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American Eventing Championships Return To Kentucky Horse Park For 2023, 2024

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) Board of Governors have voted to enter into contract negotiations with Equestrian Events Inc. (EEI) and Mary Fike to host the 2023 and 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

The USEA sent out a request for expressions of interest in June 2021 to host the AEC in 2023 and 2024. Several venues presented attractive proposals, and from those the USEA Board of Governors voted to select the Kentucky Horse Park as the 2023 and 2024 host site pending contract negotiations. The USEA has begun negotiating final terms with the organizing group of EEI and Mary Fike for the 2023 and 2024 AEC and hopes to complete that process within the next few months.

The 2022 AEC will be held at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana from Aug. 30 – Sept. 4, 2022. The proposed date for the 2023 AEC in Kentucky is Aug. 29 – Sept. 3, 2023, followed by the 2024 AEC from Aug. 27 – Sept. 1, 2024.

“EEI and Mary Fike are excited to partner with the USEA and welcome the AEC back to Kentucky in 2023 and 2024. The Kentucky Horse Park is a special place and hosting the AEC at this iconic venue creates memories that will last a lifetime. We are beyond thrilled to host this championship and the amazing competitors who will attend,” said EEI Executive Director Lee Carter.

Among the interested venues for the 2023 and 2024 AEC, there was a strong bid from Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina. Ultimately, the Board made it clear through its deliberations that the popularity of the Kentucky Horse Park and their trust in the management team of EEI and Mary Fike were central to their decision. EEI and Mary Fike first organized the AEC at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2019, which recorded 925 starters making it the largest event in North American history. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 AEC was canceled but the event returned to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2021. The 2021 AEC garnered over 1,200 entries and ran 939 starters, which broke the 2019 record as the largest event in North American history.

“We are truly elated for the AEC to return to the Kentucky Horse Park,” said USEA CEO Rob Burk. “Our partners at EEI and Mary Fike have developed a strong working connection with our staff over the previous three years. The USEA Board of Governors had a difficult decision to make and I want to thank all of our bidders including Barry Olliff, Molly Bull, and the entire team from Stable View. We received an overwhelming amount of feedback from the membership about their desire to return the AEC to Kentucky, and we are happy to deliver this news to the USEA members.”

The Kentucky Horse Park maintains 600 acres of cross-country courses, 1,200 permanent stalls with accessibility to additional temporary stalls, and world-class arenas including the iconic Rolex Stadium. The Kentucky Horse Park was home to the 2010 World Equestrian Games and hosts the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event every year in April, which is also organized by EEI.

About the USEA American Eventing Championships

The USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) is the pinnacle of the sport for the national levels. Held annually, the best junior, adult amateur, and professional competitors gather to vie for national championship titles at every level from Beginner Novice to Advanced. This ultimate test of horse and rider draws hundreds of horses and riders from around the country to compete for fabulous prizes, a piece of the substantial prize money, and the chance to be named the national champion at their respective levels.

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Northview Stallion Station Joins As Partner With Aftercare Organization Beyond The Wire

Northview Stallion Station, located in Chesapeake City, Md., has partnered with Beyond The Wire to provide financial assistance for “sanctuary” horses—retired Thoroughbred racehorses that cannot move on to second careers. It is a major step forward for Maryland's Thoroughbred aftercare program.

Beyond the Wire is an industry-wide initiative between the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland jockeys designed to facilitate safe and enriching placements for retired Maryland-based racehorses.

Northview, which stands nine stallions including Great Notion, the current leading stallion in Maryland, was launched in 1989 by the late Richard Golden, Dr. Tom Bowman, and the late Allaire DuPont. For the past few years, Golden's son, Michael, has overseen operations at the farm. David Wade, general manager of Northview, said Michael Golden has had a passion for retired racehorses and was looking for mechanism to generate financial support for them.

“Sanctuary horses need funding,” Wade said. “Some of them spend the rest of their lives at a farm because they're not adoptable. Northview wants to help fund that effort, and we'd like to challenge other stallion farms to do the same.”

Wade said Northview will donate 5 percent of the stud fees it collects from contracts. It can do so from stallions wholly owned by Northview or from the shares it owns in other stallions that stand at the farm.

“This program is such a critical part of the progressive efforts of the Maryland racing industry to support all of our retiring horses, whether they can have a second career as a riding horse or not,” said Laurie Calhoun, who operates the Union Bridge, Md.-based Foxie G Foundation, a Thoroughbred Aftercare Association-accredited facility that works closely with the Beyond The Wire program. “It concentrates heavily on horses with past racing injuries that need extensive rehabilitation. Given enough time and careful management, the majority of these horses can live a comfortable life in our sanctuary program if they are not adopted out as companions or used in ground-based, equine-assisted therapy programs.

“Since 2018, Foxie G has had five horses in an equine assisted therapy program at the Baltimore Agricultural Center, serving veterans and first responders. We will also begin a new equine-assisted therapy partnership in 2022, where up to 10 of our sanctuary horses will be used. Horses are natural healers and they can give back so much to our community. Northview's generous, lead gift in support of these horses will literally be life-changing for horses that have not had many options in the past thanks to the caring efforts of Michael Golden and David Wade.”

Beverly Strauss of MidAtlantic Horse Rescue, another TAA-accredited farm that partners with Beyond The Wire, agreed with Calhoun.

“Maryland racing does a good job filtering horses off the track and into TAA-accredited facilities, but the number of horses needing sanctuary care that are not rideable is significant,” Strauss said. “It puts a strain on each (partner) organization. These horses need ongoing support from the racing and breeding industry—we owe this much to them.”

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Santa Anita-Based ‘Free Animal Doctor’ Continues To Help Financially Challenged Pet Owners

Now entering its second year, Santa Anita-based Free Animal Doctor, a non-profit that provides free veterinary services to dogs and cats, has paid out more than $300,000 in veterinary care on pets based in Southern California and throughout the United States. Additionally, Free Animal Doctor will have spayed or neutered approximately 825 dogs or cats by year's end and will have vaccinated and/or micro-chipped more than half of them.

Free Animal Doctor (FAD), conveniently located in Santa Anita's parking Lot 7, opened its doors to the public on Sept. 15, 2020. FAD utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets and provides itemized cost accounting which is directed by each animal's attending veterinarian.

“During the past year, our relationships with the Pasadena Humane Society and the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society have blossomed,” said Sam Bernardo, FAD co-founder. “This is in large-part due to the fact that our respective missions complement each other. Both of these organizations refer us to individuals who can't afford their pet's unexpected veterinary care.

“We are also listed as spay and neuter alternatives on their websites. In return, we offer fund raising services to both PHS and SGVHS.”

Bernardo, a practicing attorney who is based in Sierra Madre, explained that through Crowdfunding, costs are limited to each specific veterinary procedure.

“Once the money is raised for each individual animal's procedure, no additional money is accepted,” he said.

Santa Anita's backstretch community has also benefitted from FAD, as the clinic has twice provided special days on which spay and neutering is available for just $25 per pet.

“As we had hoped, our spay and neuter clinics have also become popular with (animal) rescues and other non-profits,” said Bernardo. “For example, last month, we teamed up with a rescue sponsored by Kacey Montoya, a reporter with KTLA Channel 5, to provide a free spay and neuter clinic. And we have agreed to have similar clinics with two other Southern California non-profit rescues early next year.”

For more information on Free Animal Doctor, pet owners are encouraged to visit FreeAnimalDoctor.org, or call (626) 487-7129.

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Ohio State Associate Dean Dr. Emma Read Takes Reins As AAEP’s 2022 President

Dr. Emma Read, associate dean for professional programs at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was installed as president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners during the December 7 President's Luncheon at the AAEP's 67th Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Dr. Read joined Ohio State in 2018 after 11 years on the veterinary faculty at the University of Calgary, which included stints as chair of the Clinical Skills Program, associate dean academic, and interim dean. She previously taught at the Ontario Veterinary College and worked for a private specialty referral practice in Alberta.

While in Calgary, Dr. Read worked with national and international equine athletes and riders as part of the treatment team at Spruce Meadows showjumping facility. She also helped develop and validate several simulator models that were later commercialized by Veterinary Simulator Industries.

“AAEP has been like an old close friend from the day I joined as a student to where I am now in my career,” said Dr. Read. “AAEP is my social circle and a source of connection to the wider industry. I am grateful to this organization for all it has given me, and I want to give back to others, especially those new to their career. I look at our current issues with retaining new graduates and really want to help that situation so others have the opportunity to make the most of a career in this field and feel like they belong in a welcoming inclusive profession with a bright future.”

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Dr. Read earned her veterinary degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998 and became board certified in veterinary surgery in 2004. She currently serves on the AAEP's Educational Programs Committee. Dr. Read previously served on the board of directors from 2011-2013, as chair of the Student Programs Task Force, and as a member of the Member Engagement, Nominating and Student Relations committees.

In addition, Dr. Read serves on the Competency Based Veterinary Education working group and the Council for International Veterinary Medical Education for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.