Organizations from every corner of the Thoroughbred industry have come
together to support a new program created by the
Thoroughbred Retirement
Foundation (TRF) to develop second careers for horses racing at New York
Racing Association (NYRA) 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 off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTB) a year.
NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) and The Jockey
Club, as well as the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB) 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, NewYork. 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 United States, 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,” NYTHA President Rick Violette Jr. said. “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.”
“Everyone recognizes that, ultimately, this is all about the horses,”
Violette added.