hj IN EVERY ISSUE
NATIONAL HBPA 870 Corporate Drive Suite 300 Lexington, KY 40503 P(859) 259-0451 F(859) 259-0452 racing@hbpa.org www.hbpa.org
PRESIDENT/ CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD Leroy Gessmann SECRETARY/ TREASURER Lynne Schuller CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric J. Hamelback VICE PRESIDENT CENTRAL REGION Robin Richards VICE PRESIDENT EASTERN REGION Joe Davis VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN REGION Rick Hiles VICE PRESIDENT WESTERN REGION J. Lloyd Yother
2
HJSUMMER 17
MESSAGE FROM
THE CEO
TO SAY THIS YEAR IS FLYING BY WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT, AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE WELL UNDERWAY TO HAVING A GREAT 2017. WE’VE GONE FROM THE NATIONAL HBPA CONVENTION TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY IN WHAT HAS PASSED LIKE A BLINK OF THE EYE. MY EFFORTS HAVE BEEN VERY FOCUSED, WITH A GOAL TO HAVE POSITIVE ACTIONS DURING THIS YEAR THAT WILL BE FELT FOR SOME TIME TO COME. ONE REGRET THUS FAR HAS BEEN TIMING AND THE INABILITY TO WORK CONSISTENTLY ON REGULAR UPDATES ON WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE NHBPA. BEING ON THE GO AND WORKING TOWARD MANY ASPECTS INVOLVING OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TIME-CONSUMING TO SAY THE LEAST. I WILL WORK TOWARD CONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS ON MY COMMUNICATION AND UPDATES. For this issue, I want to take time to address Thoroughbred aftercare. I know those very words are a mouthful, and they bring about a wide range of emotions ranging from anger, to fear, to frustration and to many—I hope—gratification. Taking care of Thoroughbreds after their racing careers have ended not only is the right thing to do for the horse, but it is the right thing for owners, trainers and our industry as a whole. That was the message of our convention panel from the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance entitled “The TAA: Protecting Your Investment in Retirement.” As an industry, we must own the fact that it is our duty to assist in the retirement of our equine athletes. I would ask each of you, as affiliates of the NHBPA, to please make a strong effort to alert all of your owners, trainers and board members about the importance of being supportive of properly vetted aftercare organizations. The importance of proper accreditation for aftercare facilities is more evident now than it has ever been. I also hope you agree that the productivity of a Thoroughbred does not have to end at the track. These points form an important take-home message, and one we all need to continue to deliver in order to stop the term “unwanted horse.” It is my hope that everyone can come to see the increasing popularity our Thoroughbreds now have within today’s show horse world. And according to the TAA, Thoroughbreds are becoming more popular as sport horses than they have been in decades. We can point to three reasons that give rise to this: 1) the growth of aftercare organizations that retrain Thoroughbreds, 2) the affordability of a Thoroughbred, and 3) the infrastructure development of the off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) horse shows. We have seen over the last five to 10 years that Thoroughbred shows are popping up everywhere. While it started out slow, these shows are building tremendous momentum. We now have aftercare groups organizing their own in-house shows. I for one would love to see more Thoroughbred racetracks, as Pimlico Race Course does, start hosting their own Thoroughbred-only horse shows. In 2012 The Jockey Club initiated its Thoroughbred Incentive Program, which started out supporting 150 shows in its first year and has grown to support more than 2,500 shows through 2016. We now see even larger events being established to focus on our Thoroughbreds. We have even seen an OTTB compete in the Olympics for Team USA. The 2016 Olympic Games featured Blackfoot Mystery, who trained and graduated from the Thoroughbred Rehab Center in California. There too is an important take-home message. The focused efforts by many groups and individuals to highlight our Thoroughbreds have
moved us to a new level. The industry, with urging from groups such as the TAA, Thoroughbred Charities of America and Retired Racehorse Project, has built an infrastructure in which the Thoroughbred can be retrained for second careers. The efforts put forth have been one of the best things to happen for all of us in this industry and especially those of us connected to these horses. I also want to acknowledge the work done by Old Friends and similar organizations, who help find forever homes for horses who might not be suited for an active second career. In particular, Old Friends has raised awareness of aftercare for some of the sport’s most prominent stars and continuously generates positive stories about how the industry takes care of former racehorses (see article on page 20). Now, we can’t stop. We have others believing in and wanting the Thoroughbred for competition outside the racetrack. These horses are bred to compete. It is up to us to continue to facilitate that desire for competition, and by doing so we are helping all aspects of our industry. We must focus on education and promote the care of our Thoroughbreds during their lifetime. Also, we must make provisions for the care and welfare of those individuals that we consider vulnerable to an end many of us find unacceptable. We must continue to promote the suitability and versatility of the Thoroughbred racehorse for second careers so as to aid in establishing a long and active life after racing. I also feel it is imperative that we make it easy to access advice and guidance in order for everyone to make the right choice for their horses. Finally, I feel it would be of great service if we help to establish and support a system of tracking Thoroughbreds throughout their lives, in hopes of establishing accountability and providing others with the ability to help in recovery. In doing so, we should work to facilitate cooperation between horsemen and aftercare providers to communicate effectively, share information and develop second-career options when available. As we all know, the NHBPA is about “Horsemen Helping Horsemen,” but I also want to establish us as “Leaders into the Future” for our industry. Part of that entails us being leaders for aftercare responsibility for our equine athletes. As always, I hope everyone knows I am here to support “you” the affiliates. Please continue to reach out to me for anything you may need. I will continue to work on behalf of all the horsemen and horsewomen throughout our great industry, and I look forward to what lies ahead in 2017.
SINCERELY,
Eric J. Hamelback