standards of care, or the 501(c)(3) status of the organization.

For more information on the TAA accreditation process, please visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

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