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Grassroots Fundraising Effort Reverses Earlier Cancellation Of Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

An unprecedented outpouring of public support and a grassroots fundraising effort have led to a reversal of the announced cancellation of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI Five Star presented by MARS Equestrian™ (LRK3DE). A new partnership between Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the world-class event, and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation combined with the support of US Equestrian and longstanding sponsors Land Rover, Mars Equestrian, and Rolex will ensure that the CCI5*-L three-day event will be held, without spectators, alongside a new CCI4*-S, April 22-25 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

“The uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic placed us in the financially impossible position of having to run the Five Star event without spectators, a situation that left us no choice but to cancel the Five Star for 2021 in order to preserve it for many years to come,” said Mike Cooper, president of EEI. “We are humbled and honored by the response of the eventing community as they've stepped up in a mind-blowing way enabling us to go forward.”

A fundraising campaign was started by athletes and fueled by the grassroots effort of the broader eventing community, generating more than $550,000 in donations to run the event.

“While that still leaves us short of the amount needed, it is enough to convince us that the balance can be raised,” added Cooper. “We are now, with the assistance of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, committed to going forward with the Five Star.”

In the new partnership, EEI and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, both 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organizations, bring strong and distinct skill sets – the Foundation in fundraising and EEI in event management. Using their respective expertise and resources, the Foundation will take the lead in soliciting donations to supplement the grassroots effort, and EEI will focus its attention on running the nation's premier equestrian event in an environment that is safe for all during the current world-wide pandemic.

“The Kentucky Three-Day Event is the foremost event held at the Kentucky Horse Park and the lifeblood of the eventing world,” said Clay Green, Chairman of the Board of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation. “The Horse Park was established for the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships which gave birth to the annual Kentucky Three-Day Event whose success is responsible for the Park's position of prominence and so much that has happened at the Park, including the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Seeing the number of people pleading for the event to happen this year made it very clear that we must do all we can to ensure that it does.”

“Seeing the athletes, community, our sponsors, and these two organizations, the KHP Foundation and EEI, come together in a united way to allow the CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S to go forward despite the challenges presented by the pandemic is nothing short of remarkable. This will allow our athletes and horses aiming for Tokyo this summer the best opportunity to qualify and prepare, while ensuring the safest possible environment for participants seeking to complete a CCI5*-L or CCI4*-S,” shared Bill Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of US Equestrian. “We extend a huge thank you to all involved, especially to our sponsors, for their flexibility and continued commitment to this event.”

“We are thrilled to return as the title sponsor for the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event and support the event broadcasts on NBC, NBC Sports Network, and the USEF Network to bring this historic event into the homes of the fans in the safest way possible. We applaud the efforts of the equestrian community who have gone above and beyond to raise funds to support this event and ensure another great year of world-class eventing can take place at the renowned Kentucky Horse Park,” said Michael Curmi, Director Brand Experience, Jaguar Land Rover North America.

“We applaud the efforts of so many organizers, fans, competitors, and sponsors, supported by MARS Equestrian, which will allow the CCI5*-L competition to continue forward in 2021. This event is an equestrian treasure we are proud to sponsor as we all look for safe ways to hold top level competition,” stated Geoffrey Galant, VP Mars Equestrian.

Spectators are not allowed at this time, but USEF will continue to monitor the effects of the pandemic to determine if a limited number of spectators can be permitted at some point closer to the event with priority given to 2020 rolled over ticket holders. Those who paid for the 2020 event and chose to roll their money over for 2021 will have the option of full refunds or rolling their money over again for 2022. “Ticket holders can expect an email regarding their options, one of which will be to join this incredible grassroots movement on behalf of the sport of eventing,” said Cooper. “Those who wish to do so can donate some or all of the money they've paid. We applaud and thank everyone who has contributed so far; without you there would be no Five Star this year and all of you have our utmost gratitude and appreciation!”

Those wishing to be part of the growing movement to save the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event Five Star can do so through the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation website at Donate – Kentucky Horse Park Foundation (khpfoundation.org).

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Bruce Headley: A Legacy Dating Back To Seabiscuit And Kayak II

The racing world and Santa Anita in particular mourn the passing of Bruce Headley, who died Friday, just a month short of his 87th birthday on Feb. 17.

A no-nonsense stickler who adhered to a pristine philosophy when it came to training, Headley was born on Feb. 17, 1934, 10 months before Santa Anita opened on Christmas Day, 1934. More than eight decades later, Headley had remained close to his home away from home, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

I had one of the last interviews with Headley in his waning days at Clockers' Corner. It appeared in Santa Anita's Stable Notes on April 14, 2019, and as it concisely captures the essence of the man and the horseman, it seems appropriate to reprint it here in his memory:

Headley, best remembered as the trainer of Kona Gold, is still a fixture at Santa Anita, where his Aunt Flora brought him as a kid when he was five years old.

“I saw Seabiscuit and Kayak II run here,” Headley said, referring to the winners of the 1939 and 1940 Santa Anita Handicap, trained by 'Silent' Tom Smith. “That's how I got hooked on racing. My Uncle Ted was a security guard here. I was born in a house in nearby Baldwin Park that's still there.”

Kona Gold was pure race horse. A Kentucky-bred son of Java Gold from the Slew o' Gold dam Double Sunrise, the bay gelding owned in part by Headley won nearly half his starts, 14 of 30, with seven seconds and two thirds, earning $2,293,384.

Sold as a yearling for $35,000, he was the champion sprinter of 2000, winning an Eclipse Award that year in which he captured the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs in a dazzling 1:07.60 for six furlongs. He raced until he was nine years old.

“He could run faster than anybody and stayed sound,” Headley recalled. “He had real good bone structure. He was just an honest race horse and when he ran, he ran.

“When he got too old to race, he became a very good pony. He'd lead the horses back and forth to the track, and even though some of them had a wild brain, he knew he had a job to do and he did it.

“When he got too old to pony, I retired him to the Kentucky Horse Park so everybody could visit him.”

Kona Gold was euthanized at the age of 15 on Sept. 25, 2009, after fracturing his left front leg while exercising in his paddock. But for Bruce Headley and others of his ilk who sanctify the equine ghosts of Santa Anita, Kona Gold lives on in perpetuity.

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Secretariat Center Open for the Holiday Season

For the first time since opening their doors in 2004, the Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park will keep its reschooling operation up and running throughout the winter months.

Shelley Mann, who stepped on as the program’s executive director this September, spoke on their plans for the upcoming season.

“Typically in the past, we have fostered horses out or decreased our numbers for two or three months out of the winter,” she said. “This is the first year that we really want to stay open. We have an entirely brand new staff this year and we want to work.”

One reason why the facility has shut down in the past is the lack of an onsite indoor arena.

“There are going to be some days, unfortunately, where we won’t be able to get a ton of riding done,” Mann said. “But there are so many other things that we can do with the horses whether it’s handling them on the ground, teaching them to clip or doing things with them in the stalls- just handling them every single day that we can, rain or shine. We’re looking forward to it.”

For nearly two decades, the Secretariat Center has worked to prepare off-track Thoroughbreds for successful post-track careers by rehabilitating and training foundational skills that will help them succeed with their eventual adopters.

“We really pride ourselves on being the gold standard in Thoroughbred retraining,” Mann said. “I think what makes us unique is that we are not a rescue facility, we are a retraining facility. We have great relationships with our donors and our adopters, and we work to make that match between a quality horse that is athletic and versatile with a perfect home where they can be happy and healthy for the rest of their lives.”

In order to keep the barn open in the coming months, the Secretariat Center is conducting a ‘Be An Angel’ program this holiday season to help gather basic supplies the horses will use throughout the winter.

“We’re really working to provide as many opportunities for the horses as possible,” Mann said. “This year we have created a program where we have Be An Angel trees in a variety of locations around the Lexington area. Each ornament has a photo of a horse currently on the property and on the back is their Christmas wish list.”

Requests on the wish lists include girths, winter blankets, turnout sheets and more.

Be An Angel trees are located at the Secretariat Center main office, as well as KBC Horse Supplies, Rood and Riddle Veterinary Pharmacy and Hagyard Pharmacy. For those who wish to contribute, donations boxes are available at each of the tree host locations, as well as the Secretariat Center office lobby. Supply donations can also be made online through Amazon Smile and monetary donations can be made here.

The Secretariat Center sits on 22 acres at the Kentucky Horse Park and features various paddocks, riding arenas, a round pen and a 10-stall barn. The program typically houses between 10 and 15 horses.

While inquiring adopters are usually permitted to visit the facility and ride available horses, the process has been hindered this year due to the pandemic and ongoing travel restrictions. Mann and her team have had to adapt in order to continue adopting out their trainees.

“We do a lot of communications through live videos. Trainers can sit in on the calls. It’s been interesting to be able to branch out and think of new ways to find homes for these horses.”

One 3-year-old mare has been adopted out through online communication and will be going to her new home, quite appropriately, right before the holidays begin.

“Christmas Pickles (Awesome Again) has been very popular since we have put her up for adoption,” Mann said. “She’s a big girl at 17 hands, and was just recently adopted. She will be moving to North Carolina and will be our closest thing to a Christmas delivery.”

Mann said that with their location at the Kentucky Horse Park, she believes their team has a unique opportunity in terms of educating both the public and the industry on aftercare.

“It’s wonderful being here,” she said. “Education is really a focus of ours, whether it’s working within the industry with owners and trainers to educate on options for these horses after they’re done racing or reaching out to other facilities that want to promote and educate on aftercare.”

As she looks ahead to the new year, Mann said her team has even bigger goals for 2021.

“We have so many plans,” she said. “We’re so excited, but I would say really we’re trying to focus on how we can do things better in terms of increasing our outreach through education and within our community so that anyone that goes through the Secretariat Center has a memorable, positive experience.”

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Applications Now Open for 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover

Applications are now open for the 2021 competition year of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 15, 2021 and accepted trainers will be announced Feb. 15, 2021.

As the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover was postponed to 2021 due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of the Retired Racehorse Project’s banner event will include competition groups both for horses that would have competed in 2020, as well as those entering for 2021. The two groups will compete separately, including two separate Finales to crown each year’s Thoroughbred Makeover Champion. Applications for the 2020 competition year closed earlier this year, though new owners of horses already entered for 2020 may apply to compete.

Entering its seventh year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, the Thoroughbred Makeover features competition in 10 disciplines for recently-retired Thoroughbreds in their first year of retraining for a career after racing. Horses and their trainers may compete in one or two disciplines of their choice, including Barrel Racing, Competitive Trail, Dressage, Eventing, Field Hunter, Polo, Ranch Work, Show Hunter, Show Jumper, and Freestyle (a freeform discipline showcasing skills of the trainer’s choosing).

Horses and trainers will compete for more than $100,000 in total prize money per competition year, plus the coveted title of Thoroughbred Makeover Champion at the Kentucky Horse Park Oct. 12-17, 2021. The Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium includes not just the competition, but educational seminars, a vendor fair, the Makeover Marketplace horse sale, and the Makeover Master Class, featuring demonstrations and insight from leading trainers. The Finale features the top five horses in each discipline and will be live-streamed for viewers at home.

The Thoroughbred Makeover is open to professionals, amateurs, juniors (ages 12 and over), and teams. Applicants are required to provide information about their riding and competition background as well as references, including one from a veterinarian. Applicants are encouraged to provide links to riding video, which is a requirement for first-time competitors. Competitors do not need to have acquired their horse at the time of application, though they must register their horse no later than July 31, 2021.

For a complete list of rules, click here or visit the Retired Racehorse Project’s website here for more information.

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