Organizations from
every corner of the Thoroughbred industry have come together to support a new
program created by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to develop second
careers for horses racing at New York Racing Association tracks. The program,
forged from a $225,000 start-up grant from the Harriet E. Pfleger Foundation,
will provide rehabilitation and retraining for as many as 100 horses a year.
NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and The Jockey Club, as
well as the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and The Jockeys’ Guild, have
all stepped forward with commitments to fund the initiative.
“With the spark
created by a large donation from a private foundation, we were able to put
together a consortium of racing partners to fund and oversee this valuable new
program,” TRF Director of External Affairs Diana Pikulski said. “We have a model
here in New
York that embodies what everyone is trying to accomplish
in the industry nationwide. We are excited that this has become a
reality.”
The first step will
be the redevelopment of the TRF retirement farm at the Wallkill Correctional
Facility in Wallkill,
N.Y. Wallkill, established in 1983,
has been home to hundreds of Thoroughbred retirees, all of whom are cared for by
Wallkill Correctional Facility inmates. A state-accredited vocational training
course in horse care and management developed by the TRF at Wallkill has served
as the prototype for TRF programs around the U.S., as well as
a blueprint for other Thoroughbred retirement organizations.
Wallkill will be
expanded to include the capability for short- and middle-term rehabilitation.
According to Pikulski, horses will be sent from NYRA tracks to Wallkill for an
evaluation that will determine if they are sound enough for the program, and
whether they need short- or long-term rest before they begin the retraining
process prior to adoption. The TRF is also exploring potential sites to be used
as the retraining centers, which will showcase the horses for those looking to
adopt. The first horses are
expected to be accepted into the program early this spring.
“Wallkill has the
facilities now for basic retirement, with the inmates grooming the horses and
keeping them happy and healthy, but this is a genuine effort to repurpose the
horses that are sound enough to have a future in other equine disciplines,” said
NYTHA President Rick Violette, Jr. “That’s a significant challenge, for sure,
but it’s a challenge that can be met, and it coincides with other initiatives
that NYTHA and NYRA are developing to find second careers for racehorses. Horses
that are physically able don’t need to be turned out – they really are much
happier if they have jobs to do.”
NYRA and NYTHA have partnered to commit a total of $185,000 to the
initiative. The Jockey Club will contribute $50,000, and more than $135,000 has
been collected from fundraisers and private
donations.
A committee comprised of representatives from NYTHA, NYRA, TRF, NYTB, the
Jockey’s Guild and the public will provide oversight for the
program.
“I think it is significant that all of these industry stakeholders are
rallying with substantial financial support around an expansion of the TRF's
signature and award-winning project,” NYTB Executive Director Jeffrey Cannizzo
remarked. “We are also grateful for the very substantial generosity of the
Harriet Pfleger Foundation. This is an initiative that has a documented success
in the rehabilitation of criminal offenders while at the same time advancing the
TRF's horse rescue mission. It's a tribute to all involved.”
Added Violette, “Everyone recognizes that, ultimately, this is all about
the horses.”