Win Place Home

All Posts & News Press Releases Success Stories Aftercare Editorials Supporter Features Inspector Spotlights Previous Post Scouted: A New Beginning Scouted: A New Beginning By: Alexis Arbaugh March 28, 2024 Success Stories Tags:dressage, Success story, Thoroughbred Aftercare, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Trail Riding, Win Place Home As Olivia Holland searched for the perfect horse, she discovered Win Place Home, a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organization in Canyon County, California. This organization offers former racehorses a supportive environment during their transition from racing to a new career. To aid in this transition, Win Place Home employs Elisabeth Hower, a certified Monty Roberts instructor. The training program developed by Monty Roberts educates individuals in the principles of natural horsemanship, focusing on both students and horses. Through these lessons, participants gain insights into horse behavior and its impact on their bond with the animal. The curriculum covers fundamental concepts such as pressure and release, leadership abilities, setting boundaries, ensuring safety, desensitization, and more, all aimed at fostering a collaborative partnership between owner and horse. Olivia attended several Monty Roberts sessions with Elisabeth, and after evaluating various Thoroughbreds, she ultimately found her perfect match. Originally registered as Scouted, he was soon renamed BoJack. Among all the horses Olivia considered, BoJack stood out. “Bojack’s calm and gentle nature is what stuck out the most,” Olivia said. “Out of all of the horses I got to try at Monty Roberts he felt the calmest and most reliable”. After experiencing BoJack’s serene demeanor and unwavering reliability, Olivia made the decision to adopt him, eager to embark on their journey together. BoJack has adjusted seamlessly to life at Olivia’s home. He now happily shares a spacious pasture with a friend. They can be seen chasing each other around during the day and napping together at night. However, BoJack’s greatest joy lies in the simple pleasure of being groomed, where he thoroughly enjoys the sensation of being scratched, petted, and showered with affection. Presently, Olivia and BoJack are diligently focused on their retraining regimen, beginning with groundwork to cultivate a positive relationship between the pair. Together they work on Dressage and building confidence through trail rides. They are also working on getting BoJack into shape and teaching him how to effectively engage and utilize his hind end. “Although the training process hasn’t been easy, it has been fun,” wrote Olivia. “Ground work has been key to creating a positive relationship”. Olivia remains hopeful that as his confidence continues to grow, that they will soon be able to go on extended trail rides. Their transition from trail walks to Dressage work has been very smooth. Olivia has hopes to take BoJack to some schooling shows in the future. Olivia’s dedication to BoJack is unwavering, ensuring he receives excellent care and a fulfilling life. “I am very grateful to own Bojack and I am excited for our future,” Olivia shared. BoJack’s steady improvements in their training and positive influence on Olivia’s confidence and riding abilities have her eagerly anticipating their future adventures. Share This Article Do you have a success story that you would like to share? Submit your experience with an accredited organization here: Success Story Submission

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance closed its second annual Off to the Races online auction Friday, Feb. 3rd and the Lexitonian Stallion Season online auction on Feb. 6th. Due to the generosity of their donors, the TAA raised over $56,000 from the 17 offered VIP experience packages and No Guarantee Season to Lexitonian. From Jan. 26th to Feb. 3rd the public had the opportunity to bid on VIP experience packages on 17 major race days in 2023 and 2024. Each VIP experience package offered a unique itinerary of horse racing-related bucket list activities and tickets to the specified race day(s). On Feb. 6th from 6pm – 9pm EST, breeders were welcomed to bid on a 2023 No Guarantee season with breed back to Lexitonian donated by trainer Jack Sisterson and his dedicated team at JWS Racing. Bred and campaigned by Calumet Farm, Lexitonian stands at Lane’s End for a 2023 fee of $7,500. “We love this horse, he was impressive as a race horse and he is a physically stunning animal,” said Celia Bennings of Morning Line Equestrian and winner of the 2023 season. “Lexitonian compliments our mare well and we are excited to see that he is a freshman sire by Speightstown. It will be exciting to see what his offspring does on the racetrack.” In total, 26 sponsors contributed to the 17 VIP experiences packages offered in the TAA Off to the Races auction and Lexitonian Stallion Season auctions: 1/ST, America’s Best Racing, Anne’s Washington Inn, Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement and Rehabilitation Foundation, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., Tom Cannell, Canterbury Park, Christine A. Moore Millinery, Christine Lee’s Restaurant, Churchill Downs Inc., David Dunkley Fine Millinery, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Fran Taylor and Tom Cheek, Frank & Dino’s Restaurant, Hotel at Arundel Preserve, Keeneland Association, LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, Monmouth Park, Mt. Washington Tavern, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, New York Racing Association, Old Friends, Jack Sisterson, Second Stride, Tampa Bay Downs, Win Place Home, Woodbine Entertainment. “Thank you to everyone who participated in our Off to the Races and Lexitonian Stallion Season auctions,” said TAA president Jeffrey Bloom. “We are thrilled with the outcome of these events, and so proud of all the partnerships we have formed along the way with the racetracks, sponsors, and individuals who make all of this possible. We are all here for the horses and so excited by the impact these fundraisers will make on accredited aftercare.” Businesses or individuals wishing to become involved or sponsor items for TAA auctions and events can contact TAA Funding and Events Manager Emily Dresen at Edresen@thoroughbredaftercare.org.   About the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Based in Lexington, KY, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Along with continued funding from its original partners Breeders’ Cup, The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. Since inception in 2012, the TAA has granted more than $28.1 million to accredited aftercare organizations. Currently 81 aftercare organizations comprised of approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation. To learn more about the TAA, visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.   CONTACT Stacie Clark 859-230-5881 sclark@thoroughbredaftercare.org Emily Dresen 859-224-2851 edresen@thoroughbredaftercare.org  

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) hosted its Second Annual Calendar Photo Contest. Twelve winning photos were chosen to be featured in the 2023 TAA calendar. Entries for the contest were collected online from April 5 until June 11, 2022. Contestants had the opportunity to win the top prize of a Tipperary 9800 Devon with MIPS helmet, sponsored by Tipperary. The top 12 winners received a TAA swag bag and copy of the 2023 calendar. The first-place submission, which is also featured on the cover of the 2023 TAA Calendar, was won by Erin Degnan and her adopted off-track Thoroughbred Cackle the Cuda, courtesy of John Miller, Spectrum Photography. Cackle the Cuda made 43 starts before retiring from racing with a record of 8-11-6 and earnings of $118,790. Now this Kentucky-bred warhorse is enjoying a life of competitive trail and endurance riding. TAA-accredited After the Races began retraining Cackle the Cuda for a second career after racing, before placing him for adoption which ultimately led the son of Candy Ride (ARG) to Degnan. The 12 photographs chosen for the 2023 calendar photo contest are as follows: “Caribbean Meets Cowboy” by Chelsey Burris – TAA-accredited Organization: Friends of Ferdinand “Cackle the Cuda” by Erin Degnan (Photo by: John Miller of Spectrum Photography) – TAA-accredited Organization: After the Races “Hard Work Working Hard” by Natalie DePinto (Photo by: AK Dragoo Photography) – TAA-accredited Organization: Thoroughbred Placement Resources “Cyrus Looks to The Future” by Robin Doniger – TAA-accredited Organization: Equine Rescue and Adoption Foundation “Just A Girl and Her Heart Horse” by Lyndsy McLendon – TAA-accredited Organization: Equine Rescue of Aiken “Three Bears” by Anita Motion – TAA-accredited Organization: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation “Peekaboo, I see you!” by Sarah Mowat – TAA-accredited Organization: Illinois Equine Humane Center “Learning Something New” by Natasha Roberson – TAA-accredited Organization: Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare “Let’s Rumble” by Courtney VanErstvelde (Photo by: Jessika Lester Photography) – TAA-accredited Organization: After the Races “Winter Walks” by Justine Watson (Photo by: Glenn Watson) – TAA-accredited Organization: After the Races “Playing in the Pond” by CJ Wilson (Photo by: Philip Martin) – TAA-accredited Organization: Win Place Home “Splish Splash” by Wendy Wooley – TAA-accredited Organization: Secretariat Center For the second consecutive year, the TAA calendar is sponsored by Repole Stable. “The TAA is an awesome organization that we are always thrilled to support,” said Mike Repole. “Their calendar is a great way to show off what our amazing Thoroughbreds can do off the track.” “Congratulations to all our Photo Contest winners, and thank you to everyone who entered,” said TAA Office Manager, Catherine Flowers. “We received many wonderful photos of Thoroughbreds excelling in their second careers, and we look forward to sharing these photos and stories with TAA supporters and donors. Thank you also to our generous sponsors Tipperary and Repole Stable for enabling us to put on this fun contest and produce this beautiful calendar for the second year.” The 2023 TAA Calendar is now available for pre-order. Every $20 donation to the TAA is eligible to receive a calendar upon request. Calendars will begin shipping in November. To preorder the 2023 TAA Calendar, click here.

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance closed its inaugural Off to the Races online auction Thursday, Feb. 10 in conjunction with the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards. Due to the generosity of their donors, the TAA raised $35,125 from the 12 offered VIP experience packages. From Jan. 28 to Feb. 10 the public had the opportunity to bid on experience packages on 12 major race days in 2022 and 2023. Each experience package offered a unique itinerary of horse racing-related bucket list activities and tickets to the specified race day(s). In total, 24 donors contributed to the 12 experience packages offered in the TAA’s Off to the Races auction: 1/ST, America’s Best Racing, Anne’s Washington Inn, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., Christine A. Moore Millinery, Christine Lee’s Restaurant, Churchill Downs Inc., Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Fran Taylor and Tom Cheek, Frank & Dino’s Restaurant, Hilton Aventura Miami Hotel, Keeneland Association, LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, Monmouth Park, Mt. Washington Tavern, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, New York Racing Association, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, Old Friends, Pamplemousse Grille, Second Stride, The Honorable Earle I. Mack, Win Place Home, Woodbine Entertainment. “Thank you to everyone who participated in our first annual Off to the Races online auction and a huge thank you to our racetrack and industry sponsors who made this event possible,” said TAA president Jeff Bloom. “These VIP experiences are truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity for racing fans– with the added bonus of all funds raised going to support the thousands of Thoroughbreds in the care of TAA-accredited organizations. We look forward to growing the event in the years to come.” Businesses or individuals seeking to donate to the 2nd Annual Off to the Races auction can contact TAA Funding and Events Manager Emily (Dresen) Scandore at 859-224-2851. Photo: Courtesy of 1/ST

After stumbling across Dream Police’s profile online at TAA-accredited Win Place Home, Sydney Gilmartin knew the Wildcat Heir gelding was the horse for her.

The last time the Breeders’ Cup was hosted in California at Del Mar in 2017, a gelding named Noble Nick ran a distant fourth in the Marathon Stakes Presented by TAA (G2). Through the help of the California Retirement Management Account, the son of Zensational found a home off the track. He first went to a layup facility for rehab before making his way to TAA-accredited Win Place Home.