New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and the Retired Racehorse Training Project are combining efforts to present the program Thoroughbreds For All! The program highlights and promotes adoption of Kentucky’s many off the track retired thoroughbred racehorses and their versatility in many different second careers.
This program will take place shortly after the Rolex Kentucky Cross Country Day in Lexington, Kentucky at the West Wind Farm covered arena located just 15 miles from the Kentucky Horse Park. The event will take place at 5 pm on Saturday, April 28.
Highlights of the program will include two time World Champion Bruce Davidson alongside Rolex veterans Dorothy Crowell, and Cathy Wieshoff evaluating the potential of recently retired racehorses available for adoption through New Vocations. Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron and students from the North American Racing Academy will demonstrate how racehorses are ridden and how jockeys and exercise riders develop skills that all equestrians should learn. Demonstrations to include working with retired racehorses at various stages of training as well as a special appearance by the 1994 World Equestrian Games Silver Medalist and 1998 top placed American at Rolex, Molokai, a Kentucky-bred racehorse.
New Vocations is thrilled to be hosting this event as it will showcase hundreds of off the track Thoroughbreds at New Vocations and in Central Kentucky that are available for adoption to the fans of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.
The Retired Racehorse Training Project (RRTP) sees this collaboration as a model for future Thoroughbreds For All!events throughout the country. RRTP President Steuart Pittman feels combining public education with a marketplace for buyers and sellers to meet is a formula that has potential to increase demand for ex-racehorses everywhere. That is good for horses, good for the racing industry, and good for the next generation of riders.
The sessions will be moderated by Steuart Pittman of RRTP and Anna Ford of New Vocations. The event will run from 5pm to 9pm and will include dinner. Tickets are available for purchase online here for $35. each with space limited initially to 300 people. Additional tickets may be available in the days preceding the event.
In addition to the Saturday evening event, Thoroughbreds For All! includes a printed and online catalogue of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses available for purchase or adoption in central Kentucky. The catalogue will appear on the RRTP website here and be sorted by sponsoring organizations or farms with mapping to the locations of the horses. The print catalogue will be distributed through sponsoring vendors and organizations at the Kentucky Horse Park. Proceeds from the event will benefit New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and the Retired Racehorse Training Project, both are 501(c) 3 charitable organizations.
West Wind Farm, the hosting facility, is located at 4787 Haley Rd., Lexington, Kentucky.
Photo: Courtesy of New Vocations.
