John and Debby Oxley and the Retired Racehorse Training Project will be honored at Thoroughbred Charities of America's 24th Annual Select Stallion Season Auction at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, at the Keeneland Entertainment Center in Lexington.
The Oxleys will receive the TCA Leadership Award and the TCA Industry Service Award will be presented to the Retired Racehorse Training Project.
"John and Debby Oxley and the Retired Racehorse Training Project have made outstanding contributions to the Thoroughbred industry," Dan Rosenberg, president of TCA, said in a statement. "Both honorees embody the mission of Thoroughbred Charities of America and it is our honor to recognize them for their tremendous efforts."
The Leadership Award is presented annually to an organization or individual whose philanthropic endeavors are consistent with TCA's mission, according to a release, and past award winners include Frank Stronach, Fasig-Tipton, Darley, Todd Pletcher, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, and Bill Casner.
John and Debby Oxley are prominent Thoroughbred owners and breeders who have supported numerous Thoroughbred aftercare organizations, backstretch and education programs, and research organizations.
"We are deeply honored and humbled by this award," said John and Debby Oxley in the press release. "The work of TCA is critically important to the Thoroughbred industry and we enthusiastically support TCA. We commend all TCA recipient organizations, and their staff and volunteers who do the daily work to support and care for retired thoroughbreds. Thank you for your dedication."
The TCA Industry Service Award is presented annually to a current TCA grantee that exemplifies TCA's mission. Past award winners include Belmont Child Care Association, Old Friends, Kentucky Equine Humane Center, Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue, New Vocations, and Tranquility Farms.
Retired Racehorse Training Project, a current recipient of TCA funding, is dedicated to increasing demand in the sport and recreation marketplace for Thoroughbred ex-racehorses through public events, clinics, training publications, videos, and internet tools. Its recent Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium at Pimlico Racecourse brought together the organizations, farms, and individuals who are the bridge to second careers for these horses while showcasing the talents of Thoroughbreds who had transitioned from racing to 10 different equestrian disciplines.
"Thoroughbred racehorses are the most magnificent animals on the planet, and there is no group of people we would rather be honored by for our work on their behalf than the board of directors of TCA," said RRTP president Steuart Pittman in a statement. "Most of us are dumbfounded that Thoroughbreds lost so much of the riding horse market share in the last three decades to other breeds, but all of us understand how important it is to take that share back. We believe that with TCA on our team we will."
The TCA Stallion Season Auction is the charity's largest annual fundraiser and this year approximately 200 seasons will be auctioned, with the majority of the seasons offered during the telephone and online portion of the auction. Online bidding will open at 9 a.m. EST Jan. 2 and continue through 10 a.m. Jan. 4. Telephone bids will be accepted Jan. 2-3, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Jan. 4 from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. EST. Interested bidders may register to bid by visiting www.tca.org.
Approximately 10-15 seasons will be sold in a live Select Season Auction on Saturday, Jan. 4. Bidders or their authorized agents may bid on the select seasons by attending the live auction in-person or they may bid on the select seasons during the telephone and online phase with the highest bidders earning the right to bid by phone during the live auction. In addition to the seasons, the live auction will feature non-season lots that include a Triple Crown ticket package, John Deere mower, tickets for the 2014 Breeders' Cup, and a NASCAR race at the Kentucky Speedway. A silent auction will also be offered.
TCA Stallion Season Auction sponsors include Brushwood Stable, Adena Springs Farm, Rosenberg Thoroughbred Consulting, PBI Bank, Lael Stable, Candyland Farm, John Deere, Bourbon Lane Stable, Starquine.com, Provations Group, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, L.V. Harkness & Company, and Blood-Horse Publications.
More information is available at www.tca.org.