New Vocations Horse Show Raises $10k for Charity
Paulick Report
The New Vocations Charity All Thoroughbred Show celebrated its inaugural year with 116 Thoroughbred exhibitors and over 430 total entries and $10,000 raised to support racehorse aftercare. Held in conjunction with The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program, the one-day show, sponsored by the Paulick Report and Prospect Farm, offered newly retired racehorses, as well as seasoned show horses, a chance to compete at the Kentucky Horse Park in both the famous Rolex Arena and Walnut Ring.
“We are so excited to have had such a successful first year of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Show,” says Sarah Coleman, New Vocations Director of Education and Development. “It was amazing to see all the retired racehorses in the Rolex Arena until almost 1 a.m., riding under the lights and exemplifying the concept that these horses have so much left to give when they leave the track. We could not have asked for a better way to kick off our horse show expansion, nor for more dedicated volunteers who stayed until the last horse went through the gate!”
Thoroughbreds with backgrounds ranging from no starts to over 50, and zero earnings to over $695,000, competed side by side, showcasing the breed’s athleticism and versatility beyond the track. The Rolex Arena was also the perfect setting to hold the Thoroughbred Recognition Ceremony, in which both exhibitors and spectators celebrated and honored the heart and versatility of the four-legged athletes in attendance.
Among the 116 Thoroughbreds competing, several should be noted. Art of Diplomacy, who raced 77 times and won $165,818, was the Jockey Club T.I.P. War Horse Champion. Bullseyeperfect, with 34 starts and $44,125 in earnings, won the Jockey Club T.I.P. Junior/Amateur Hunter Derby. Iron Heart, an eight-year-old unraced gelding, won the Jockey Club T.I.P. Open Hunter Derby. Gristmill Road, with 23 starts and $38,947 in earnings, was the winner of the Jockey Club T.I.P. Open Jumper Stakes. Josefina Verde, with 14 starts and 1,715 in earnings, was the winner of the Jockey Club T.I.P. Junior/Amateur Jumper Stakes. Lastly, the winner of the Jockey Club’s Most Recently Raced Award went to eight-year-old mare Pass Me a Drink, who last raced August 5th, marking the end of a 7 year-long racing career which included 50 starts and $79,578 in earnings.
New Vocations first opened their barn doors in 1992 to retired racehorses looking for new careers. Starting with a single farm in Dayton, Ohio, the program has grown to six facilities in Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Serving over 40 racetracks, New Vocations works directly with owners and trainers in need of an aftercare program for horses leaving the track. Currently, the program leads the nation in racehorse adoptions, taking in over 450 horses each year. The program has a sound adoption system in place that is proven to move a large number of horses in a rather short period of time. Their focus is on adoption verses retirement, believing that each horse deserves to have an individual home and a purpose. For more information, visit www.newvocations.org.
