Retired Standardbreds Represented on Hambo Day
Friday, August 12, 2011 - by Tracy Tarantino 

Not only did the top pacers and trotters compete on Hambletonian Day (Aug. 6) at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, retired Standardbreds led the way in the opening festivities parade.

Fronted by Passaic Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit, Southern Walton, a 12-year-old retired pacing gelding, owned by Tracy Tarantino, who was accompanied by Suzanne D'Ambrose, patriotically led the rest of the Standardbreds past the excited crowd in Paddock Park prior to post time.

Additionally showcased, were the Standardbred Retirement Foundation's Prairie Dream and Vince with riders Rachel Swope and Kristin Gelsomino. Ironstone Arthur was driven by Maggie Romano. Also Hayward and Zorro, both grey Standardbreds who pulled the Caleche carriage supplied by Allegra Farms rounded out the gorgeous Standardbreds who delightfully shared their time and beauty with their owners to represent the versatility of the breed after their racing careers. 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

The Versatile Standardbred
Friday, August 12, 2011 - by Ellen Harvey

Photos by Christie DeBernardis

What a day I had on Monday (Aug. 8). First thing in the morning, not usually a great time for me, I was honored to speak to the World Trotting Conference delegates on the initiatives the USTA has undertaken to promote and enhance the lives of non-commercial Standardbreds in need of a new career. In the afternoon, we extended that conversation – this time straight from the horse’s mouth.

The Standardbred Retirement Foundation (www.adoptahorse.org) in Hamilton, N.J., was our host for a demonstration of what our horses can do off the track. We had an international flair, as Jacquie Ingrassia, a native of Norwich, England, showed off the still very athletic form of 2000 Yonkers Trot winner, Goalfish, carrying a rider now, not pulling a sulky.

Jacquie Ingrassia with 2000 Yonkers Trot winner, Goalfish

A couple of gals from Malmo, Sweden, now living in New Jersey, were out to impress. Lena O’Brien was dressed up in the attire of a lady from the 1800s as she drove the “Grand Old Man” of Standardbred show horses, Road Kar, to demonstrate how a Standardbred makes the transition to country pleasure driving. The horse has more blue ribbons than hairs in his nicely braided mane. He brought his own fan club with him, as a gaggle of little girls ran up and gave him a carrot necklace at the end of the demo.  John Pawlak, our announcer, could not help himself – he had to tell us the necklace looked like it was 24 karats/carrots.

Helene Gregory, also from Malmo, and Jambalayabar Man, hopped over jumps like they were shoeboxes.  Then they set the jumps even higher and sailed over them without so much as a whisper of effort. Helene had the blue and yellow flag of Sweden on her polo shirt, which surely pleased her countrymen and women. You know the expression – you can take the girl out of Sweden, but you can’t make her dislike herring.

Helene Gregory, Jambalayabar Man, and Swedish delegate Peter Forssberg

The “home team” sent out Dominka Nawrot, who trains the SRF’s horses awaiting adoption, along with the graceful mare Aly Bama Road, who is looking for a home. Dominika and Aly showed us some of the exercises used to get past the “straight and fast” headset of a racehorse. It sure looked like it was working, as Aly was bending so well it looked like she was licking salt off Dominka’s boot. The two of them went right off in to a lovely canter that we all hope will help Aly get a home very soon.

We got a taste of rodeo time as Meadowlands announcer Sam McKee and his 17 year-old, Who’s Your Buddy, showed us what pole bending is all about. Think slalom ski racing for horses. The only thing more impressive than Buddy’s speed zigging and zagging around the cones was his sliding stops a few inches from our audience. I’ve got to hand it to our visitors – no one blinked. I thought Buddy might end up in someone’s lap a few times.

Meadowlands Racetrack announcer Sam McKee, aboard Who's Your Buddy, give a pole-bending demonstration

The professionalism of the horses was exceeded only by that of their humans. Everyone was tacked up, warmed up, buffed up and lined up as the buses came rolling in to the SRF. The meet-and-greet after the demo was fun, especially for Gordon Garnett of the British Harness Racing Club (www.bhrc.org.uk). Last time I saw him, he was riding Who’s Your Buddy, who Sam says has two speeds, “whoa” and “go,” around the ring. I think Buddy had “go” in mind and Gordon was thinking more “whoa.”

I was more than proud of our team and grateful that they helped to show delegates from 16 different countries that our horses’ ability to be productive, useful and fun, in any pursuit, is limitless. If you’d like to see more of the same, circle August 21 on your calendar and plan to attend  - or maybe you’ve got something to compete with – the National Standardbred Horse Show at the NJ Horse Park. 

http://www.standardbredpleasurehorse.org/

Editor's Note: The views contained in this column are that of the author alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of the United States Trotting Association. 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Big M Club Beat The Boss Challenge Continues With A Twist
 
After the strong response to last week's "Beat The Boss" challenge, new Meadowlands Racetrack operator Jeff Gural is throwing down the gauntlet to Big M Club members for the rest of the meet.

Every Friday, Gural will put a $1,000 betting voucher on the line as he challenges Big M Club members to out-handicap him in five designated races for the night using $6 win, place and show wagers.  The player with the highest bankroll at the end of Friday night will be declared the winner live on television after Saturday night's first race.  When Gural proves he is the best handicapper, he will donate his $1,000 voucher to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation (SRF).  The bankroll money he earns each of the next four Fridays will also be donated to the SRF on Saturday, August 20.
Not a Big M Club member?  Contact Mitch Cohen (mcohen@njsea.com) or any Guest Service representative to join the most lucrative rewards program in racing for FREE.

Hamilton Stable serves as retirement home for ex-racehorses

The once shaky future of New Jersey horse racing appears to have been saved from the brink of extinction, with deals planned to continue racing at Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands.

But what happens to the horses who pound the track, thrilling track visitors and bettors alike? It’s a question posed to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation (SRF) in Hamilton every day.

The Old York Road facility saves and rehabilitates standardbred racehorses — those who harness-race at tracks from the Meadowlands to Yonkers and face uncertain fates if they come up lame during a race or stop finishing in the money.

“Every horse in here had a career,” said Judith Bokman, one of the founders of the SRF. “These are the ones that weren’t profitable, that didn’t make it on the track. When racehorses can no longer compete properly, there’s no outlet for them.”

The nonprofit organization cares for horses with nicknames like Archie and Sharkie, pulling them from the track, tending to any injuries and preparing them for new homes away from the racing world.

Some never leave the SRF, but since its beginnings in 1989, the foundation has adopted out more than 2,300 former racehorses. Adopters include people looking for riding horses and organizations like the Newark Police Department and Connecticut governor’s color guard.

Adopting an SRF horse typically costs no more than $300. The organization does check up on horses adopted out, and it forbids the racing or breeding of its animals.
Known for their gentle temperament, the standardbreds from SRF are used for programs across the country, to teach juvenile offenders responsibility under a state Juvenile Justice Commission program and to give disabled children the chance to ride.
And under a new program in the works, a number of SRF horses would serve as therapy animals for military, fire and police personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The care administered by the foundation doesn’t come cheap. Dana Letual, SRF’s business administrator, said it costs $38,000 to $44,000 a month just to feed, tend to and house the 175 horses currently under their care, not counting leasing fees and other administrative costs.

The foundation is supported solely through donations.On its wish list, Bokman said, is a permanent home for the nonprofit. The foundation currently leases the Old York Road farm, where roughly 30 horses stay, and it boards other retired racers at farms across the country.

Leasing is expensive, though, and the fate of the farm, which was owned by Trenton pharmacist Arjun Reddy Dyapa, remains unknown. Dyapa was slain in an apparent robbery attempt at his drugstore in May. “We would like to have a more permanent home where we can provide for the turnout, retraining areas and boarding all in one place,” said Bokman. “We need a rehabilitation and adoption facility that we can use long-term.”

SRF’s work was honored yesterday by Douglas Fisher, the state secretary of agriculture, who celebrated the state’s equine industry by naming June “the month of the horse.”

Horses, from those who race to those used for riding lessons, “are a huge part of the economy and way of life that people want to have in New Jersey,” said Fisher.
New Jersey’s horse industry is valued at $4 billion, and it helps support working farms that double as open space, according to Karyn Malinowski, director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center.

While the economic benefits of the state’s horse industry have long been touted, racing in the state was threatened last year after Gov. Chris Christie recommended ending state support for tracks at Monmouth and the Meadowlands. A commission report suggested ending racing altogether at the Meadowlands, where crowds and profits have dwindled in recent years.

Two buyers have stepped forward to operate and lease the tracks, and “we’re sort of recrafting the venues, the racing dates,” Fisher said yesterday. “As the track reconfigures itself, you’ll see more participation from the fans.” “We just want to make sure we can maintain operations like this,” Fisher said, speaking of the SRF.

To learn more about the organization, visit adoptahorse.org

Contact Erin Duffy at eduffy@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5723

 ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Philadelphia mounted police unit honors officers who died
March 26, 2011|By Vernon Clark, Inquirer Staff Writer

Original article here

Amber Liczbinski pats SRF police horse, Atlantic Yankee, now named Stephen in honor of her father, Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.

In the chilly morning air Friday at a Bucks County farm, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey introduced the first five horses of his department's reinstated mounted police unit: Johnny, Pat, Stephen, Santiago, and Tiny Tim.

The steeds are named in tribute to five officers who died in the line of duty in 2008 and 2009 - Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, Officer Isabel [Santiago] Nazario, Sgt. Patrick McDonald, Sgt. Timothy Simpson, and Officer John Pawlowski.

"In getting the first few horses, it struck me that if the families would agree to it that it would be something to once again honor the service of their loved ones," Ramsey said, noting that the five officers had died during his tenure.

"There are a lot of benefits to having a unit like this," he said. "And I am just glad we have the public support that we need to get it off the ground again." Ramsey said the horses would be useful for crowd control and in Fairmount Park, much of which is inaccessible by car. The mounted unit, disbanded seven years ago for budgetary reasons, will be on the street by mid- to late summer, officials said.

Ramsey said naming the horses for the fallen officers was an important gesture to the officers' families, who were in attendance at White Pine Farm in Richboro on Friday. The families chose the horses' names.

Jazmin Nazario, 17, Officer Isabel Nazario's college-bound daughter, embraced the tribute as she stood near the horse that now bears her mother's maiden name, Santiago. "I just think it's something nice to honor her with," she said. Isabel Nazario, 40, died on Sept. 5, 2009, during a police chase when the unlicensed teenage driver she and her partner were pursuing broadsided their cruiser in the city's Mantua section.

The horses were adopted from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, N.J. Four of the five had served in the Newark Police Department's mounted unit, which was recently disbanded for budgetary reasons.
Ramsey hailed the new mounted unit as an important addition to the department and one to which city residents have responded positively.

The horses are "a crime-fighting tool," Ramsey said. "One horse is worth about 10 people when it comes to managing crowds, and certainly we have issues with crowd control in Philadelphia periodically." John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, welcomed the unit's return. "Its a good tool and a valuable tool for the officers on the street," McNesby said. He called naming the horses for officers "just a wonderful gesture. It goes a long, long way with the families."

The horses are standardbreds, a breed known for use as pacers and trotters that tends to be calmer than thoroughbreds, officials said. The department, with the support of the nonprofit Philadelphia Police Foundation, expects to have about 12 horses and officers in the unit later this year.

Jeff Kolansky, a board member of the foundation, said the group had begun a campaign to raise $3 million to build barns and acquire horses and materials for the mounted unit. He said the barns would be built near Chamounix Drive in Fairmount Park. Kolansky said donations for the unit could be made by going to http://www.phillypolicefoundation.org/.

New lift helps wheelchair-bound teens, adults continue horseback riding
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP, Staff Writer gmnews.com

When Justin Kahn reached adulthood, he could no longer mount and dismount a horse. The 27-year-old had to give up the therapeutic riding lessons that had been helping him cope with cerebral palsy since the age of 2. Kahn wasn’t the only disabled rider to have to stop attending lessons at Riding High Farm in Allentown.

Over the years, many of the disabled children who took riding lessons at the farm reached a point in their lives when they could no longer get on a horse safely.
Now, the farm has the ability to welcome many of these riders back for recreational and therapeutic lessons.

As a result of a partnership between the farm and Project Freedom, a Hamilton-based nonprofit that develops and operates barrier-free housing to enable individuals with disabilities to live independently, these riders have access to a SureHands lift. Project Freedom has been bringing groups of disabled adults to Riding High Farm for over two decades.

“This project is a two-year effort of both organizations to provide for our disabled riders who could not mount or dismount independently or safely with the assistance of volunteers for their therapeutic and recreational riding lessons,” said Riding High Farm Executive Director Dennis Kahn. “Because of the effort of both our organizations, riders who were no longer able to continue participating in therapeutic riding due to their growth in size as they approached adulthood… can now continue therapeutic riding throughout their lives.”

The partnership project, which also includes a stable addition that houses wheelchair ramps to provide access to the lift, will also create opportunities for new riders who never participated in therapeutic riding due to their physical disability, according to Kahn. “This opens up a whole new way of improving the lives of disabled people,” Kahn said. Kahn and his wife said they are thrilled their son will get to continue riding as a result of the lift. Horseback riding has provided him with numerous benefits.
“It’s a form of physical therapy,” Kahn said. “The movement of a horse is good for balance and encourages walking. He can walk short distances.”

Project Freedom Executive Director Tim Doherty, whose daughter Jen, 36, has cerebral palsy, said she participated in the therapeutic riding program until she could no longer mount a horse safely. “She had been riding for three or four years before she had to stop,” he said. “We’re definitely going to bring her back. She loved it. We all did. We did it together as a family.”

Doherty said horseback riding is beneficial for anyone who uses a wheelchair as it helps develop trunk control. Those with cerebral palsy whose legs tend to scissor also benefit from riding, which encourages the legs to open up, he said. Doherty said Project Freedom takes its residents to the farm two times each week during the spring and the fall. “This lift is really great for us because we can bring more people out to get exercise,” he said.

Riding High Farm Program Director Robyn Struz said she hopes that the project will enable the farm to expand its ridership and its Horses for Heroes program for returning wounded soldiers. Riding High Farm board member Regina King said adult riders won’t be the only ones to benefit from the lift. “I think it’s fabulous for all of the younger riders that will start aging and will need the lift. It’s not just for adults but for teenagers too.”

Struz demonstrated the SureHands lift with the help of rider Jeff Belpanno, of Hightstown, and the horse Magic on Dec. 20. She said the lift will help farm staff get wheelchair-bound riders that they otherwise couldn’t physically lift safely onto a horse for riding lessons. The farm recently received two large horses to accommodate the riders who will use the lift. Both horses are rescues, with Magic coming to the farm from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation in Hamilton and Blue coming from Helping Hearts Equine Rescue in Millstone.

For more information about the Riding High Farm therapeutic horseback riding program, visit www.ridinghighfarm.org or call 609-259-3884.

Barbara Evenson and Big Red
Published by: Horsemen’s Association of Millstone Township

I adopted Big Red in November 2008 from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation. He is the second Standardbred I have adopted and he is a 16.2 H, chestnut gelding, 17 years young.

He was previously used for combined training by his former owner in the Williamsburg, VA area so he does it all- -dressage (WOW what a wonderful extended trot he has), jumping (4'--can you believe it--I don't jump 4'), loves water (goes in like a champ) and has other wonderful gaits.

He does have a tendency to get very excited around a lot of other horses, but in time I think we can work this out. He did fairly well on his first pace except for being a little too fidgety. Once his gear goes on, he's all business.

We are developing a good rapport and whenever I drive my truck onto the farm he watches me intently until I come out and greet him. What a sweetie. He's very gentle and kind.

We will work through any of our issues I'm sure -- most are very minor. Give him an apple and he'll follow you anywhere.

www.hamt.org