Petition to Amend the Farm Bill and Economic Stimulus Act

In view of all the "so-called un-wanted" horses being produced and the industries opposition to our anti-horse slaughter efforts, we propose amendments to the Farm Bill & the Economic Stimulus Act that would; with-hold tax-break monies from the BIG TOP 10 breeders/producers of horses and to those who promote their breeding, the various "breed specific" Registries, the Jockey Club & the AQHA, said monies to be put towards a National Registered American Equine Atheletes Rehoming & Retirement Fund, and to remove breeding incentives to be replaced with rewards for responsible breeding and/or breeding DIS-incentives;

Click title above to see petition;
http://horseracingshame.blogspot.com/2008/10/proposal-to-amend-farm-bill-and-equine.html

Horse Lovers, Rescuers, Advocates & Protectors IGNORING Heavenly Perfect Petition. Friends of Hollendorfer?

Where are the "Fans of Heavenly Perfect?" Why are not their signatures on this petition? What are they afraid of? Getting sued? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

No Support from Anti-Slaughter Camp for Petition that Would REALLY Help Horses

Click on title above to see the petition that would really help thousands of horses that the anti-horse slaughter folk dont seem to be signing. Can you imagine why? Is not the idea embodied in this petition a good one? What is the problem here? Because some rescues "dont like us?" Well lets not lose focus here people....its not about who we like or dislike,....its about the horses, remember, the ones they are killing every day? The ones that die as we stand idly by....

"To stand in silence when we should be protesting makes cowards of us." - Abraham Lincoln


Guess we will have to get this petition on over to the "general" animal loving community as these so-called "horse loving" folk are somthin' else!

Click on title above to see petition

Kentucky Racing Commissions' Task "Farce?"

Click on title above for an interesting read from the Paulick Report;
http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/kentucky-racing-an-integrity-task-farce/

TB Owners & Trainers Rebutt NTRA's Stance on Horse Slaughter

From the Paulick Report: Following is the text of the letter from Josephine Abercrombie and the list of co-signors of HR 6598.

Sept. 23, 2008

Dear Chairman Conyers and Ranking Member Smith:

Last week, during a Judiciary Committee mark up of H.R. 6598 – the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008, it was revealed that the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) does not support current legislation to ban horse slaughter. Needless to say, we were surprised at the revelation and disappointed by the reasons NTRA put forward, none of which are valid.

As Thoroughbred industry leaders who have long supported all Congressional actions to end this cruel industry, we were disappointed that the NTRA voiced unfounded concerns to those who support the slaughter of horses thus jeopardizing the passage of this legislation. We and so many others in the Thoroughbred breeding and racing community strongly support all legislative initiatives, including H.R. 503, S. 311, and H.R. 6598, which will bring horse slaughter to a swift end. We want you to know that the NTRA’s position is not representative of the larger community.

We commend you, Chairman Conyers, for providing this bill with a fair hearing, which has allowed it to move to this point. Given the narrow opportunity to act before Congress adjourns, we hope that H.R. 6598 can swiftly be moved from Committee to the floor of the full House of Representatives for final consideration. This bill is too important for politics to delay its enactment. Every five minutes an American horse is slaughtered. This bill can stop that.

H.R. 6598 is a sound bill that puts enforcement into the hands of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and its agents who are trained and staffed to deal with criminal issues. We feel confident that the DOJ has the necessary experience in dealing with large animal confiscations having led such high profile investigations involving animal fighting, Class B Dealers, and puppy mills. As with other statutes, under H.R. 6598, the DOJ has the authority to ask for assistance from other federal, state and non-governmental agencies during its enforcement of the law and this flexibility has shown to be highly effective.

Under a close examination of the concerns asserted by those opposing the bill, we can see no legitimate reason not to pass this legislation. As representatives of the Thoroughbred industry we look forward to the next Committee mark up of H.R. 6598 and urge you to pass H.R. 6598 as written, without amendments, as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Josephine Abercrombie

WE, the undersigned, are co-signors of this letter and support legislation to stop the slaughter of American horses.
John H. Adger, racing and bloodstock manager, Stonerside Stable, Houston, TX;
Peggy Augustus, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Keswick Stables, Keswick, VA;
Betty and Gary Biszantz, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Cobra Farm, Lexington, KY and Solana Beach, CA;
Nadia Sanan Briggs, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Padua Stables, Ocala, FL;
Anne and Cot Campbell, Thoroughbred owners, Dogwood Stable, Aiken, SC;
Pat Chapman, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Someday Farm, Doylestown, PA;
Jenny Craig, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Rancho Paseana, Rancho Santa Fe, CA;
Carol Farmer, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Shadowlawn Farm, Midway, KY;
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Ford, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Diamond A Farms, Versailles, KY;
Maegan Ford, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Diamond A Farms, Versailles, KY;
Staci and Arthur Hancock, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Stone Farm, Paris, KY;
Mark Hennig, Thoroughbred owner and trainer, Garden City, NY;
Sara Jones Hill, Thoroughbred owner, Coconut Grove, FL;
Gretchen and Roy Jackson, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Lael Farm, West Grove, PA;
Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Stonestreet Farm, Lexington, KY;
Jackson W. Knowlton, Thoroughbred owner, managing partner, Sackatoga Stable, Saratoga Springs, NY;
Julie Krone, Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Los Angeles, CA;
Janice and Robert McNair, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Stonerside Stables, Houston, TX;
Ellen Moelis and Herbert I Moelis, Thoroughbred Charities of America, Candyland Farm, Middletown, DE;
Maggi Moss, Thoroughbred owner, Moss Equestrians, Des Moines, Iowa;
Joanne and Paul Oreffice, Thoroughbred owners, Dogwood Stables, Paradise Valley, AZ;
Debby and John Oxley, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Fawn Leap Farm, Midway, KY;
Madeleine Paulson Pickens, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Rancho Santa Fe, CA;
Dan Rosenberg, Rosenberg Thoroughbred Consulting,, Midway, KY;
James D. Squires, Two Bucks Farm, Versailles, KY;
Angie Athayde-Stevens, Thoroughbred consultant, Los Angeles, CA;
Gary Stevens, Racing Hall of Fame jockey; Los Angeles, CA;
Deborah W. Tatham and Thomas P. Tatham, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Oak Cliff Breeders, Houston, TX;
Melanie and Jeffrey Tucker, Stone Bridge Farm, Schuylerville, NY;
Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Lexington, KY and Saratoga Springs, NY;
Kim and Nick Zito, Thoroughbred owner and trainer, Lexington, KY and Saratoga Springs, NY.

Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report

Big Brown Injured at Aqueduct: Racing Career is Over!

NEW YORK (AP)—Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown’s racing career is over after injuring his right front foot during a workout at Aqueduct on Monday.Trainer Rick Dutrow said the 3-year-old colt, who was preparing for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 25, appeared to kick himself while working on the turf course at Aqueduct with stablemate Kip Deville. Big Brown was able to complete the six-furlong work when Dutrow noticed blood coming out of the foot.
“It looks like he grabbed himself in a bad spot,” Dutrow said.
Though the extent of the injury is unknown, Michael Iavarone of IEAH Stables, co-owners of Big Brown, said the horse who captivated the racing world during his Triple Crown bid will not race again.
“It’s in the best interest of the horse to let him recover and move on to his breeding career,” Iavarone said.
It means there will be no showdown in the BC Classic between Big Brown and 4-year-old star Curlin. The race was expected to be Big Brown’s last before retiring to stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky.

“This is devastating. He had a great work this morning, and we were very excited about going to Breeders’ Cup,” Iavarone said. “This is not only devastating to us, but to all of his fans who won’t get to see him run in the Classic.”

In this June 2, 2008 file phot…
AP - Oct 13, 11:22 am EDT
The injury caps a brilliant but somewhat controversial career for Big Brown, who won seven times in eight starts including dominant runs in the Derby and the Preakness.
His bid for the first Triple Crown since 1978 ended during a bizarre Belmont Stakes in which he was eased by jockey Kent Desormeaux at the turn and he trotted across the finish line in last.
The Belmont came after Dutrow admitted he took Big Brown off the anabolic steroid Winstrol, though Dutrow claimed the decision had nothing to do with Big Brown’s poor performance. The horse was also dealing with a painful quarter crack in his left front hoof. That injury is unrelated to the injury he sustained Monday.
Big Brown bounced back from the Belmont with wins in the Haskell Invitational and the Monmouth Stakes and was poised for a shot at Curlin, horse racing’s all-time leading money winner. Not anymore. Dutrow expressed disappointment but said the horse’s health is the highest priority.
“The best case scenario is he lives a real good life,” Dutrow said.

Click on title above to read "BloodHorse" article

"Friends" Encourages U 2 Bet Only @ "No Slaughter" Tracks

If you or anyone you know bets the horses, tell them
to bet only at Anti-Slaughter Tracks;
Suffolk, Gulfstream, Laurel, Pimlico, & Santa Anita

Magna Tracks Enact No-Slaughter Ban

Magna tracks enact slaughter policy

Magna Entertainment Corp. will not allow any owner or trainer found to have transported horses from one of its facilities to a slaughter facility or to an auction to sell horses for slaughter to obtain stalls at any of its tracks.

The policy reads: “Any trainer or owner stabling at an MEC facility who directly or indirectly participates in the transport of a horse from an MEC facility to either a slaughterhouse or an auction house engaged in selling horses for slaughter will be prohibited from having stalls at any MEC facility. The policy also applies to any actions related to the transport of a horse from an MEC facility where the ultimate intended result is the horse's slaughter.”

The company, which owns Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico Race Course, and Laurel Park among other tracks, announced the new guidelines on Friday.

In June, Suffolk Downs became the first North American track to enact such a policy, stating that any trainer found to have sold a horse for slaughter would have his stalls revoked and be denied stalls in the future.

Last month, Suffolk Downs officials informed an unnamed Thoroughbred owner that he was no longer welcome at the Boston track after two horses associated with him were discovered at the auction pens at New Holland, Pennsylvania.

"Since the inception of MEC, we have taken care to protect the health and safety of [its] customers, workers, and equine athletes participating in activities at all of our facilities,” Magna Chairman Frank Stronach said in a statement. “The goal of the policy is to forewarn industry participants who participate in the slaughter of racehorses that they are not welcome at any of our facilities across the country. I hope other racetrack owners formally adopt similar policies."


Click on title above for article;
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/October/10/Magna-tracks-enact-slaughter-policy.aspx

Tearing at The Cloak of Neutrality

A Wonderful blurb from the Paulick Report;

INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION POSITIONS ON SLAUGHTER

By Ray Paulick

When the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives
held a markup hearing on Sept. 17 to discuss H.B. 6598, the
Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 that would ban slaughter
and criminalize the transportation of horses for the purpose of
having them slaughtered for human consumption, a letter from
National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and CEO Alex
Waldrop said his organization took a neutral position on H.B. 6598
despite supporting previous anti-slaughter legislation.

Waldrop’s position statement, read into the record by Republican
Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, outraged a number of prominent
Thoroughbred industry participants, including Pin Oak Stud’s
Josephine Abercrombie, who wrote a letter signed by more than 40
individuals that was sent to the leadership of the Judiciary
Committee stating that the NTRA did not speak for them on the
issue. The Judiciary Committee passed the legislation on Sept. 23
and sent it to the full House.

On Oct. 3, however, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) referred
the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act to the Agriculture Committee,
giving that committee until Jan. 3, 2009, to take action on the
bill. Since the 110th Congress has adjourned, the bill will not
pass unless it comes up during a lame duck session, which is highly
unlikely.

Agriculture Committee chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and
ranking Republican Goodlatte both have been recipients of
contributions from the NTRA PAC, most recently receiving $5,000 for
their 2008 campaigns. Peterson is a member of the Congressional
Horse Caucus and Goodlatte has been a strong ally of the NTRA’s
lobbying efforts concerning Internet gambling and tax incentives
for breeders. Goodlatte has been an opponent of slaughter
legislation. (Abercrombie, incidentally, is a “champion” level
NTRA Horse PAC donor, giving $5,000.)

In the wake of the Judiciary Committee’s action on anti-slaughter
legislation and the NTRA’s neutral position (the American Horse
Council is also neutral), Paulick Report readers suggested we
contact other major Thoroughbred industry associations and
businesses to see if they have taken a position on the issue of
slaughter and on the specific legislation (H.B. 6598).

Listed alphabetically by organization, here is what we learned:

ASSOCIATION OF RACING COMMISSIONERS INTERNATIONAL: According to RCI
president/CEO Ed Martin, the RCI “normally does not take positions
on pending legislation in Congress and has not been asked by any of
its members to address the issue.”

BREEDERS’ CUP: Greg Avioli, president/CEO, said the Breeders’
Cup “has not issued a formal policy statement on the slaughter
legislation before Congress. However, it is the strong consensus of
our board that slaughter is inhumane and any and all reasonable
options other than slaughter should be pursued. In furtherance of
this position, proceeds from this year’s Championships will go to
multiple retirement organizations.”

CHURCHILL DOWNS INC. Officials did not reply to requests for a
position statement. Churchill Downs Inc, created the Greener
Pastures program in conjunction with the Thoroughbred Retirement
Foundation and supports other retirement and retraining programs.

FASIG-TIPTON: Did not reply to requests for a position statement.
Under the leadership of the late John Hettinger, Fasig-Tipton’s
majority shareholder, the company created Blue Horse Charities to
offer support to various retirement and retraining organizations.
Hettinger was the industry’s leading anti-slaughter advocate.

JOCKEY CLUB: Spokesman Bob Curran gave no position on H.B. 6598 but
said the official breed registry “is opposed to the slaughter or
processing of Thoroughbreds for consumption by humans or animals.
This includes the sale and/or transportation of Thoroughbreds for
slaughter or processing for consumption by humans or animals.” The
Jockey Club is a member of theUnwanted Horse Coalition.

KEENELAND ASSOCIATION: Did not reply to requests for a position
statement. Keeneland and its foundation have supported Thoroughbred
retirement and retraining organizations, including the Thoroughbred
Retirement Foundation and Rerun.

KENTUCKY EQUINE EDUCATION PROJECT: A statement from executive
director Patrick Neely said: “It has been a topic of discussion in
some of KEEP’s industry working groups but no formal position has
been taken at this time.”

KENTUCKY THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION: Did not reply to requests for a
position statement. KTA lists several Thoroughbred retirement
organizations on its Web site.

MAGNA ENTERTAINMENT (owns Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Laurel, Pimlico,
Lone Star Park, Remington Park, Golden Gate Fields): Does not have
a position statement on slaughter or current anti-slaughter
legislation, according to an official with the company.

NATIONAL HORSEMEN’S BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION: CEO
Remi Bellocq said he could not provide a yes or no answer to
whether the organization supports a ban on slaughter or H.B. 6598
because of the diversity of the 30 HBPA affiliates across North
America. “Our horsemen and horsewomen fall across the spectrum on
this issue,” Bellocq said. The National HBPA is a member of the
Unwanted Horse Coalition. Bellocq said “this shouldn’t be
defined necessarily as a ‘slaughter for human consumption’ issue
but, rather, an ‘unwanted horses’ issue. To a person, if given a
choice, horsemen would much prefer finding a home and/or second
career for their horses as opposed to slaughter. Unfortunately, no
matter what legislation (state or federal) is passed, the real
problem – the number of unwanted horses – will still exist. To
stem the number of unwanted horses, education and awareness are a
key first step to successfully bring the number down.

“To that end, in 2005 National HBPA was one of the founding
members of the Unwanted Horse and we continue working actively
within the UHC to better educate horsemen about the options
including, should all else fail, humane euthanasia. The UHC has set-
up a big tent under which all the wonderful horse rescue programs
can work together. If we truly made an industry-wide effort to
centralize, for example, an ex-racehorse outplacement / adoption
program, I am convinced many could be placed with willing owners.
Why not, for instance, establish a national site modeled after
Petfinder.com? Already, organizations like the Illinois HBPA have
created similar approaches with success (see Illinois HBPA’s
Horses Wanted link.”

NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION: Did not reply to requests for a
position statement. NYRA offers support to the Exceller Fund, which
helps place retired horses and has supported the Thoroughbred
Retirement Foundation. THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION: CEO
Alan Foreman said the organization has not taken a position on the
current legislation. “There will be a new Congress in January and
we will visit the issue then,” Foreman said.

THOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION: Position statement
from TOBA president Dan Metzger: “We are categorically opposed to
the slaughter of Thoroughbreds, and urge all those involved in the
Thoroughbred industry to support rescue and adoption efforts and to
work together to find humane means of dealing with the problems
presented by Thoroughbreds no longer suitable for racing or
breeding.” Metzger did not indicate whether or not TOBA has a
position on H.B. 6598. TOBA is a member of the Unwanted Horse
Coalition and is affiliated with Thoroughbred Charities of America,
which supports numerous horse retirement and retraining operations.

THOROUGHBRED OWNERS OF CALIFORNIA: Did not reply to requests for a
position statement. TOC’s Web site offers advice to a horse’s
“last owner” and pushed for a first-of-its-kind charitable fund,
the Calfornia Retirement Management Account (CARMA), to solicit
and distribute purse checkoffs for retirement and retraining
programs. Transport for slaughter is illegal in California.

THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATIONS: Executive vice president Chris
Scherf said the organization of North American racetracks has
adopted no official position.

Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report

Searching for that "Perfect" Christmas Present?

How about a racing stable of your own?
For a mere 10 Million ...

THREE CHIMNEYS THOROUGHBRED RACING STABLE PACKAGE
You want the best, you go to the best. You want a working, turnkey,
in-the-running thoroughbred racing enterprise right out of the starting
gate? You go to Three Chimneys Farm. The legendary Kentucky farm has managed
some of racing's winningest thoroughbreds, including history's only
undefeated triple crown winner (a little guy named Seattle Slew). For this
exclusive package, you get the works because Three Chimneys means business.
They will build you a stable of 12-15 thoroughbreds and with your input will
train them, house them, select races, enter them in races, provide you a
personal racing concierge, and manage the entire enterprise for the next
four years. As the owner, you get to name your stable and any unnamed
horses, design your own silks, attend races, pose for pictures, give quotes
to the media ... and keep all the purses and trophies.

Thoroughbred Racing Stable Package
Price $10,000,000.00
Neiman Marcus - The Christmas Book, Page 82

http://www.neimanma
O> rcus.com/store/sitelets/christmasbook/fantasy.jhtml?cid=O
CBF9_NMO3611&cmcat=Christmas&icid=NMCBpageF82

Proposal to Amend the Farm Bill and Economic Stimulus Act

Let them mull this over in their pea-pickin' little heads;

Click title above to see the Proposal

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-petition-2-amend-the-farm-bill

Bill is dead but we arent,...are we?

HR 6598 Dead n Stinkin'
& Arkansas Wants New Horse Slaughter Plant

Our latest bill to end horse slaughter, HR 6598, is dead and now, the Arkansas Horse Council wants to build a new horse slaughter plant.
Is failure of this latest bill signaling a green-light to the pro-slaughterers for a re-opening of equine slaughter houses in the USA?

Think it cant happen? Think Arkansas is the only state that cant wait
to jump on the "build a new horse-slaughter plant" bandwagon? Think
again. There are many states waiting in the wings to see "which way the wind blows" on the federal issue of horse slaughter. Sure we are winning the "polite wars" on paper and in the polls but, meanwhile, we have this mindset (and their money) to contend with;

Arkansas Horse Council Wants Horse Slaughter Plant!

Cut & Paste link below to see article;
http://tinyurl.com/48cfjv

Fellow Advocates;

Had enough of the "polite" wars? Tired of waiting on our bills to
pass? We have said it before and we'll say it again: We dont need no stinikin' bill to stop the slaughter! Come join our "Friends of Equines Industry Accountability" Campaign. We are out to hold the industry accountable and to COMPEL THEM to stop the slaughter of their own right NOW....

Our targets are the American Horse Counsil (AHC), The Jockey Club, The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA,) The American Quarter-Horse Association (AQHA), and the Nations Top Ten Breeders, just for starters. They are the most visible and culpable ones,...and they are also the ones most able to afford to help us fix the problems that they are helping to create. In terrorem (no contest,) res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself,) and Respondant Superior (They are the masters we are only the servants. They have the "deepest pockets.")!

*I know what the pro-slaughter BIGWHIGS are saying about some of our
ideas,.. I have heard them with my own ears while on our DC and Saratoga Campaigns. We also got word from some of our spies inside the enemy camps. Word is that the pro-slaughter industrialists think we are "dangerous." They say that we will cost them dearly if any of our ideas catch on. What say you?

Read more about our "Friends of Equines" Industry Accountability Campaigns
by clicking onto the title above.

Friends of Equines FOES of Equine Slaughter
http://www.freewebs.com/friendsofequines/


Dont Get Sad Get MAD, and start
"Kicking Ass for the Equines!"


"Whatever Your Fight, Dont be LadyLike!"
-Mother Jones

"Fight Like Their Lives Depend on It, Cause They Do."

- CJ/MK

"There are thousands hacking at the branches of evil and too few
striking at the root."

---Henry David Thoreau

The New Face of "Friends"

Announcing some changes to the face of our old website, updated to reflect what we are hearing is the death of HR 6598, and offering some alternative plans & solutions.....

Click title above to go there,.....

Farm Bill Gives Equine Industry $444 Mil in Tax Breaks

Incorporated into the recently enacted Farm Bill, the Equine Equity Act gives industrial horse owners and breeders $444 million dollars in tax breaks over the next 10 years! Who, we ask, ultimatley pays the "vig" on these lucrative tax breaks? We the tax payers of course, and also, the poor over-bred, over-used, over-raced horses as a species. Imagine if just a small portion of this money could be put into a national retirment fund for retired industry horses? There would be our answer to "who is going to take care of all these horses if the slaughter option ends?"

Click on title above to see the full report;
http://www.customcareequine.com/news_notes/horsepac_legislative_summary.pdf

Hollendorfer Stables to Sue Friends of Equines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: C Jubic (518) 753 - 7791

Received Today;


VIA EMA1L AND CERTIFIED MAIL

September 30, 2008

Schiff Hardin, LLP
One Market
Spear St. Tower, 32nd. Fl
San Francisco, Ca. 94105

Christine A. Jubic
Friends of Equines, Foes of Equine Slaughter
118 River Rd.
Johnsonville, NY 12094

CJubic@nycap.rr.com

Re: Jerry Hollendorfer and Hollendorfer Racing Stables

Dear Ms. Jubic:

We represent Jerry Hollendorfer and Hollendorfer Racing Stables. I call your attention to your website, www.freewebs.comlfriendsofeciuines, and the petition drive against Mr.Hollendorfer, wherein you are trying to damage Mr. Hollendorfer’s reputation in the horse industry with slanderous comments. We demand that you and your organization, “Friends of Equines, Foes of Equine Slaughter,” retract your statements immediately and publicly apologize for the statement as well as to immediately stop the petition drive you are conducting. If you do
not do so, we will file suit against you and your organization for defamation of character and intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeking all damages available under the law,including punitive damages.
Based on your website and petition drive, it is clear you are aware that Mr. Hollendorfer is a horse trainer of some repute. As part of your petition drive, you make several incorrect and slanderous comments about Mr. Hollendorfer involving the care of a horse called Heavenly Perfect. You falsely claim that Mr. Hollendorfer raced Heavenly Perfect on May 13, 2008,
knowing that she had laminitis, a hoof disease, as well as other fractures and chips to the knees and joints. You also falsely reported that Mr. Hollendorfer sold Heavenly Perfect at a “kill auction” on May 23, 2008. Your reporting was clearly done with actual (and misdirected)malice including statements such as: “Trainer of the Year Runs Horse to Death,” “Jerry Hollendorfer Runs Foundered Horse Near to Death and Sends Her Off to Slaughter,” that Mr. Hollendorfer “tortured” Heavenly Perfect by “forcing her to race time and time again knowing she was not fit to race,” and that Mr. Hollendorfer is your “International Posterboy of Racehorse
Cruelty.” Your petition drive also encourages others to spread your false comments about Mr. Hollendorfer. In reviewing the comments of those who signed your petition drive, it is clear that your slanderous comments are having the desired effect of besmirching Mr. Hollendorfer’s good name and reputation in the horse industry.
Contrary to your assertions, Mr. Hollendorfer provides the utmost care and treatment to all the horses he trains, including Heavenly Perfect. Therefore, the untrue and defamatory comments you have made about Mr. Hollendorfer are particularly offensive and reprehensible to him. Also, contrary to the statements you are spreading on your website petition, Mr. Hollendorfer only raced Heavenly Perfect four times in over two years, and never while she while she was injured. In May 2008, Mr. Hollendorfer gave her to a Mr. Ed Harvey, who stated he was purchasing her as a pleasure horse or brood mare. Mr. Harvey, not Mr. Hollendorfer, was the one who apparently then sold her to what you are claiming was a “kill auction.” Mr. Hollendorfer had absolutely no involvement with that sale.
We therefore demand that you remove any defamatory comments about Mr. Hollendorfer
from your website, to withdraw your petition, and to issue a formal retraction in the manner required by Section 48a(3) of the California Civil Code. Please do so by October 24 or we will file suit.

Very truly yours,
Jean H. Hurricane
JHH:sfr
Cc: Jerry Hollendorfer
John Worden
SF\9229563.

Bloggers note; Well we just hope the Dorf Camp realizes where the burden of proof lies in this case, and it is not upon the Defendants, "Friends of Equines."

Click on title above or "The Dorfs" pic (top right) to see the petition;
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/trainer-of-the-year-runs-horse-to-death

Confessions of a Child Gambler

Being born and raised not far from one of the oldest and largest thoroughbred tracks in the country,..I grew up with horse racing playing a significant role in my life. Every summer since I was old enough to walk, my grandfather would take me with him as we joined the thousands of people crowding through the gates of Saratoga Racetrack each year. We eagerly anticipated the sound of the blare of the big brass horn as the voice of the MC came crackling through the loudspeakers announcing, ...."And the horses are at the starting gate," and then, the resounding, "They're Off!" as the bells rang and the gates crashed open and the horses took off in a flurry of pounding, thundering hooves. I remember many youthful days there spent full of excitment and "good fun & food." Before I was big enough even to see over the rail of the fence in front of the grandstands, my grandfather would hold me up in his arms as the horses paraded by on their way to the starting gate and he would ask me, "Which one do you like, pipsqueak,"...(he called all of us little ones that) "Which one is gonna win?" he always asked me. I would look over the line up very carefully as they walked, pranced, danced or cantered past me. I would study them with a "discerning eye," just "like the pros," until I saw something or felt something about a particular horse,...if a horse looked to me like he wanted to win, if it appeared a bit more spirited than the others, or if it was grey, or "one-socked," or if it pooped in front of me, whatever. One of them would eventually "speak to me" as the winner, and I would point and let my grandfather know, "That one grandpa," I would say, "I think that one is going to win." Invariably, after each of my piks, he would lay down a $2 bet for me, but always "hedging his losses," and reminding me, the bet "was a loan not a gift," ...and will be split between us if my horse wins. Of course, I didnt realize it back then, but learned later, my granddad was a serious gambler and had problems with it all his life. Looking back on all that now, as harmless as it seemed then, there is no doubt in my mind today that promoting gambling as a "family affair" or "civic event," or to children is wrong in any way, shape or form, and winning is the worst thing that could happen to a kid. One time, I think I was about 10 year old, I got lucky and actually managed to pick a daily double. I only won $45.00 but to me at that age it seemed like a million bucks! I will never forget that "magic" day. How suprized and pleased I was with myself and so was my grandpa, his friends, and everybody else that knew about it too. The whole family talked about that lucky play for years to come and it turned out to be the highspot of my adolecent days. The thrill and excitement of it all stayed with me throughout all of my life, and although, what started out as childhood fun-days at the races with family turned out to be the root cause and beginnings of what later would become the worst and most difficult years of my life. Over the years I kept chasing after the excitment of that first win. Eventually, and by degrees, I became hopelessly addicted to gambling and all manner of games of chance. Of course, like most gamblers who stay with it long enough, ...I lost everything, several times over and over again. For most people, gambling is like a drug, and is a vice no matter how you slice it.

The notion of promoting gambling to the famlies and youths of America is ludicrous, to say the least. Allowing gambling in civilized societies is one thing, but the idea of promoting it as a civic or community affair and promoting it to our famlies and our children is absurd and assinine. The very idea is morally wrong and counterproductive to a healthy society. The idea needs to be tossed immediately upon the biggest, brightest and hottest burning bonfire of our vilest and worst vanities, lest the notion should gain momentum by the powers that be in the industry, and "catch on" in our communities.

*Confessions of a childhood (and later on as an adult,) degenerate gambler, to be continued.

Labels: children, degenerate gamblers, evils of gambling, famlies ruined by gambling, gambling as a drug, gambling is a sin, youthful gamblers

TB Racing Marketing to Communities, Family & Kids

NTRA Charities' goals are to broaden the scope of community outreach on a national and local level, promote the sport of Thoroughbred horseracing as a civic-minded industry, and increase awareness for the protection of our equine athletes and horsemen.”Implementation: New separate logo for NTRA charities’. The VP will be in charge of logistics, communication, and coordination of efforts between charities – tracks – online communities. Help the online communities reach out to tracks and help tracks coordinate with their communities. Social Networks – Help tracks meet their on-line fans in a non-race setting. Help coordinate a larger fan response. Events can be put forward by the track, members, or NTRA. Example – “Pablo Suarez, who co-owned Thor's Echo, the 2006 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, is among a group of Del Mar horse owners, including Bob Bone and Scott Guenther, who will be hosting a group of United States Marines at the track on Monday.” – Buried at the bottom of an online DRF article

1. Coordinate Del Mar’s online community to raise awareness of the meeting and include requests for small donations. Set up a Paypal or other way to donate online.

2. Make sure pictures or video are highlighted on the NTRA homepage, and link to any print media who covers the story independently.

3. Have video of it shown on the next national broadcast.

4. Coordinate w/ another track to possibly do the same thing to compete to raise the most or have the most amount of fans turn out.

Feedback – Photos on the homepage, thank you emails to those in attendance, free passes to the event, t-shirts, any type of inclusion into the NTRA brand.

Suggestions: Programs such as Alex’s Lemonade cast the sport in a positive light. Find ways of having fans directly take part in leaving a lasting impact.

• Organize food drives with local shelters or blood drives and bone marrow registry with local hospitals on large attendance days. Thank donors with free general admission or in other small but special ways.

• Cooperate with Habitat for Humanity and have local business such as the Home Depot donate building supplies. Meanwhile the racing industry provides a workforce of fans, trainers, owners,and jockeys to create “A Home the Horse Built”. Get traditional media participation in the event.

• Construct a horse themed playground at a local school or at a park in an underserved area.

Click on title above for full report

http://www.ntra.com/creativeservices/content/NTRAOnlineTaskForce_080922.pdf

NTRA Horse-PAC$-to-PAC$ Moderate Victory Fund

Pac-to-pac giving again. How sweet it is; you scratch my back and I'll scracth yours! Click title above to see whos in it and who benefits from it. You might be suprized to see some of our anti-horse slaughter supporters and co-sponsors of our bill(s) here. Is this what they mean by "double dipping?" Except that we arent paying anyone off, ....its rather like they are just "burning their candles at both ends," playing "both sides" against the middle, taking money from lobbiests and contributors who want to keep the slaughter going. They get the power and influence and we get the empty promices.

Click title above to see what politicians get money from the "Moderate Victory Fund,"

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/moderate-victory-fund.asp?cycle=08

NTRA Horse-PAC 2 LINC-PAC More PAC 2 PAC Giving

LINC PAC - Leadership in the New Century - Political Action Committee. Here we go pac-to-pac!

Click title above to see who they are and what they stand (or dont stand) for.


LINC-PAC
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/leadership-in-the-new-century-linc-pac.asp?cycle=06

NTRA Horse-PAC 2 Blue Dog Coalition

What is the "Blue Dog Coalition?"...just another buncha influence peddlers in Washington, DC, claiming to represent and appealing to..."the mainstream values of America"

Click title above which will bring your to their website.

The Equine Industry's "HoofPac," contributed $5,000 to this org in 2007-8

Does "The Blue Dog Coalition" represent your "mainstream America Values?" Not mine, they dont. Not if they are for horse slaughter. Real Americans dont eat horses!

Blue Dog Site;
http://www.house.gov/ross/BlueDogs/

You Scratch Our PAC & We'll Scratch Yours; PAC-2-PAC Giving

More NTRA / Horse PAC "PAC to PAC" giving (and receiving): Federal Level


Blanche Lincoln (D) AR; $5,000 to The LINC-PAC

Dennis Cardoza (D) CA; $5,000 to The Moderate Victory Fund, and also a member of the American Horse Counsels (AHC) Congressional Horse Caucus CHC

Mitch McConnell (R) KY; $5,000 BlueGrass Committee

Hal Rogers (R) KY; $5,000 to HAL-PAC. and also a member of American Horse Counsels' (AHC) Congressional Horse Caucus - CHC

Jim McCrery (R) LA; $5,000 to "THE COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE CAPITALISM" !!!, and also a member of American Horse Counsels (AHC) Congressional Horse Counsel - CHC

Tom Reynolds (R) NY; $2,500 to TOM-PAC

John Boucher (R) OH; $5,000 to "The Freedom Project," and also a member of AHC Congressional Horse Caucus CHC

Gordon Smith (R) OH; $5,000 to "Impact America"

Sam Johnson (R) TX; $2,500 to "Secure Americas Majority"

Lamar Smith (R) TX; $5,000 to the "Longhorn PAC"

Robert Bennett (R) UT $2,500 to "Snow-PAC"

Eric Cannor (D) VA $2,500 to ERIC-PAC

Total Leadership Giving: $50,000

NTRA Horse-PAC Pay-Off List : Where the Money Goes

The NTRAs "Horse PAC" Political Action Committee Has Contributed to these campaign funds;

How many of our anti-horse slaughter congressional supporters and co-sponsors do you find listed here?

In the House;

Arthur Davis, (D) AL -
Marion Berry (D) AK -
Mike Ross (D) AK - also a CHC member
Dennis Cardoza (D) CA - also a CHC member
Jim Costa (D) CA
Devin Nunes (R) CA
Lauretta Sanchez (D) CA
Adam Schiff (D) CA
John Salazar (D) CO
F. Allen Boyd (D) FL
Tom Feeney (R) FL - also a CHC Member
Ric Keller (R) FL - also a CHC Member
Tim Mahoney (R) FL
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) FL
John Barrow (D) GA
Jim Marshall (D) GA
Leonard Boswell (D) IO
Melissa Bean (D) IL
Joe Donnelly (D) IN
Baron Hill (D) IN
Dennis Moore (D) KS
Ben Chandler (D) KY -also a CHC Member
Geoff Davis (R) KY - also a CHC Member
Ron Lewis (R) KY - also a CHC Member
John Yarmuth (D) KY
Rodney Alexander (R) LA
Charles Boustany (R) LA
Mike Michaund (D) ME
Dave Camp (R) MI
John Dingell (D) MI
Collin Peterson (D) MN - also a CHC Member
Mike McIntyre (D) NC
Heath Shuler (D) NC
Earl Pomeroy (D) ND
Frank Pallone (D) NJ
Steve Pearce (R) NM - also a CHC Member
Joseph Crowley (D) NY
Kirsten Gillibrand (D)NY, - also a Co-sponsor of HR 6598
John Hall (D) NY
Carolyn McCarthy (D) NY - also a Co-sponsor of 6598
Charles Rangel (D) NY - also a Co-sponsor of HR 6598
Patrick Tiberi (R) OH - also a CHC Member
Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D) OH
Charile Wilson (D) OH
Dan Boren (D) OK
Darline Hooley (D) OR
Phil English (R) PA
Tim Holden (D) PA
Patrick Murphy (D) PA
Stephanie Herseth (D) SD
Jim Cooper (D) TN
John Tanner (D) TN
Sam Johnson (R) TX
Jim Matheson (D) UT
Rich Boucher (D) VA - also a CHC Member
Randy Forbes (R) VA
Bob Goodlatte (R) VA
Ron Kind (D) WI

also to:

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: $15,000
National Republican Committee $5,000
Congressional Black Caucus: $5,000
Blue Dog Coalition: $ 5,000

Total to house reps : $162,500

Pay-Offs in the United States Senate;

Richard Shelby (R) AL
Mark Pryor (D) AR
Charles Grassley (R) IA
Dick Durbin (D) IL
Jim Brunnin (R) KY
Pat Roberts (R) KS
Thad Cochran (R) MS
Max Baucu (D) MT
Byron Dorgan (D) ND
John Sununu (R) NH
George Voinovich (R) OH
Lindsey Graham (R) SC
John Cornyn (R) TX
John Brrasso (R) WY

and contributed to both;

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; $15,000
National Republican Senatorial Committee; $15,000

*Talk about hedging your bets and losses!

Total contributed to Senate: $82,000

What is NTRA's "Horse-PAC?"

Horse PAC is a membership-based Political Action Committee activated in 2002 by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The PAC makes targeted contributions to federal political parties and candidates. The PAC is part of the NTRA's proactive legislative strategy in Washington, D.C., which also includes federal lobbying and education programs such as the 55-member Congressional Horse Caucus for Members of the House of Representatives.
Horse PAC supports federal political candidates who:

Serve on Congressional committees that oversee matters pertaining to livestock and agricultural issues, Internet gaming and taxation
Are established Congressional leaders and/or control Congressional leadership PACs
Endorse tax legislation benefiting horse owners, breeders, players and businesses
Have racetracks, breeding farms, training centers and other equine venues in their districts
Are members of the Congressional Horse Caucus
Are emerging leaders meriting “early support”

Click title above to go to HORSE PAC Website;

http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=other&id=20396

Stop the Madness of Equicide

HORSE SLAUGHTER: Ending the Madness of Equicide: Part 1

By Marion Altieri and John Pricci

Thirty years ago, in the fall of 1978, when racing was more about sport and less about dollars, the great Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham brought the wonderful racehorse Exceller to New York in search of an Eclipse Award title. To do that he would need to defeat not one but two Triple Crown champions.

Born the year a horse named Secretariat put thoroughbred racing on the front covers of Time and Newsweek, Exceller, a son of Vaguely Noble from Bald Eagle’s mare, the champion Too Bald, shipped into Belmont Park after having won the San Juan Capistrano, Hollywood Invitational, Hollywood Gold Cup and, under a steadying 130 pounds, the Sunset Handicap, Grade 1 races all.

But the time had come to show the Eastern racing establishment what he could do by coming to the right coast for two races in which the five-year-old bay colt would take on Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the storied Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes.

In the five-horse Woodward, the speed of Seattle Slew was simply too dominating. Slew, always taking the lead from the start, set realistic fractions shadowed by Exceller throughout, but 10 furlongs in 2:00-flat was simply too much speed to overcome. Slew won by four lengths comfortably.

However, Whittingham figured that the Jockey Club’s mile and a half would be a great equalizer, and that the addition of the speedy Affirmed to keep Slew honest, would level the playing field.

Ending the Madness of Equicide, Pt. 1;
http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.php/HRI-Feature/27092008-horse-

Ending the Madness, Pt. 2;

By Marion Altieri and John Pricci

The mantra “unwanted horses” is the rallying cry for pro-slaughter advocates. This group believes that slaughtering unwanted horses is more humane than if the horses were neglected or abandoned, allowed to die a slow death. It’s a resolution that conveniently ignores the humane component.

John Holland works with the group Americans Against Horse Slaughter and is a staunch defender of horses. In his research paper, “The Relationship Between Horse Slaughter and Reported Cases of Abuse and Neglect” the charts, graphs and text indicate that the reduction of horse slaughter does not significantly increase neglect and abuse of unwanted animals.

Russell Williams, vice president of Hanover Shoe Farms, the largest and most prestigious Standardbred farm in the United States, emphasizes that as long as slaughter is available, alternatives won’t be considered, that it’s nothing more than death made an easy first option for owners and breeders looking to shun their responsibility. “We’ve got to keep in mind that [breeding and racing] brings with it an obligation to properly handle the unwanted horses we end up with. If we don’t eliminate slaughter, we’ll never come to grips with proper ways to solve that problem. It’s expensive, and it’s hard, but it’s got to be done.”

Jackson Knowlton, managing partner of the Sackatoga Stables group that owns 2003 Kentucky Derby champion Funny Cide and a member of the New York State Task Force on Retired Racehorses, places the responsibility of equine welfare squarely in his own lap and those of his peers. “From an owner’s perspective, we all have a responsibility to assure that the horses we race have a happy and healthy retirement. I believe that all owners should share in the financial responsibility to assure that this becomes a reality.”

The most humane solution is not necessarily an easy decision, however, even if it’s the only option available. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito and his wife Kim have been active slaughter abolitionists for years. “The main thing is that this problem has been going on for too long; we’ve been aware for a very long time now. ‘What do you do with these horses?’ If you must, and only absolutely must, you euthanize them. Look, we all know the humane thing to do, and we have to do it. You don’t send horses to be slaughtered.”

In addition to making horsemen responsible for the privilege of ownership, there are two other possible ways to address the problem of unwanted horses. The first is staggeringly simple: Don’t make so many of them. Last year alone, 161,313 new foals hit the ground: 9,133 Standardbreds, 34,350 Thoroughbreds, and an astounding 117,830 Quarter Horses.

According to the American Quarter Horse Association web-site, there are over three million Quarter Horses in the U. S. alone. The AQHA is funded via the process of registering American Quarter Horse foals. These staggering numbers are made possible through artificial insemination. One good stallion can be responsible for 5,000 foals a year, a conservative estimate say some.

If a Quarter Horse doesn’t have the talent to earn his way, becomes ill, or just doesn‘t have the physical tools, the slaughter option makes it easy. It’s not difficult to understand why the AQHA is a vocal advocate for horse slaughter. Last year, 76,000 horses were slaughtered according to the Humane Society’s Perry, who added that slaughterhouses are on track to butcher 100,000 horses in 2008.

It’s encouraging that not all Quarter Horse owners feel the same way about slaughter as policy. “How could I not be opposed to this appalling cruelty,” asked Steven Long, an owner of retired Quarter Horses and author/editor of the publication “Texas Horse Talk.” “These are the c reatures that built America. The agribusiness industry views them as a commodity. I have many cowboy friends, and I love them, but they’re just wrong. Horse slaughter must end now.”

Until the enabling of slaughter is abolished in this country, there are other options. Horses can have a career that doesn’t involve beating other horses to a finish post. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a questionnaire to horse owners seeking to learn how horses can have a second career. “There’s such a big area but it’s expensive,” said Thoroughbred breeder-owner Frank Maner of Quiet Oak Farm in upstate New York. “There’s so many horses being sold who never race. We need a middleman, an organization to find new owners, to broker [an exchange].”

There are many worthy retirement organizations doing important work, such as the Exceller Fund, named for the 1978 Gold Cup hero. Trainer Gary Contessa is the new president of the Exceller Fund, a non-profit organization that transitions former racehorses into new careers. “My whole life has been built around racehorses. I see this as an opportunity to give even more back to these wonderful animals,” said last year’s record-setting trainer on the New York circuit.

“I have numerous retired Thoroughbreds at my farm in upstate New York and have b een a major supporter of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Equine Advocates. But I want to do more. My primary focus will be in raising awareness and funds for the continuing care of horses,” Contessa said when named the organization’s president last month.

The best hope for insuring that the slaughter of American horses stops is H.R. 6598, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. The bill’s passage, approved by voice vote in committee Tuesday night, would prohibit the sale and transport of horses to foreign countries for slaughter and eventual human consumption. While the bill has heightened awareness in the halls of power, it still needs public support.

“As a Representative of one of the premiere Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S., Saratoga Race Course, I find it imperative that we pass this commonsense piece of legislation,” said Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York). Sandy Treadwell, her Republican counterpart who’s running for Congress for to return repeated phone calls seeking comment.

“H.R. 6598 is the best chance we’ve had in years to pass this legislation,” affirmed Willie Nelson. “Call your representatives today and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 6598. Te ll them their decision should be an easy one.” “Those who are trying to stop this are responsible for horse’s deaths,” added Perry. “The bill’s passage is urgent.”

Like most Thoroughbred horsemen, the august Jockey Club, the sport’s registrar, wants equicide abolished. “The Jockey Club is opposed to the slaughter or processing of Thoroughbreds for consumption by humans or animals. This includes the sale and/or transportation of Thoroughbreds for slaughter or processing for consumption by humans or animals. The Jockey Club maintains its long-standing commitment to the care and welfare of Thoroughbreds and believes that Thoroughbreds should at all times be treated humanely and with dignity,” said Bob Curran, Jockey Club vice president of Corporate Communications.

The great Exceller, winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup run 30 years ago this weekend, never did win a formal championship. And so, after running the race of his life, defeating two Triple Crown champions in the process, Exceller entered stud service at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. But not long after that he fell out of favor. Foreign interests had begun their assault on the American stud book. Speed had become the commodity of choice, more important than heart or stoutness or versatility or, as some might argue, ultimately, class.

So off Exceller went to Sweden, sold to a bre eder named Gote Ostlund. According to the Exceller Fund web-site, and contrary to rumor, the horse was not infertile. Indeed, he covered more than 40 mares in his final season at stud in Sweden. But Ostlund had made some bad business decisions, went bankrupt, and demanded that Exceller be slaughtered.

In 1997, Exceller, the same year he was nominated for--and would eventually gain--admission into the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, this extraordinary horse found himself in a Swedish slaughterhouse, thousands of miles from the dirt and grass upon which he raced and grazed and achieved greatness, and from the fans who admired and loved him, Exceller was murdered for no good reason.

Gandhi said that a society is judged by its treatment of its weakest members. The Bible teaches people to “rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” And, as Edmund Burke reminds us, all’s that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Going forward, as racing fights for its financial and aesthetic survival, pressured from without and within, the horse industry might do well to recall the cautionary words of Martin Niemoller on the subject of the inactions of the past and what it might portend for the future. To wit:

“When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.”

Written by Marion Altieri and John Pricci

From the HorseRaceInsider;click title above to go to site.

http://www.horseraceinsider.com/blog.php/HRI-Feature/27092008-horse-

Another Plea for Accountability

From "someone else,"...not me;

"Animal Welfare Groups Worry About Horses No One Wants"
(hope racing industry will help)

By Ed Johnson • STAFF WRITER • September 28, 2008

WALL — It's hard to know if a thoroughbred racehorse can be wistful for
past glories or harbor worries for his future.

But Hong Kong Express, at 15 years old and much the worse for his wear,
could be excused if he simultaneously felt both emotions.

Life, it seems, has not been kind to the horse whose lineage is said to
be traced back to 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat — and who, if not
a champion in his own right, was at least a moneymaker for a time.

Linda Shave has called him Hong Kong for short since taking
responsibility for what had been an abused and emaciated horse on July
3. And if the horse she and her friend Kathy Hesse have come to love
carelessly wanders his paddock on the Wall-Howell boundary, they are
worrying for him.

Medically, Shave said, he's making a comeback. The multiple scars from
repeated attacks by another horse have healed, a tribute to Hong Kong's
stamina and the medical skill of veterinarian Cathy Ball.

Hong Kong has gained most of his weight back, Hesse said, but he still
eats like, well, a horse.

That's a bale of hay each day topped off with two shovels of grain,
Shave said. There's also that midmorning snack of a bucket of carrots,
she added. The hay alone is a good $10 a day. Fortunately, she works at
what the sign still calls White Oaks Farm, although the name has been
changed to Dream Acres by the new owner, Gary Cutler.

Now, Hong Kong is also going to get some help from the Monmouth County
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose chief
investigator has tracked down Hong Kong's original owner, with the help
of Ball, and received a pledge that she will help the SPCA defray the
cost of the horse's care.

But where he'll finally end up is still an open question, and part of an
issue extends well beyond Monmouth County.
Unwanted horses

Testimony before Congress this year revealed that as many as 100,000
horses across the country may be in need of homes. Their prospects are
not good, experts and animal advocates say. The simple fact is that it's
difficult to find a place for large animals that are expensive to care
for, they add.

Hong Kong is doing better than many other former racehorses, said Carole
Balmer of Holmdel, who devotes much of her time as an advocate for
unwanted horses. At least he has a safe place to stay, she added.

"Rehabing, rehoming and saving not just racehorses, but all horses, from
slaughter has been an ongoing battle for many of us for quite some time
now," she said.

Horses have become expendable items, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief
humane police officer for the Monmouth County SPCA. It was Amato's
investigation that resulted in Hong Kong being removed from a Howell
location where he was starving and under continual attack from another
horse.

A confluence of events has created a glut of unwanted horses, Ball said.
The economy has soured and the horse-racing industry itself is in
decline, she added.

"As soon as these horses are not running in the money anymore, their
owners want to get rid of them," Amato said. "Most times they don't care
how they get rid of them."

It's what Balmer called the "dirty little secret" of the racing and
rodeo industries: a horse's fall from valued property to a neglected
animal or, worse, a butchered flank of horsemeat.

In Washington, Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Dan Burton, R-Ind., have
introduced a bill that would restrict the killing of U.S. horses. The
Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 would prohibit the slaughter of
U.S. horses for human consumption as well as their export for slaughter
in other countries. The bill was released from committee Tuesday,
although a vote by the full House has not been scheduled.

Prior to federal laws that forced the closure of all three foreign-owned
plants in the United States, 80,000 to 100,000 horses were being
slaughtered in the country and processed for human consumption,
according to the Humane Society of the United States and testimony
before Congress. Now, the society said, thousands of live horses are
transported across the border to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. The
horses are sold as food, and often their former owners are unaware of
the animals' ultimate fate, Balmer said.
No easy task

Meanwhile, a number of organizations are pushing programs that range
from saving the West's wild mustangs to more modest goals closer to home.

Groups like ReRun Inc. have chapters in New Jersey, New York and
Kentucky, where they put discarded racehorses up for adoption, Ball said.

Another national group, the Communication Alliance to Network
Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses, or CANTER, has found homes for 5,000 horses
in the 11 years it's been in existence. But their representatives say
they are forced to turn away about 10 horses a week.

"It's not like finding a home for a dog or a cat," said Ursula Goetz,
the executive director for the Monmouth County SPCA. "Even that's
difficult. We have about 300 of those we're caring for on any given day."

In addition, a municipality's zoning ordinances can also limit areas
where a horse can be kept, officials said.

In Hamilton, the Standardbred Retirement Foundation spends more than
$200,000 a year boarding retired standardbred racehorses and working to
find them homes, said Genevieve Sullivan, the group's executive
director. They have 160 on hand at present, she said.

Among their adoptees are 15 horses assigned to the Newark Police
Department's mounted division and another three with the Rutgers
University police in New Brunswick, she said.

Sullivan said she hopes the racing industry will lead the way in helping
to finance horse rescues.
"I'd like to see a portion of the wagers from every track across the
country put into a fund where registered horse rescue groups can draw
on," she said.

Standardbreds can have a racing life from age 2 until about 14, and
might live for as long as 30 years, she said.

Unlike some others, Sullivan said she isn't popping any champagne corks
about the congressional moves to ban horse slaughter.

"I don't think slaughtering these horses is a good idea. I don't think
anyone does," she said. "But what happens now? That's another 80,000
horses we need to care for, and our rescues are already operating at
capacity. I'm not sure that in some cases, humane euthanization of a
horse isn't preferable to his being turned over to new owners again and
again or sent on a truck to be slaughtered out of the country under
horrible conditions. A lot of the horses that end up in the kill pens
are horses that no one wants."

A horse may have as many as three adopted homes in a lifetime, Sullivan
said. Not all of them are good ones, she added.

Such was the case with Hong Kong Express. The former owner who turned
him over to the place where he endured such suffering was horrified to
learn what had happened, said Ball, the veterinarian who helped nurse
him back to health.

"She had undergone heart surgery and had no way to take care of him,"
Ball said. "The man who took him convinced her he would give the horse a
good home. She believed him. Now she is drawing up papers to ban that
man from ever having the horse again, and she told me she wants to help
us pay for Hong Kong's upkeep."

"I'm also working with the SPCA to find him a good, permanent home,"
Ball said. "There's just so much need and so few places for these horses."

NTRA Withdraws Support for Anti-Horse Slaughter Bill

Four years ago the NTRA made an official declaration that they were against horse slaughter, though they never took it upon themselves to stop it on an industry-wide level. Now, they are saying they are still against racehorse slaughter, but have "concerns" about this new bill and are withholding their support of it.....

We are not suprized. They were never against racehorse slaughter but were only paying lip-service to the claim. Meanwhile the NTRA has been regularly contributing to the very congressional representatives who are STALLING all our efforts to get any kind of anti-horse slaughter legislation passed.

NTRA is obviously playing both sides of the fence, but we know what their real position is;

NTRA Pro-slaughter, say, "Breed Baby Breed - but keep the slaughter going."

Our National Thoroughbred Racing Association is a National Disgrace!
Labels: National Disgrace, Thoroughbred Racing

Race Tracks to Celebrate "Exceller" Day

Dont let contributors to the fund fool you into thinking that the industry as a whole really gives a dam about the retired horses. Those that do give, give paultry amounts, not nearly enough, and they certainly arent doing anything to end racehorse slaughter. They are "blowing smoke" with these programs trying to give the appearance of caring. These TB rescue and retirement funds are all grossly underfunded and that JUST SHOULDNT BE! What the INDUSTRY needs to do to "prove to the world" they care, is issue a proclaimation declaring that THE INDUSTRY,as a whole, is IN FACT against racehorse slaughter and furthermore to DISCOURAGE their members from putting any racehorse in danger of going there.

Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:05 PM

Tracks to participate in Toast to Exceller day

Several racetracks around the country have agreed to participate in
Toast to Exceller day on Saturday to mark the 30th anniversary of
Exceller’s victory over two Triple Crown winners in the 1978 Jockey Club
Gold Cup Stakes.

The event was designed to raise awareness for Thoroughbred racehorse
retirement and adoption. This year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at
Belmont Park has attracted Horse of the Year Curlin among others.

Each of the participating tracks will sell the signature cocktail “The
Exceller” with profits from drink sales going to The Exceller Fund,
which provides “a future beyond the finish line” for racehorses no
longer able to compete. A video replay of Exceller’s triumph over
Affirmed and Seattle Slew in the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup is expected
to be shown at participating tracks.

The tracks also have been asked to put a page in their printed programs
describing Exceller’s historic victory, promote the namesake cocktail of
vodka, Triple Sec, and apple, cranberry, and lime juices, and recognize
the Exceller Fund as well as their local equine charity groups.

Mountaineer Race Track, Finger Lakes, Thistledown, Laurel Park, and
Presque Isle Downs are among the tracks participating in the Toast to
Exceller day.

“I can not thank our partner tracks enough for their support with this
and I wish to especially thank the New York Racing Association for their
commitment to the Exceller Fund that will be a lasting relationship for
many years to come,” Exceller Fund President Gary Contessa said. “We
need everyone in this business and fans to come on board and help us in
any way that they can. These Thoroughbreds have been your livelihood or
your passion. No donation is too small to make a difference.”

The Exceller Fund was founded to honor Exceller, whose life ended in a
European slaughterhouse when he was deemed no longer useful as a
breeding stallion.

Click on title above for full article from BloodHorse


http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/September/24/Tracks-to-participate-in-Toast-to-Exceller-day.aspx

Heavenly Drift Drifts off into Retirement But....

how safe is he?

Click on title above for full article.