April 21, 2009 — The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park is pleased to announce the first annual Horses Helping Horses event which started Sunday, April 19.
Horses are helping horses with an eBay auction of halters from famous Lexington-area ex-racehorses and stallions to help fund the MMSC’s myriad programs for retraining ex-racehorses and for educating the general public about the athleticism of the Thoroughbred. The auction opened on April 19 and runs until April 25 and includes halters from Serena’s Song, Distorted Humor and among others. “The halter auction has been a great opportunity for us to raise money, and allowed other horses to provide an opportunity to care for our horses,” says Brittany Hawkins, equine communications intern who has been helping to coordinate the halter sale as part of her internship project. “The halters are wonderful heirlooms and, even in times such as these, smart investments,” says MMSC Director Susanna Thomas. “We hope that by putting them on eBay we will lure racing and horse enthusiasts from afar and spread the word about the value of the Thoroughbred ex-racehorse.”
The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center is a re-training and adoption facility located within the Kentucky Horse Park. It was started five years ago by a group of constituents from the racing industry to showcase the athleticism of the soundest, most marketable Thoroughbred ex-racehorses and to re-school them for new careers. The Center takes in horses from private owners and trainers through the TRF as well as from other Thoroughbred rescue agencies across the country. The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center would like to thank Adena Springs Kentucky, Denali Stud, Juddmonte, Shadwell Farm, Taylor Made Farm, Three Chimneys Farm and Winstar Farm, for their generous donations. For more information about the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center or the Horses Helping Horses online auction, please contact Natalie Voss at nvoss@trfinc.org.
