Kelly Armer Appointed TRF Executive Director |
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The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Board of Directors announces the appointment of Kelly Armer as Executive Director following the forthcoming retirement of Pat Stickney. She will assume her new role on March 1 and be based in the TRF administrative offices in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Kelly Armer brings many years of experience in an executive role with multiple successful non-profit organizations, including
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Daryl Tropea Joins the Board of Directors |
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The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) is pleased to announce Daryl Tropea, Ph.D. as a new member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Tropea is an expert in Thoroughbred aftercare, having served for more than a decade as the equine program director of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), a well-regarded international accreditation organization that evaluates the extent to which animal sanctuaries and rescue organizations meet standards of humane and responsible equine care.
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Approaching 40 Years, Our 2022 Recap |
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By Francis LaBelle
This new year is a milestone for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. You only have to look back to last August to one event that best illustrates what the TRF is, and why we have been so successful for so long. The BBQ at the Barn.
Although this annual mid-summer celebration is one of Saratoga’s more popular seasonal....
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Lowell's 'Big Horse' Shake You Down Passes at 25 |
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By Francis LaBelle
Shake You Down always came up big on the big stage.
“He was all racehorse, and he really liked racing in Florida,” said Mike Luzzi, one of his former jockeys. “What I remember most about him is that he actually got bigger while I was riding him. I had heard other riders talking about horses that did this, and it was pretty rare when it happened, but at the three-eighths pole, I could actually feel my legs spreading further apart. It was like he took a deep breath and made himself bigger. I thought the saddle would fly off.”
Shake You Down, who earned more than $1.4 million in his 65-race career... Continue reading.
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For more than a year, participants in the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Second Chances Juvenile Program in Ocala, FL, have honed their skills in tending to former racehorses. These youths have not only catered to the horses but learned to maintain the facility and its surrounding grounds.
They have even taken their show on the road.
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Lazy Dog Cookie Company launched its first horse and pony treat – Horse Bitscuits – on January 1. Made in the U.S. and formulated with all-natural, sugar-free ingredients, the Cherry Vanilla Peppermint cookie will retail for $8.99 per 14 oz bag with 15% of profits donated by Lazy Dog Cookie Co. to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF).
Horse Bitscuits are now available for purchase at local Saratoga Springs retailers, including Benson’s Pet Supply, Impressions, Cheshire Horse, and AgWay.
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TEE Off for Thoroughbreds |
TEE Off for Thoroughbreds is a charity golf tournament (scramble format) hosted to benefit the retired racehorses of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Prospect, KY.
We invite friends, fans and members of the Thoroughbred industry to join us for an afternoon of fun and fundraising on the links at beautiful Nevel Meade Golf Course on April 18th. Tickets Here.
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Molly Brindle
Saratoga Springs, NY
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What do you enjoy about being a TRF Volunteer?
Having worked for The New York Racing Association for 11 years, I was well familiar with the dilemma of thoroughbred after care, and once I retired, I connected with Kim Weir (who has a magnetic personality, who can say no to her?) and began helping out. You might say that my retirement brought out my interest in how race horses retire! I strongly believe in personal redemption and grace, so the Second Chance program greatly appealed to me as a cause to support.
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Why do you choose to volunteer your time with us?
To give of oneself, whether of time or monetary resources, is a great blessing in our lives, for without service to others, our lives are rather empty. For so many years at NYRA I was busy round the clock commuting to and from Long Island/Queens, so I had to give up volunteering, and it left a real void in my soul. Volunteering at TRF gave me the opportunity to heal from some of the sadder moments which I experienced on the track. I felt a debt owed to the horses and to the backstretch workers who so devotedly care for them.
Can you describe a few projects?
During the pandemic, a neighbor and I cleaned some 50 horseshoes to be sent to TRF donors, a project that required quite a bit of elbow grease! I've helped out at the Summer BBQ and by writing thank you notes to sponsors, and most recently for the TRF Toy and Coat drive for Saratoga Springs based backstretch families. In the coming year, I'll discover additional TRF projects!
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The Horses Need Your Help! |
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Do you want to help the herd? Sponsorship is one way to learn more about a horse in our herd and also provide extra care that is needed.
Hurricane Sergio is in need of sponsorship! This wonderful guy has been an outstanding teacher to both the Lowell ladies and the juveniles in Ocala. Sergio has been with the TRF since 2009. During his retirement with us, he has helped numerous inmates in our programs. He needs to feel this same importance. Can you help?
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Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
P.O. Box 834
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518)226-0028
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