substance abuse

Towards the end of December, the Sergio Morfin-trained Grazen mare Wishtheyallcouldbe was loaded onto a van from her stable at Los Alamitos to be shipped to Santa Anita for a $12,500 claimer. She would ultimately finish second. Isidro Paez was the freelance groom hired to care for the horse that day. In February, Paez had his license suspended for 90 days by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) for disorderly conduct "under the influence of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine" on Jan. 27, at Santa Anita. According to the stewards' minutes of...

The William Cooper Faith and Community in Action award was bestowed upon Stable Recovery Tuesday according to a release from the organization. Honored at the Annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast, Stable Recovery was celebrated for their support of individuals and families affected by substance abuse. "We are humble and grateful to receive the Faith and Community in Action Award," said CEO of Stable Recovery Christian Countzler. "We wake up every day and try to make a difference. Our mission is challenging but worthwhile, and it is heartening to be recognized by...

In an industry where the hours and expectations fall far outside of the typical 40-hour work week, peers are also your biggest competitors, and the fine line of balance between work and life can be nonexistent, the struggle with mental health is prevalent among the Thoroughbred industry's participants. However, growth of understanding through research, increased discussion and an expanded network of resources is hoping to change all of that, as shared in the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA)'s Mental Fitness and Resilience in the Thoroughbred Industry online seminar, held Wednesday...

Trainer Will Walden joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss his remarkable stable that is based on substance abuse recovery.

Kyle Berryman has a lot to look forward to as he opens a new chapter in 2023. He recently celebrated six months of sobriety and, two weeks ago, his boss Will Walden asked him if he would be interested in running the stable's shedrow. "It's just a title, but it's pretty cool," Berryman said after wrapping up a busy morning at Turfway Park. "I only have maybe five months of experience working with horses right now, so I'm still brand new and still learning a lot." He may shrug off...

It wasn't that long ago that Will Walden, recovering from substance addiction, was working the morning shift at Wendy's, walking a mile and a half, sometimes in the snow, to get to a job where his duties included scraping old ketchup packets off of the concrete in the parking lot. "I got to a place that I'm not proud of. I was at the end of my rope. I was broken," Walden said. But his time at Wendy's, as humbling as it may have been, was an important step. He...

One year ago, Taylor Made Farm launched the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship-a program created to work with people recovering from substance abuse and teach them a new vocation in the Thoroughbred business. The pilot year was such a grand success that plans are now in the works for how the program can grow from here. The School of Horsemanship was designed by the farm's Vice President Frank Taylor, who now oversees the project along with the program's coordinator Josh Bryan. "Frank started this because he wanted to help people...

Trainer Peter Walder is grateful for the invitation to run a horse in the $823,000 Keeneland Korea Sprint, less than a year and a half after he entered a rehab center to combat a substance abuse issue. Walder, annually one of the top trainers at Gulfstream Park, will saddle Fast Pass (Successful Appeal) in the 1,200-metre sprint Sept. 8 at Seoul Racecourse. Walder owns a quarter interest in the 6-year-old gelding, the other three-quarters owned by Peter Proscia, a 59-year-old oil executive who lives in New York and runs under...