charity

Over 260 riders and their mounts from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and farther afield cantered, walked and trotted across Pimlico Race Course Sunday, to raise awareness and money for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) as part of Canter for a Cause. The event, sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club, saw registered riders go out in one of four groups between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to take their horse around Pimlico, as well as walk through the starting gate and get their picture taken in the winner's circle. "The Thoroughbred...

Santa Anita will host a charity poker tournament Oct. 23 to benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation, which supports families of fallen or disable veterans. Players will make a $300 charitable donation, which includes a day at the races and a night of No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em. There will also be a silent auction. Folds of Honor has awarded more than 35,000 educational scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled veterans and will be represented by retired United States Marine Corps Sergeant and P.O.W. Rocky Sickmann, one of 65...

NYRA TV analysts Andy Serling and Anthony Stabile, who kiddingly challenged one another to mini-golf during the July 18 broadcast of Talking Horses, joined forces with Three Diamonds Farm's Kirk Wycoff and Nové Italian Restaurant's Louis Lazzinnaro and by the conclusion of the mini-golf game at the Goony Golf in Lake George, N.Y. Aug. 2, the two-on-two matchup had raised $100,000 for New York-based backstretch organizations. Bolstered by Wycoff's three holes-in-one, the Serling/Wycoff team defeated Stabile and Lazzinnaro, otherwise known as "Team Nové," by 15 strokes. "It's a testament to...

Blue Grass Farms Charities, Inc., (BGFC) received a $7,247 grant from the Honorable Order Kentucky Colonels (HOKC) to purchase 1,000 backpacks for farm and track workers' children--Kindergarten through Middle School--for the 2021 school year. In total, the HOKC will award $2.1 million in grants supporting 275 non-profits, impacting close to 3.7 million Kentuckians. "When HOKC Trustees met with grant applicants this year, we were reminded how hard the pandemic has made life harder for many folks, from first responders in community service charities to the clients themselves," said HOKC Commanding...

Park Lane Stables RDA is seeking an alternative location for its operation after its landlords served notice of eviction, the charity announced on Thursday. Originally given an eviction notice on New Year's Eve, the riding school charity, which provides therapy and riding lessons for people with and without disabilities, successfully raised over the £1 million needed to stay at its current Teddington location. However, the landlord revised the amount required to purchase the property to £1.3 million, the amount generated by the fundraising effort. In addition, another offer from a...

Lifelong Thoroughbred Owner and Non-Profit Founder Joell Dunlap released her first novel "A Damn Fine Hand"--A Story of Women Riding for Their Lives--as an eBook on Gumroad. Dunlap is the co-founder and executive director of the Square Peg Foundation. All proceeds for book sales benefit Square Peg Foundation, a 501(c3) charity accredited by the Thoroughbred AfterCare Alliance. "Riding a racehorse is a thrill that changed my life," Dunlap said. "It's the stuff of dreams. I wanted to be able to take the reader along for that ride. What started as...

The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, slated for Sept. 18-19 this year, will welcome visitors back to Newmarket for the first time since 2019. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event, which normally features racing and equine enthusiasts visiting training yards, into a virtual format for the first time. A total of £48,000 was raised for its three chosen beneficiaries-Racing Welfare (80%), the British Racing School (10%) and the Racing Centre (10%). This year, Racing Welfare, the newly formed Newmarket Pony Academy and a soon to be announced community project...

Racing Welfare in conjunction with Great British Racing (GBR), the Tote and Sky Sports Racing, have launched the 2021 edition of the pop idol competition, Furlong Factor. Introduced last season, the competition is free to enter and first prize is £1,500 in cash and a trophy from Inkerman London. All funds raised from the Furlong Factor will go toward Racing Welfare's Lost Events Appeal. Entries close Apr. 21. To enter, contestants are asked to record themselves singing into their phone and email their videos to communications@racingwelfare.co.uk or send in by...

In tandem with this season's Kentucky Derby, Second Stride will host its annual fundraiser Sunday, Apr. 25 at 6:00p.m. EST. Heading into this year's fundraiser, a silent auction will open Tuesday, Apr. 20. Silent auction items will include: A day in the announcer's booth at iconic Churchill Downs A round of golf at the historic Valhalla Golf Club A halter worn by American Pharoah, winner of the 2015 Triple Crown and Breeder's Cup Classic A VIP Tailgate at a University of Kentucky or University of Louisville football game A tour...

Tweenhills Angus Burger and Tweenhills Coffee vans were launched at the Tattersalls December Sales to raise money for Racing Welfare by Tweenhills and Qatar Racing. The initiative raised £9,865.65, which was donated by Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Racing and David Redvers, Qatar Racing's Racing Manager and owner of Tweenhills, to the charity. David Redvers said, "We are delighted to be able to support Racing Welfare in these incredibly challenging times and wish to thank everyone for their custom. Tweenhills Angus Beef is produced from the grass-fed herd of...

A crowdfunding effort has been started for Park Lane Stables RDA (Riding for the Disabled), a riding school charity that provides therapy and riding lessons for people with and without disabilities in London. Run by Natalie O'Rourke, the Teddington-based riding school's landlord is not renewing their lease and selling the property. A total of £1 million is needed by Feb. 24 to enable Park Lane to purchase the property and secure their future in the community. The riding school has already raised over £183,000 toward their goal. Park Lane first...

As in year's past, the jockey colony at Indiana Grand will provide toys for the local "Breakfast with Santa" event Saturday, Dec. 12. This season, the jockeys will donate a total of 61 toys, a new record for the annual toy drive. "I have three kids myself and we are fortunate enough to provide toys for them," said Manny Esquivel. "I come from a very poor place in Mexico, and just thinking about it, it's hard to think about kids not getting toys for Christmas. I used to play with...