{"id":242537,"date":"2025-07-06T11:18:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T11:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/242537\/"},"modified":"2025-07-06T11:18:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T11:18:16","slug":"the-industry-needs-to-get-its-house-in-order-us-racing-urged-to-act-on-aftercare-funding-topics-thoroughbred-retirement-foundation-aftercare-aftercare-organizations-t","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/242537\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The industry needs to get its house in order\u2019 \u2013 US racing urged to act on aftercare funding | Topics: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Aftercare, Aftercare Organizations, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\/Is the racing industry doing enough to support Thoroughbred aftercare? Photo: Laura Battles \/ Old Friends<\/p>\n

Sales levy and tax on stud fees and other financial transactions among suggestions tabled to address worrying funding issues<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The vast majority of those involved in horse racing recognize the nobility of the Thoroughbred aftercare cause. They appreciate the majesty of equine athletes and understand the need to tend to them once they have given their all and run their last.<\/p>\n

\"AHowever, recognizing the aftercare requirement and making sure that adequate funding exists are very different things. Many who work in aftercare believe the racing industry is hardly all-in when it comes to providing steady income streams to complement incessant fundraising.<\/p>\n

Maggie Sweet (right), chief operating officer of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF)<\/a>, is among those who emphasizes that much more has to be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere needs to be a sustainable source of income,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery aftercare organization needs to know before they do their budgeting, \u2018You are going to receive this much money. You are going to receive this amount next year as long as you are accredited.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The TRF estimates it has rescued more than 4,500 horses since its founding in 1983, sparing some from the terror of slaughterhouses and removing others from desperate situations. As the oldest and largest Thoroughbred aftercare organization in the United States, it operates from coast to coast and currently promises lifelong sanctuary for approximately 400 horses.<\/p>\n

Creative fundraising<\/p>\n

Former Boston Globe film critic \"OldMichael Blowen established Old Friends Farm<\/a> in Georgetown, Kentucky, in 2003 with just one horse, a rented paddock and a determination ultimately to rescue horses by the hundreds. His creative fundraising and charismatic personality helped turn his dream into reality.<\/p>\n

\u2018You have to do what\u2019s right for the horse\u2019 \u2013 at home with Silver Charm, Lava Man and their pals at Old Friends<\/a><\/p>\n

Old Friends now sits on 236 lush acres and has three satellite locations to accommodate an ever-hungry herd of more than 255 former racehorses and breeding stallions. Old Friends tours have become a popular attraction for visitors who come to see five former Kentucky Derby winners \u2013 Silver Charm, Charismatic, War Emblem, I\u2019ll Have Another and Big Brown \u2013 and the not-at-all famous who crave their share of snacks and affection.<\/p>\n

As proud as Blowen is when it comes to Old Friends\u2019 accomplishments, he pointed to the anguish of placing a horse in need of a home on a waiting list due to financial constraints. He asserted that the industry must create the equivalent of a social security system for horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an afterthought; it\u2019s part of the whole sport,\u201d he said of aftercare. \u201cIf people really wanted to do it, it would get done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Admirable programs<\/p>\n

On an encouraging note, tremendous gains have been made and many admirable programs exist. For example, some inmates re-discover their softer side while learning skills that can lead to a better life as part of the TRF\u2019s \u2018Saving Horses, Changing Lives<\/a>\u2019 initiative.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Other entities have four-legged retirees working wonders with those facing physical and emotional challenges. Still others take in horses and focus on retraining them for second or third careers \u2013 ranging from mounted police to pleasure horses to jumpers \u2013 to make them suitable for adoption.<\/p>\n

\"SilverSweet said the average upkeep for a member of their herd costs $2,500 per year. She would like to devote twice as much.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you should scrimp and save on a horse just because he can no longer perform for you,\u201d Sweet said. \u201cThey\u2019re here because of us, so it\u2019s our responsibility to treat them with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donor fatigue concerns many organizations. Some people happily give all they can year- after-year; others donate more occasionally or completely stop.<\/p>\n

Blowen, a skilled fundraiser, experienced donor fatigue firsthand. \u201cI would go to Saratoga and people would walk on the other side of the street because they thought I was going to ask them for money,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was like the Red Sea was parting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Financial obligation<\/p>\n

Anita Motion (right), wife of highly respected trainer Graham Motion, is a TRF board member. As expenses continue to rise, she worries about the future and the potentially devastating funding consequences of any economic downturn. After all, anyone committing to provide a \u2018forever\u2019 home faces a tremendous financial obligation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese animals live until they\u2019re 30 or more,\u201d she noted. \u201cIt\u2019s becoming a huge issue because people are weary of raising money or donating money. Depending on the economy, it can become harder and harder to raise money, and there are multiple organizations going after the same thing. You have to get more and more creative to get people to put their hands in their pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blowen hailed the establishment of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) in 2012 as a boon.\u00a0According to the TAA web site, it has granted more than $36 million to organizations it accredits while assisting more than 18,500 horses in all. The TAA currently accredits 83 organizations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

As impressive as those numbers are, Blowen insisted aftercare must encompass every aspect of the industry.\u00a0\u201cEvery time one of these horses is involved in a financial transaction \u2026 I\u2019d like to think of a different word but there would be some sort of tax, a small tax,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a consigner sells a horse at a sale, when the horse goes to the farm as a breeding stallion, when a horse is entered into a race, those things go into a social security fund. It\u2019s not a hard thing to figure out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Before taking over TRF\u2019s leadership at the start of 2024, Sweet (right) helped to oversee the tremendous growth of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher\u2019s barn for 25 years. She urges the breeding industry, in particular, to do more.<\/p>\n

Different perspective<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at it from a different perspective now, it\u2019s somewhat of an absurd amount of money spent on unraced horses,\u201d she said. \u201cYou just need to take a tiny bit of it and, if you invest it properly, it can generate its own wealth. It just seems like there\u2019s got to be a better way to fund all of this than chasing the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keeneland\u2019s September Yearling Sale, for instance, became the highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in history when it amassed gross receipts exceeding $428 million last year.<\/p>\n

\"\"Prominent owner Mike Repole (right) is eager to see various elements of the industry step up in a bigger way. He created the National Thoroughbred Alliance with the hope that it might help to unite a fragmented business in shaping a solid future.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Repole is known for his generosity when it comes to equine retirees and he instructed Pat Cummings, executive director of the National Thoroughbred Alliance, to engage in a months-long exploration of aftercare.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur number one finding was that nearly every entity across the entire United States aftercare space is underfunded, some chronically so,\u201d Cummings said.<\/p>\n

Cummings agrees with Blowen that solutions are rather obvious and believes they can be achieved with minimal financial discomfort. Among suggestions put forth by the National Thoroughbred Alliance that it estimates would generate $28.25 million annually:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Increase various Jockey Club fees

\n\u2022 Those who stand stallions for $10,000 or more would be required to donate the equivalent of one stud fee. Keep in mind that Spendthrift Farm in Lexington announced a fee of $250,000 for leading sire Into Mischief for this year, while accomplished sire Gun Runner commands the same amount per mating at Three Chimneys Farm in Versailles, Kentucky

\n\u2022\u00a0Buyers and sellers at Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton and the Ocala Breeders\u2019 Co sales would pay a 0.25 percent fee to help meet a horse\u2019s needs upon retirement; the house would add 0.10 percent<\/p>\n

To all appearances, the study has been an exercise in futility. \u201cWe can\u2019t get the industry aligned to do the things that a modern sport based around horses should be doing,\u201d said an exasperated Cummings. \u201cThe need jumps off the page.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amid economic uncertainty and concerns about public perception as animal rights activists scrutinize racing\u2019s every move, Sweet stressed the urgency of significantly bolstering aftercare funding.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will come back to bite the industry,\u201d she warned. \u201cWe have to figure out how to do this properly. The industry needs to get its house in order, and I think this is a huge part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Visit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation website<\/a> and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A life after racing: ARCI Conference \u2013 think of racehorse aftercare as \u2018foal to forever\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

A life after racing: Jockey Club completes full set of \u2018horses for courses\u2019 equine ambassadors<\/a><\/p>\n

Five questions for Lauren Millet of LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Thoroughbreds are versatile\u2019 \u2013 stakes winner Financial Modeling enjoying retired life in California<\/a><\/p>\n

View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses \/<\/a>\u00a0jockeys \/<\/a>\u00a0trainers \/<\/a>\u00a0sires<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Is the racing industry doing enough to support Thoroughbred aftercare? Photo: Laura Battles \/ Old Friends Sales levy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":242538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-242537","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114806017867687490","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}