Posts Tagged ‘thoroughbred retirement foundation’
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Press Release
The Jockey Club is once again offering owners and breeders the opportunity to contribute, through a voluntary checkoff program, to Thoroughbred aftercare programs at the time they register their foals in 2010, it was announced today by James L. Gagliano, the president of The Jockey Club.
The retirement checkoff program, created in 2009, is administered by The Jockey Club, and it raises funds to assist the retirement, retraining and adoption efforts of Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF).
The Jockey Club, through its four commercial subsidiaries, donated $100,000 to each of those two charities in 2009 and will make donations for that same amount in 2010. The four companies are: The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.; The Jockey Club Technology Services Inc.; InCompass Solutions Inc.; and The Jockey Club Racing Services Inc.
“We are grateful to those who participated in the checkoff in 2009 and we hope that additional individuals and organizations will do their part this year to help ensure adequate post-racing care for Thoroughbreds,” said Gagliano. “The treatment and use of racehorses at the conclusion of their racing careers should be of concern to all industry participants.”
“The checkoff is important because it provides a steady source of funding for essential TCA activities,” said TCA president Herb Moelis. “We appreciate the contributions that have been made through the checkoff and we are grateful to The Jockey Club for maintaining the checkoff program. We hope other organizations will follow its lead and enact similar programs that benefit retirement efforts.”
“With across-the-board decreases in charitable giving, it’s more important than ever for the Thoroughbred industry to take care of its own and we urge owners and breeders to make contributions through The Jockey Club’s checkoff program,” said Diana Pikulski, the executive director of Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
TCA raises funds and distributes grants to a variety of non-profit organizations designed to improve conditions for horses and people in the Thoroughbred industry. Funds from The Jockey Club checkoff program are directed specifically to TCA’s Thoroughbred re-training and adoption initiatives. Additional information about TCA is available at thoroughbredcharities.org.
Founded in 1983, the TRF is dedicated to providing humane retirement options for Thoroughbreds at the end of their racing careers, and it operates vocational training in equine care for inmates at nine correctional facilities around the country. Funds from The Jockey Club checkoff program are designated specifically for the TRF’s vocational training at correctional facilities. Additional information about TRF is available at trfinc.org.
Thoroughbred breeders have the option of selecting one of four graduated amounts ($25, $50, $75, or $100) to be designated for these Thoroughbred aftercare programs or they can fill in the amount of their choice on the Application for Foal Registration form. These contributions do not qualify as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms, among others. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
Tags: Herb Moelis, InCompass Solutions, James L. Gagliano, tca, The Jockey Club, the jockey club information systems, The Jockey Club Technology Services, thoroughbred charities of america, thoroughbred retirement foundation, trf
Posted in Jockey Club | 7 Comments »
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
NTRA PRESS RELEASE
December 30, 2009
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association today announced that the Monique Koehler, whose tireless work saving retired racehorses through Thoroughbred retirement programs, will be honored with the 2009 Special Eclipse Award. The Special Eclipse Award, honors outstanding individual achievements in, or contributions to, the sport of Thoroughbred racing.
Koehler will receive her award at the 39th annual Eclipse Awards on Monday, January 18 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
A former advertising executive, Koehler, who resides in Middletown, N.J., became interested in the plight of racehorses that did not have “second careers” or could not be used for breeding after they were retired from racing. She founded the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in 1982 and helped to transform it into the largest retired equine rescue program in the nation with more than 1200 horses in its care. Since its inception, the TRF has been providing lifetime care, retraining and adoption for retired Thoroughbreds at TRF-operated farms in Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, Indiana, Tennessee and New York.
In the early stages of or the organization, Koehler negotiated a milestone agreement with the State of New York Department of Correctional Services. In exchange for land use and labor at the state’s Walkill Correctional Facility, the TRF would design, staff and maintain a vocational training program in equine care and management for inmates.
The prison program was recently expanded at Wallkill and has been replicated at TRF farms located at the Blackburn Correctional Facility in Kentucky, the Marion County Correctional Facility in Florida, Wateree Correctional Facility in South Carolina, Putnamville Correctional Facility in Indiana, James River Work Center in Virginia, Sykesville Correctional in Maryland and the Plymouth County Jail in Massachusetts.
“I am very honored and humbled to have been selected as a recipient of this year’s Special Eclipse award,” said Koehler, who is board chairman emeritus of TRF. “When I established the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation nearly three decades ago, it was out of my personal concern for these noble animals and for humane causes in general. I was not involved with racing in any way except as a casual fan. However, as the years went by, the success of my personal mission became inexorably linked to that of dedicated members of the racing community including Penny Chenery, Allaire DuPont, Skip & Mary Shapoff, and many others. Without their support, understanding and guidance, my goals and those of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, could never have been accomplished. Through this award, I firmly believe that the Committee is recognizing all of us who have taken part in this life-enriching, life-saving quest.
“It has been a wonderful and fulfilling journey and I am able to take a large measure of satisfaction in what the TRF has been able to accomplish, and the thousands of horses we have saved, the many thousands more whose rescue, rehabilitation or adoption we have facilitated, and the men, women and children whose lives we have changed for the better through our pioneering vocational training programs.”
“I can think of no better honoree. Monique took a huge ugly problem and turned it into a life affirming, positive program in which racing, through its support and its horses, gives back to society”, said Diana Pikulski, executive director of the TRF and a volunteer for the organization since 1980. “Only someone as astute and resolute as Monique could accomplish this especially when she was so far ahead of the industry in her vision. I am thrilled for her and for the TRF.”
The Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
The 39th Annual Eclipse Awards will be held on Monday, January 18 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. For hotel accommodations and Eclipse Awards ceremony reservations, contact Michele Ravencraft at the NTRA’s Lexington office, (800) 792-6872, or e-mail mravencraft@ntra.com.
Tags: allaire dupont, daily racing form, diana pikulski, eclipse awards, Horse Racing, mary shapoff, Moniqiue Koehler, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, national turf writers association, NTRA, penny chenery, skip shapoff, special eclipse award, thoroughbred retirement, thoroughbred retirement foundation, trf
Posted in People, eclipse awards | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
By Ray Paulick
On a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg during my August visit to South Africa, I struck up a conversation with a pleasant young man from Zimbabwe (the country known as Rhodesia some years back) who was on his way home from, of all things, a team break-dancing competition
I knew Zimbabwe had serious problems, but when I asked him what the biggest challenge was for young people in his homeland, his answer absolutely stunned me. “We have an unemployment rate of 80 percent, and an average life expectancy of 37 years,” he said. When I returned home, I went online to see if those numbers he quoted me were accurate. Sadly, they were. (Actually, the life expectancy for Zimbabwean women is 34 years, three fewer than for men.)
HIV/AIDS and other diseases have ravaged Zimbabwe and many other African countries, including neighboring Botswana, where in the early 1980s a young Johnathan Miller served as a director for the Peace Corps. Miller went on to successful careers in both the private and public sector, working in the State Department during the Reagan Administration and later as a political director to President George H.W. Bush. He is currently president of Bluemont International, an advisory firm based in Washington, D.C.
A Louisville, Ky., native who now lives on a farm in Paeonian Springs, Va., with his wife Elizabeth (Lisa) Thompson, Miller is also a Thoroughbred owner and breeder committed to providing retirement homes to ex-racehorses—both personally and industry wide. It’s in the latter capacity that I came to know Miller while he served as president of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation over a three-year period. He loves racing, particularly in Europe, but even more so loves the horses who make the sport go. He and Lisa are high on a 3-year-old filly named Southafrican Queen, a daughter of the South African champion Horse Chestnut, who won a graded stakes in the United States but then suffered a career-ending injury. Horse Chestnut started his stud career at Claiborne Farm, then returned to his homeland.
Miller stepped down as TRF president recently to devote more time to two of his other passions—aircraft and Africa—and they’ve reunited him with Botswana.
In 2006, Miller and his wife established a 501(c)3 charity called Airborne Lifeline Foundation, which uses small aircraft to transport health care professionals and medication to remote areaas of Botswana. He came up with the concept while consulting on a commercial project for a client who wanted to find a use for turbo-prop aircraft. “I saw a scarcity of medical resources and an inability to move it efficiently to where it could do the most good,” Miller said. He approached some people in the United States who panned the idea, saying it would be more efficient to use ground transportation. But Miller persisted, getting an enthusiastic endorsement from Botswana’s Ministry of Health and from then U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, Joseph Huggins.
“Since it was a brand new idea and it had never been tried, we had trouble funding it,” said Miller. “We basically mortgaged our farm and went ahead. It was like the ‘field of dreams’–build it and they will come. We borrowed several hundred thousand dollars and started flying the flights in 2007.”
Gradually, those Westerners who thought Miller’s idea was foolish came onboard. In 2008, $350,000 in funding came from PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), and additional money has been contributed from Merck and Co. pharmaceuticals and private donors including former Secretary of the Treasury James Baker and his wife, Susan. The total annual cost of the program is about $600,000, Miller said. It goes to lease the planes, purchase fuel and pay for the pilots.
In African bush country, people walk for hours upon hours to go to a town or village, often not knowing what they’ll find when they get to their destination. Health care professionals and medication are in scarce supply in many parts of the country, but Airborne Lifeline flights allow doctors to visit specific towns on the same day of the month on a regular basis. Thus, those Africans who have long treks through the bush know they’ll have a chance to get help when they arrive.
Flights go to six remote regions of the country every month, with the doctors flying in and out on the same day. “Rather than have them spend three days in a Land Rover, they can do three days of treatment,” said Miller. Eight doctors were on a recent flight–including three from Baylor University and three from the University of Pennsylvania–that brought them to clinics in a remote desert. They see patients, bring medication and take back blood samples that can be refrigerated on the flights and then tested in fully staffed hospitals. The program has expanded beyond exclusively treating HIV/AIDS patients and now does preventative care and deals with other health issues.
(Click here to see a news feature on the Airline Lifeline flights.)
Miller chose Botswana because, he said, though it has a high HIV/AIDS rate, it has done more to address the disease than most other African countries. In addition, he said, Botswana is a multi-party democracy without corruption, something that makes it easier to get things done.
He is anxious, however, to expand the program to other countries, which had been suggested by American HIV/AIDS specialist Dr. Thomas Kenyon. “We are beginning discussions with Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Liberia and Ethiopia, but we can only go in bite sizes,” Miller said. “Whoever expresses the most interest first is where we’ll likely go. If Mugabe steps down in Zimbabwe (Robert Mugabe has been head of that country since 1980, with disastrous results), we’d go there.
“We’d like to roll out one country next year, but I still have to run a business and take care of my horses,” he said.
For more information or to make a donation to this 501(c)3 organization, write to: Airborne Lifeline Foundation, Box 49, 1700 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them. To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here.
Tags: Airborne Lifeline Foundation, Bluemont International, Botswana, Cape Town, Elizabeth Thompson, George H. W. Bush, Good News Friday, Johannesburg, Johnathan Miller, liberation farm, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, Southafrican Queen, thoroughbred retirement foundation, Zimbabawe
Posted in Good News Friday, People | 3 Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Richard Fields, the owner of Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Mass., is no shrinking violet when it comes to business. The one-time owner of the Catch a Rising Star comedy clubs became a real-life apprentice to Donald Trump and later trumped The Donald on a billion-dollar deal to develop the Seminole Indian tribe’s Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, Fla.
 But by all accounts Fields is just an old softie when it comes to animals. He is a generous supporter of horse retirement and retraining programs, including the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and CANTER New England. Under his urging, Suffolk Downs became the first track to establish a policy banning trainers whose horses ended up being sold or transported to slaughter plants. He’s also been a longtime supporter of the American Quarter Horse Association Foundation and many of its youth programs, through the Fields Family Foundation and Jackson Land & Cattle, his ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo., where Fields keeps some retired Thoroughbreds himself.
“I wish we had 10 track owners like him,” a prominent New York Thoroughbred horseman recently told me.
Fields bought Suffolk Downs in 2007 when it appeared the track might be on the ropes for the second time in 20 years. Suffolk was closed for more than two years until the late James Moseley took control and brought it back to life in 1992. During his all-too-short tenure as chairman of the board (Moseley died in 1998), Suffolk Downs enjoyed a revival, highlighted by back-to-back victories in the 1995-96 Massachusetts Handicap by two-time Horse of the Year Cigar. But the economics worsened following Moseley’s death, and Coastal Development, a company owned by Fields, bought controlling interest with the hope of bringing Suffolk Downs back to some semblance of its glory days.
The track opened in 1935 to more than 35,000 fans, and over the next 20 years, crowds upward of 60,000 showed up to see such racing stars as Seabiscuit, War Admiral, Whirlaway and Stymie. The Beatles came to Suffolk Downs for an infield concert in 1966 that attracted more than 25,000 screaming fans. A few years later, legendary Major League Baseball team owner Bill Veeck (as in wreck) took over management of the track, which by then was in steep decline, bringing his unique and sometimes outrageous brand of marketing to horse racing. (Veeck sent a midget to the plate as a pinch hitter when he owned the Cleveland Indians, had the first exploding scoreboard with fireworks at Comiskey Park in Chicago, dressed his 1970s version of the White Sox in shorts, and had the mother of all bad promotions in 1979, disco demolition night, which resulted in an inside the park riot and cancellation of the second game of a doubleheader ).
There are a couple of odd holdovers from Veeck’s short-lived management of the track: a huge, wood-paneled office he had built, complete with fireplace, overlooking the turf club dining room and racetrack. It currently sits empty, as something of a tribute to Veeck. Adjacent to the office is one-of-a-kind shower, with a dozen evenly-spaced water jets, that Veeck would use after making his morning rounds on the backstretch. (Veeck had a “peg leg” he removed for bathing purposes and apparently had difficulty using a standard shower.)
Back to Fields. He’s done more than demonstrate a real concern for the animals who are at the heart of this game. His humane policies on that front attracted the attention of horse owners Tracy and Carol Farmer and trainer Nick Zito, who cited Fields’ anti-slaughter position when deciding to race recently retired Commentator in the 2008 MassCap. In addition, while recognizing the importance of good corporate citizenship, Fields and his management team have instituted a number of outreach programs, headed by the Community Winner’s Circle, which recognizes individuals and groups who have dedicated themselves to worthy causes in the surrounding communities. It’s a special Saturday program that runs over the first two months of the meeting each spring.
Suffolk Downs is also the host of the Greater Boston Walk Now for Autism. In its first year in 2007, more than 16,000 walkers circled the dirt track, and the 2008 walk attracted more than 20,000 individuals raising money and awareness for the Autism Speaks charity. All told, the track supports nearly 90 charities.
Fields said his goal when he bought controlling interest of Suffolk Downs was to keep Thoroughbred racing alive in New England, and he injected new life immediately by increasing marketing budgets with an eye toward rebuilding the fan base. But he has bigger plans for the facility than simply offering live racing. He hopes to get legislative support allowing him to build a destination resort casino at Suffolk Downs, something that hasn’t been easy to accomplish.
The drive for a resort casino led to the formation of the Coalition for Jobs and Growth (click here for information). Among other things, the organization’s web site keeps an ongoing tally of how much money Massachusetts residents are gambling in the neighboring states of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine (the current amount exceeds $700 million for the year). Fields and his management team are hoping to convince legislators that a resort casino in the Boston area (as opposed to a racino or racing operation with slot machines) offers the best chance to greatly increase tax revenue to the state and revive horse racing at Suffolk Downs.
Is this native New Yorker (Fields was born and raised in the Bronx) practicing good corporate citizenship and providing a safer haven for horses merely as a means to convince legislators to pass the casino legislation? I don’t think so. But even if that was the case, he is giving horse racing a good name in New England, a major market that has a great and long association with the sport. It’s a market we can’t afford to lose.
Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them. To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: american quarter horse association, Bill Veeck, CANTER, Catch a Rising Star, Coalition for Jobs and Growth, Donald Trump, Fields Family Foundation, Good News Friday, Jackson Land & Cattle, liberation farm, nick zito, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, richard fields, suffolk downs, thoroughbred retirement foundation
Posted in Good News Friday, Race Tracks | 15 Comments »
Friday, June 5th, 2009
Do you know an individual or organization who you think we should consider for an upcoming “Good News Friday” feature? Then please e-mail info@paulickreport.com with the name of the individual or organization and a brief description of why you think they should be featured. Additionally, we’d like to thank Rob Whiteley and Liberation Farm for encouraging us to bring to light some of the industry’s positive stories and for sponsoring this exclusive Paulick Report feature.
By Ray Paulick
I attended my first Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club meeting in 1988, shortly after moving to the Bluegrass State to go to work for the Thoroughbred Times. The club’s monthly meetings typically offered a banquet meal of overcooked chicken or beef, a guest speaker of varying interest, and the latest gossip about horses and the people who work with them. I seldom went home hungry for food or information.
It wasn’t until many years later, however, that I learned the KTFMC is a lot more than a social club offering continuing education for its members. It is, in fact, one of the most charitable of Central Kentucky’s Thoroughbred organizations, spreading its generosity among many horse industry and community groups. In 2008, the KTFMC donated more than $100,000 to 25 different organizations ranging from those that do equine research to one that puts on a high school rodeo.
Foremost among those groups is Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, an organization whose motto is: “Help Unleash the Healing Power of the Horse.” Located at the Kentucky Horse Park, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope uses horses for therapeutic programs to improve the quality of life and the health of children and adults with special physical, cognitive, emotional and social needs. It is a wonderful organization that really makes a difference in the community. (Incidentally, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope’s big fundraiser, the sixth annual Night of the Stars is on June 20. Click here for details.)
A colostrom bank managed by the KTFMC and facilitated by Rood and Riddle and the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute raised $42,000 in 2008, with all of the proceeds going to Riding for Hope in 2008. Another $5,000 was donated to Riding for Hope’s building fund. The colostrom program benefiting Riding for Hope has been in place about a decade and the building fund donations have been ongoing for about five years, said Matthew Koch, the 2009 Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club president.
“Mark McEntee (Miacomet Farm) has really worked hard to make the colostrom bank a success,” said Koch, the son of longtime Claiborne Farm manager Gus Koch who with his brother, Charles, and Ted Kuster, operates Shawhan Place Farm. “In 2005, the colostrom bank raised $21,000, and we’re up to about $45,000 this year. This is a totally volunteer organization and Mark is like so many of the other board members who steps up and takes responsibility. We all have a piece of the pie to make this work. Our administrator, Renee Wash, deserves a lot of credit, too.”
The second largest beneficiary of charitable giving from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club is the Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI), which offers education and farm management opportunities for college students from around the country by bridging the gap between academics and practical experience. KEMI received $20,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club in 2008.
“By supporting KEMI, we’re getting something back when these kids become part of the industry,” Koch said.
KEMI and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation have been designated as the primary recipients of the farm managers’ biggest event, the 17th Annual Challenge Cup Golf Scramble, which is coming up on Monday, June 29 at the University Golf Club near Lexington. Last year’s tournament, its biggest ever, raised over $30,000 through entry fees and sponsorships. Grant Williamson of Vinery and B.G. “Scooter” Hughes are co-chairing the Challenge Cup Committee. Click here for corporate sponsorship information, here for hole sponsorship and here to sign up to play.
There are other events, including the annual Sporting Clays Classic in August, and many other charities that benefit.
The best news I gathered about the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club when I attended one of their meetings earlier this year is that the organization is growing by leaps and bounds (its membership is over 800) and that its leadership is a blend of veteran farm managers and a younger generation who bring great enthusiasm and commitment. Combined they are helping the KTFMC fulfill its mission “to foster cooperation and understanding among members; to provide a forum for the discussion of topics critical to our profession, which will enhance and protect our professional interests; to promote fellowship among members; to be good stewards of the land and Thoroughbred industry; and to be good citizens of the community.”
The food has improved over the last 20 years, too. Keeneland’s Phoenix Room and Turf Catering provide a great setting and meal for most of the meetings (Fasig-Tipton is also a host). And it continues to be an event where you can catch up on all the industry gossip—some things haven’t changed.
Previous Good News Friday subjects: Father Chris Clay, The Race for Education, Military Appreciation Day at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks Pink Out for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Mary Lee-Butte and the Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy, Mary Jo Pons and the Radio Reading Network, TV Ratings Are Up, Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: central kentucky riding for hope, ckrh, colostrom bank, kemi, kentucky equine management internship, kentucky thoroughbred farm managers club, ktfmc, mark mcentee, matthew koch, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, Thoroughbred industry, thoroughbred retirement foundation, trf
Posted in Good News Friday | 6 Comments »
Monday, December 1st, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Long before most Americans knew that ex-racehorses could end up on someone’s dinner plate in Europe, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation was doing what it could to provide an alternative to the slaughterhouse or a life of neglect and abuse. Founded in 1982, the TRF is the oldest, largest and best known operation dedicated to helping Thoroughbreds no longer able to race or serve as breeding animals.
The founder of TRF was Monique S. Koehler, who had a unique vision to have these horses serve as part of a vocational training program at the Walkill Correctional Facility in New York. In short, the TRF would provide the horses and Walkill would supply land and inmates who would be taught how to care for the horses as part of their own rehabilitation. The program has been a success, for both horses and the humans who have cared for them. Many former inmates have been quick to credit the TRF program for their own personal turnaround, as the therapeutic value of working with horses has been well documented. Click here to see a video about the TRF produced by HRTV.
This unique prison program has been replicated in five states that have TRF farms at correctional institutions and since the spring of 2004 the organization has operated a rehabilitation and retraining facility – the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center – at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington. The Secretariat Center is now open for public visitors from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with interactive demonstrations on Saturday mornings from 10-11 a.m. Horses from the Secretariat Center have been adopted out for second careers to horse owners around the country.
Like all welfare organizations, the TRF depends on donations to fulfill a mission that hopes to eventually rescue all ex-racehorses from slaughter, neglect or abuse. Breeders who produce the horses were recently given an option by the Jockey Club to contribute to the TRF through a checkoff program at the time a Thoroughbred is registered. Click here for details. But there are many ways to make a gift, sponsor a horse or adopt a horse.
Beginning today and running through Dec. 20, the TRF has launched an online fundraising auction of items ranging from racing memorabilia to exclusive vacation getaways. To see the list of auction items and begin bidding, click here.
Throughout the past week of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Paulick Report has focused on a variety of equine charities or individuals in the Thoroughbred industry who have dedicated a part of their lives to helping others less fortunate. These are only a small number of the many extremely worthy organizations and people who are making a difference to make this a better industry.
Here are links to the organizations featured in the past week: Belmont Child Care Association/Anna House; the Exceller Fund; ReRun; the Salvation Army fund-raising page started by my former colleague Ron Mitchell; Thoroughbred Charities of America; Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation; and Tranquility Farm.
There are others, too numerous to mention, and I would invite readers to list their favorite equine charities in the comment section below. I sincerely hope each of you will consider a gift, no matter how large or small, to an organization that is making a difference in our lives and in our industry.
Tags: anna house, bcca, belmont child care association, equine charities, exceller fund, horse charities, horse slaughter, Horse Welfare, monique koehler, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, rerun, ron mitchell, salvation army, tca, thoroughbred charities of america, thoroughbred retirement foundation, throughbred charities, tranquility farm, trf, wallkill prison
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Horse Welfare, Industry Organizations | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
There are so many charitable organizations in racing, some benefiting Thoroughbreds to enjoy a second career after their racing days are over, and others focusing on the people involved in the game who need our help. For some, it’s a difficult choice where to direct their charitable donations
Enter the Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), whose annual telephone auction of seasons is Dec. 1-3 and whose charitable auction dinner will be held in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, Dec. 5. The TCA serves strictly as a fund-raising organization that allocates money raised to a variety of equine and human organizations that work toward improving the lives of racehorses and the people who work with them.
Here are the five areas the TCA supports:
- Thoroughbred rescue, rehabilitation, retraining, adoption, retirement and euthanasia
- Backstretch workers including disabled jockeys, farm and track employees with little or no medical coverage and child care for them while working
- Equine educational organizations including those who provide equine-based scholarships and those who utilize Thoroughbreds in their educational programs
- Therapeutic riding programs which include the use of Thoroughbreds in their programs
- Research into equine diseases and ailments
 The concept for the TCA, which is now affiliated with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, was begun in 1990 by the late Allaire DuPont and Herb and Ellen Moelis (pictured), who felt a need to help promote the well-being of retired racehorses. It began with a small auction at the Moelis’ CandyLand Farm in Middletown, Del., where $15,000 was raised and donated to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. The event grew, especially after the generous addition of stallion seasons, and before long the group was raising nearly $1 million through its annual dinner auction.
The TCA was thus created to serve as a “United Way” type of organization to pass through donations where it’s most needed. To date, more than $15 million has been given to over 200 different Thoroughbred non-profit organizations by the TCA, which sends 94 cents from every dollar raised directly to these charities. Click here to see the list of organizations which have received funding from TCA.
Oversight for the TCA, which has one employee, falls on a knowledgeable and respected board of directors who are active in both fund-raising and grant decisions.
This year’s 19th annual TCA Stallion Season and Art Auction takes place at the Keeneland Entertainment Center on Friday, Dec. 5, beginning at 6 p.m. For tickets, call (859) 312-5531. For information about this important event and the Dec. 1-3 telephone auction that precedes it, click here. If you’re unable to attend, you can still bid on the stallion seasons and other items up for auction. To make a donation to TCA, click here.
The Paulick Report will spotlight a different charity each day of Thanksgiving week, when we traditionally take time to reflect and give thanks to the blessings we have and to help those less fortunate. This is a difficult time for many Americans, and charitable organizations are feeling the effects of the global economic crisis. We hope you’ll spend a few minutes to learn about some of the charities that make us a better industry, and consider giving to these or to others that we won’t have the opportunity to publicize. Remember that no gift is too small.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: allaire dupont, candyland farm, Ellen Moelis, Herb Moelis, horse racing charities, horse slaughter, Horse Welfare, Keeneland, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, tca, tca stallion season and art auction, thoroughbred charities, thoroughbred charities of america, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred rescue, thoroughbred retirement foundation, TOBA, trf
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Horse Welfare, Industry Organizations, TOBA | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
One of the Thoroughbred industry’s biggest challenges may also present one of its greatest opportunities. The challenge, brought to the fore this year by a series of widely publicized events but always lingering just off center stage, is the issue of animal welfare. How the industry deals with this subject may be one of its last, best opportunities to derail our slow but steady march toward irrelevance in the eyes of the general public.
The death of Eight Belles in this year’s Kentucky Derby, from all indications, was a freak accident, one of those incidents that could not have been prevented by anyone. But her demise, along with revelations about the routine administration of anabolic steroids to many of the sport’s best performers, shined a spotlight on racing that revealed to the general public some of its darkest truths.
Foremost among those is the question of what becomes of a Thoroughbred when it is no longer useful as a racing or breeding animal. Some owners and breeders take great measures to insure either a productive second life for their horses or dispose of them through humane euthanasia. Too many horses slip through the cracks, however, and end up on meat wagons headed to slaughter houses in Canada or Mexico, or are simply abandoned.
The perception of our sport is shaped by media reports of the cruelty of slaughter or abandonment of Thoroughbreds, and it does not present an image attractive to many Americans, especially a younger generation that is more in tune with animal welfare issues.
That is the challenge.
The opportunity lies in the numerous programs and untold number of volunteers who work to find second homes for Thoroughbreds as riding, pleasure or performance horses, or as therapeutic animals used in programs for the mentally, spiritually or physically challenged, and in prisons where they have helped rehabilitate hardened criminals.
It’s time for the racing and breeding industry to fully embrace programs like the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, CANTER, Rerun, Tranquility Farm, Thoroughbred Charities of America and others, instead of pretending the issue of unwanted ex-racehorses does not exist.
Last week I heard a presentation on how our sport can energize its “brand” from marketing expert David Aaker at the Asian Racing Conference in Tokyo, Japan. Aaker, an advisor to Japanese advertising giant Dentsu and professor emeritus at the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley, talked about how some other businesses have energized their brands by hitching their wagons to something outside of their core business that it is interesting, relevant and compelling to their customer base.
Avon, one of the oldest cosmetic brands for women, was cited as one very good example. There was little the company could do to energize itself by making better lipstick, Aaker said, so it found an issue with great relevance and interest to its female customers: breast cancer. Avon put enormous resources into a breast cancer awareness campaign, created a foundation to support breast cancer research, and promoted an annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer throughout the world. Breast cancer research and other social issues relevant to women were foremost among Avon CEO Andrea Jung’s program to rebuild and re-energize the Avon cosmetic brand. It has been a great success.
What social issue is of great importance to current and potential racing fans? I think that’s a no-brainer: it’s the humane treatment of the animals that give us so much pleasure and entertainment.
Look into the eyes of any fan when a horse dumps its rider in the post parade and takes off on a perilous solo run, or when a horse breaks down in a race or is carted off on an ambulance. It’s not just the champions our fans care about, either, it’s those low-level claimers they’ve followed in the first or last race on any day at any track.
Racing is fortunate to have people who are animal lovers and do what they can to protect them. Just today, Madeleine Paulson Pickens is reported to have come up with a plan to rescue from death the tens of thousands of wild mustangs who have roamed the American West and are so much a part of our culture. The late Paul Mellon bequeathed a most generous gift to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation that will benefit former racehorses for years to come. John Hettinger dedicated the last years of his life to ending slaughter and protecting our horses.
But it’s time for racing, as an institution, to understand that what’s good for our horses is good for our sport, to face this challenge and embrace it as an opportunity. The Jockey Club realized this with its recent announcement that it will give to horse retirement causes and offer breeders an easy way to donate funds to this cause whenever they register a foal. Suffolk Downs officials established a zero-tolerance policy against trainers sending horses to slaughter and a few other tracks have followed their lead.
But the clock is ticking. Voters in Massachusetts banned dog racing in that state Nov. 4 because of concerns over animal welfare. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to see similar measures taken against the racing of horses. Think about that for a minute.
We have some very bright people in this industry, people who can understand what marketing expert Aaker was talking about with Avon and apply the same principle to help both the horses and the business of Thoroughbred racing. We can energize the Thoroughbred racing "brand" by taking on one of our biggest challenges and viewing it as an opportunity to sell our sport to a new generation.
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Tags: 32nd asian racing conference, andre jung, animal welfare, anti-slaughter, asian racing conference, avon, avon walk for breast cancer, ban on dog racing, CANTER, ceo andrea jung, david aaker, dentsu, dog racing ban, eight belles, haas school of business, Horse Racing, horse slaughter, john hettinger, kentucky derby, Madeleine Paulson Pickens, madeleine pickens, massachsusetts dog racing ban, mellon foundation, paul mellon, Paulick Report, pickens plan, Ray Paulick, rerun, thoroughbred charities of america, thoroughbred racing and breeding, thoroughbred retirement, thoroughbred retirement foundation, tranquility farm, trf
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Horse Welfare, Industry Reform | 17 Comments »
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
The tale of five horses from the Suffolk Downs backstretch that recently ended up in the kill pen of the infamous New Holland, Pa., livestock auction demonstrates the challenges the East Boston, Mass., racetrack has in enforcing its “zero-tolerance” horse welfare policy that will ban trainers or owners who sell their horses for slaughter.
The five Thoroughbreds discovered at New Holland were saved from an ignominious death in a Canadian  slaughterhouse, one that typically follows a cramped and uncomfortable van ride with other livestock. Instead, these five horses are being placed in retirement or retraining facilities. Because of the incident, however, five people, including trainer Pam Pompell and owner Albert Michelson, have been told they are no longer welcome at Suffolk Downs.
The story begins Oct. 26, when the New England division of CANTER (Communications Alliance to Network Ex-Racehorses) held its third annual Suffolk Showcase to bring potential horses and adopters together. The Suffolk meeting, which ends tomorrow, has a number of horses whose future in racing has been compromised by physical infirmities or lack of competitiveness. They are among the population becoming known as "unwanted horses."
Trainer Pompell was one of those who attended the CANTER showcase. Two days later, it is alleged, she approached trainers Gerry LeFleur and Tony D’Angelo and said she had good homes for horses each of them brought to the Suffolk showcase, either at a Boy Scout camp or another charitable program for special-needs children. LaFleur gave Tercia de Reinas to Pompell, and D’Angelo gave Storm Up Front to the trainer. Owner Michelson, who raced a few horses at Suffolk with Pompell during the meeting, filled out some paperwork and vanned them off the track property. No money is said to have changed hands.
Five days later, on Nov. 1, Michelson is alleged to have vanned three more horses out of Suffolk (Tiny Target, Jimmy the Gov and Arrested Gatorgirl) that had been trained by Wayne Sargent. Pompell allegedly told Sargent the horses were going to CANTER. Again, the horses were said to have been donated at no cost.
On Sunday, Nov. 2, a CANTER volunteer was tipped off that some Thoroughbreds were en route to the notorious auction at New Holland where “killer buyers” have been operating for years. CANTER notified Sam Elliott, vice president of racing for Suffolk Downs, and he made arrangements the following day with the auction company to buy the five racehorses for $2,700, with financial assistance from the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. The horses were subsequently placed with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
How the horses went from supposedly being donated to a Boy Scout ranch or to the CANTER program and ending up in the kill pen destined for slaughter is where the story gets a bit fuzzy. Pompell and Michelson told the Paulick Report they donated the horses at no cost to a horse trader named Dave Costa, who owns Chipaway Stables in Acushnet, Mass. Costa, however, said he paid Michelson for the horses and intended to send them to his farm in Florida, where he hoped to sell them as polo horses in the toney Wellington area of Palm Beach County.
Costa said he sent the horses to New Holland to “overnight” before someone he hired would drive them to Florida. Costa changed his mind when he got a call from the van driver who said someone was willing to pay $1,500 for the five horses. The new owner then sold them by the pound to the auction company and put them in the kill pen, the area designated for horses not being auctioned off but sent directly to the Canadian slaughterhouse.
That’s where they were when Elliott of Suffolk Downs rescued them. When track management put the story together, Pompell and Michelson were notified that Suffolk Downs was exercising its right to exclude them from the property. LeFleur, D’Angelo and Sargent have also been excluded.
“Suffolk Downs did me dirty,” Pompell said when contacted by the Paulick Report. “CANTER put me on to three horses that were owned by Wayne Sargent. They said to take them and give them to Costa and make them into polo ponies. The horses looked like they hadn’t been fed, hadn’t been cleaned. Those stalls had at least a half a inch of shit on the ground. When we took the horses from Sargent he was happy. Then Suffolk accused me of sending horses to the killers that I had no knowledge of. Costa is a legitimate horse dealer and trainer. These horses did not go to no killers. We gave the horses to Costa. I will not kill a horse for anybody for any money.
“I was doing a favor to Sargent,” she said. “He pretty near begged us to take the horses.”
Michelson insists he received no money from Costa when he turned the five horses over to him. “I never sold them nothing,” he told the Paulick Report. “I’m 80 years old. I’ve raced horses, my father and grandfather raced horses. We are not in the killer business. My father was on the board of the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for 25 years. We’ve never had a citation for abusing animals.”
Costa said he did pay Michelson for the horses, but wouldn’t disclose the amount. “He got a little money, but he didn’t get much,” Costa said.” I bought them as polo prospects, and dropped them off at the (New Holland) sale barn, where they were supposed to be picked up and driven to Florida. But the kid who was going to haul them off sold them.”
Costa claimed that he had never heard the term “kill pen” before. “All this is a bunch of b.s.,” he said. “What’s a kill pen? I’ve seen pigs in that pen, cattle, saddle horses. It was the only pen available, and the guys receiving cattle said to put them in that pen. The horses may have even been marked to keep them out of the sale.”
No matter how the horses wound up in the kill pen, hours away from the final ride of their lives, one thing seems certain: Suffolk Downs is serious about enforcing the anti-slaughter rules adopted under the leadership of Richard Fields, who bought controlling interest in the track last year. The policy was a bold move that a handful of other tracks, including those owned by Magna Entertainment, are adopting.
Pompell and Michelson have been banned from the property, effective immediately, as were the three other trainers, even though they may have believed the horses were going to be used for legitimate purposes.
"Regrettably, for the second time this year we have had a violation of our anti-slaughter policy and we intend to exercise our rights to restrict the access to our property by individuals involved,” said Chip Tuttle, chief operating officer for Suffolk Downs. “These horses were sold with deliberate disregard for their ultimate disposition. They didn’t end up at the auction months after they left here but hours later. There are lots of different stories, but the individuals involved should have known better.
“Both Suffolk Downs and the state of Massachusetts expect that the people who stable here will adhere to standards of decency and will uphold their obligation to the animals in their care,” Tuttle said. “The vast majority of the Suffolk Downs horsemen work with us and with accredited retirement programs to ensure safe and healthy second careers for their athletes."
Michelson didn’t seem bothered by the ban, saying, “I wouldn’t race there again if they paid me to come.”
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: albert michelson, CANTER, chip away stables, chip tuttle, communications alliance to network ex-racehorses, dave costa, hbpa, horse slaughter, Horse Welfare, horsemen's benevolent and protective association, new england, new england hbpa, new holland auction, new holland sale, pam pompell, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, richard fields, sam elliott, suffolk downs, thoroughbred retirement, thoroughbred retirement foundation, thoroughbred slaughter, wayne sargent
Posted in Horse Racing, Horse Slaughter, Horse Welfare | 33 Comments »
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
(UPDATED OCT. 10 TO REFLECT NEW POLICY FROM MAGNA ENTERTAINMENT)
When the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives held a markup hearing on Sept. 17 to discuss H.B. 6598, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 that would ban slaughter and criminalize the transportation of horses for the purpose of having them slaughtered for human consumption, a letter from National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and CEO Alex Waldrop said his organization took a neutral position on H.B. 6598 despite supporting previous anti-slaughter legislation.
Waldrop’s position statement, read into the record by Republican Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, outraged a number of prominent Thoroughbred industry participants, including Pin Oak Stud’s Josephine Abercrombie, who wrote a letter signed by more than 40 individuals that was sent to the leadership of the Judiciary Committee stating that the NTRA did not speak for them on the issue. The Judiciary Committee passed the legislation on Sept. 23 and sent it to the full House.
On Oct. 3, however, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) referred the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act to the Agriculture Committee, giving that committee until Jan. 3, 2009, to take action on the bill. Since the 110th Congress has adjourned, the bill will not pass unless it comes up during a lame duck session, which is highly unlikely.
Agriculture Committee chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and ranking Republican Goodlatte both have been recipients of contributions from the NTRA PAC, most recently receiving $5,000 for their 2008 campaigns. Peterson is a member of the Congressional Horse Caucus and Goodlatte has been a strong ally of the NTRA’s lobbying efforts concerning Internet gambling and tax incentives for breeders. Goodlatte has been an opponent of slaughter legislation. (Abercrombie, incidentally, is a “champion” level NTRA Horse PAC donor, giving $5,000.)
In the wake of the Judiciary Committee’s action on anti-slaughter legislation and the NTRA’s neutral position (the American Horse Council is also neutral), Paulick Report readers suggested we contact other major Thoroughbred industry associations and businesses to see if they have taken a position on the issue of slaughter and on the specific legislation (H.B. 6598).
Listed alphabetically by organization, here is what we learned:
ASSOCIATION OF RACING COMMISSIONERS INTERNATIONAL: According to RCI president/CEO Ed Martin, the RCI “normally does not take positions on pending legislation in Congress and has not been asked by any of its members to address the issue.”
BREEDERS’ CUP: Greg Avioli, president/CEO, said the Breeders’ Cup “has not issued a formal policy statement on the slaughter legislation before Congress. However, it is the strong consensus of our board that slaughter is inhumane and any and all reasonable options other than slaughter should be pursued. In furtherance of this position, proceeds from this year’s Championships will go to multiple retirement organizations.”
CHURCHILL DOWNS INC. Officials did not reply to requests for a position statement. Churchill Downs Inc, created the Greener Pastures program in conjunction with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and supports other retirement and retraining programs.
FASIG-TIPTON: Did not reply to requests for a position statement. Under the leadership of the late John Hettinger, Fasig-Tipton’s majority shareholder, the company created Blue Horse Charities to offer support to various retirement and retraining organizations. Hettinger was the industry’s leading anti-slaughter advocate.
JOCKEY CLUB: Spokesman Bob Curran gave no position on H.B. 6598 but said the official breed registry “is opposed to the slaughter or processing of Thoroughbreds for consumption by humans or animals. This includes the sale and/or transportation of Thoroughbreds for slaughter or processing for consumption by humans or animals.” The Jockey Club is a member of the Unwanted Horse Coalition.
KEENELAND ASSOCIATION: Did not reply to requests for a position statement. Keeneland and its foundation have supported Thoroughbred retirement and retraining organizations, including the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Rerun.
KENTUCKY EQUINE EDUCATION PROJECT: A statement from executive director Patrick Neely said: “It has been a topic of discussion in some of KEEP’s industry working groups but no formal position has been taken at this time.”
KENTUCKY THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION: Did not reply to requests for a position statement. KTA lists several Thoroughbred retirement organizations on its Web site.
MAGNA ENTERTAINMENT (owns Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Laurel, Pimlico, Lone Star Park, Remington Park, Golden Gate Fields): Does not have a position statement on slaughter or current anti-slaughter legislation, according to an official with the company. OCT. 10 UPDATE: MAGNA INSTITUTES NEW POLICY. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.
NATIONAL HORSEMEN’S BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION: CEO Remi Bellocq said he could not provide a yes or no answer to whether the organization supports a ban on slaughter or H.B. 6598 because of the diversity of the 30 HBPA affiliates across North America. “Our horsemen and horsewomen fall across the spectrum on this issue,” Bellocq said. The National HBPA is a member of the Unwanted Horse Coalition. Bellocq said “this shouldn’t be defined necessarily as a ‘slaughter for human consumption’ issue but, rather, an ‘unwanted horses’ issue. To a person, if given a choice, horsemen would much prefer finding a home and/or second career for their horses as opposed to slaughter. Unfortunately, no matter what legislation (state or federal) is passed, the real problem – the number of unwanted horses – will still exist. To stem the number of unwanted horses, education and awareness are a key first step to successfully bring the number down.
“To that end, in 2005 National HBPA was one of the founding members of the Unwanted Horse and we continue working actively within the UHC to better educate horsemen about the options including, should all else fail, humane euthanasia. The UHC has set-up a big tent under which all the wonderful horse rescue programs can work together. If we truly made an industry-wide effort to centralize, for example, an ex-racehorse outplacement / adoption program, I am convinced many could be placed with willing owners. Why not, for instance, establish a national site modeled after Petfinder.com? Already, organizations like the Illinois HBPA have created similar approaches with success (see Illinois HBPA’s Horses Wanted link.”
NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION: Did not reply to requests for a position statement. NYRA offers support to the Exceller Fund, which helps place retired horses and has supported the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION: CEO Alan Foreman said the organization has not taken a position on the current legislation. “There will be a new Congress in January and we will visit the issue then,” Foreman said.
THOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION: Position statement from TOBA president Dan Metzger: “We are categorically opposed to the slaughter of Thoroughbreds, and urge all those involved in the Thoroughbred industry to support rescue and adoption efforts and to work together to find humane means of dealing with the problems presented by Thoroughbreds no longer suitable for racing or breeding.” Metzger did not indicate whether or not TOBA has a position on H.B. 6598. TOBA is a member of the Unwanted Horse Coalition and is affiliated with Thoroughbred Charities of America, which supports numerous horse retirement and retraining operations.
THOROUGHBRED OWNERS OF CALIFORNIA: Did not reply to requests for a position statement. TOC’s Web site offers advice to a horse’s “last owner” and pushed for a first-of-its-kind charitable fund, the Calfornia Retirement Management Account (CARMA), to solicit and distribute purse checkoffs for retirement and retraining programs. Transport for slaughter is illegal in California.
THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATIONS: Executive vice president Chris Scherf said the organization of North American racetracks has adopted no official position.
Tags: agriculture committee, alex waldrop, anti-slaughter legi, association of racing commissioners international, blue horse charities, bob curran, bob goodlatte, Breeders' Cup, carma, chris scherf, churchill downs, collin peterson, congressional horse caucus, dan metzger, ed martin, fasig-tipton, greener pastures, Greg Avioli, h.b. 6598, hbpa, horse slaughter, Jockey Club, john hettinger, Josephine Abercrombie, judiciary committee, Keeneland, kentucky equine education project, kentucky thoroughbred association, kta, Magna Entertainment, nancy pelosi, national horsemen's benevolent and protective associati, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, New York Racing Association, nhbpa, NTRA, ntra pac, nyra, patrick neely, Paulick Report, prevention of equine cruelty act, Ray Paulick, RCI, remi bellocq, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, thoroughbred owners of california, thoroughbred racing associations, thoroughbred retirement foundation, TOBA, toc, tra, unwanted horse coalition
Posted in Horse Slaughter, Horse Welfare, Industry Organizations | 21 Comments »
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