A horse competition in Staunton, Ill., Oct. 20 will be held to benefit Thoroughbreds Helping Thoroughbreds, an organization that aims to promote the retired Thoroughbred as a capable horse breed for competition off the racetrack.
Only Thoroughbred horses are allowed to compete.
"Off-track Thoroughbred horses are often very young and have a lot of potential after they've finished racing," said Holly Steinmeyer, co-founder of THT. "At most, Thoroughbreds are 5- to 7-years-old when they're not fit for the track anymore."
Thoroughbreds Helping Thoroughbreds is dedicated to the notion that Thoroughbred horses deserve a second chance at a new "career" for the remainder of their lives. It was created to help increase breed awareness in hopes that other horse owners will give Thoroughbreds a second look.
"There are more ex-racehorses than there are available homes, so it's important we promote them," Steinmeyer said. "We want others to know how great this breed is and how they can do so much more than run around a racetrack."
To help promote the success of off-track Thoroughbreds in the show ring for 2014, THT is offering a new prize for the Thoroughbred that raced in 2013 at Fairmount Park and accumulated the most points at THT-recognized shows in 2014.
The upcoming horse show has 15 classes that competitors may enter. Each class has a cash prize and a trophy for first place, and ribbons for second through sixth place.
For more information about the show, please contact Holly Steinmeyer at steinmyr@hughes.net.