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friesian photoİ Dusty Peron, riding photosİReflections of Killington
Suffolk Downs Honors
Members involved:
Brittany Davis,
Ashley Gagnon,
Lauren
Lambert,
Sue Lightbody,
Caitlin Littlefield,
Rose
Moshimer,
Brandi Raymond,
Meghan Smith,
Kasey Spear,
Nicole Wright,
Callie Young
Fred and
Kids in Gitty Up Club
Rocky and Brandi Raymond
Frank and some Club Members
CANTER Benefit Project Featured in:
EquineSite.com
The Horses Maine
The Yankee Peddlar
Making it at Home
NBC
News
Suffolk Downs Website
Canter NE Website
And many local
New England Newspapers
Special Thank You's
The Farmer's Shed in Berwick, Maine. They fed Fred while he was fostered at Dream Acres.
Roger's Supa Dolla in Sanford, Maine. They donated lunch for the children of the Fun Day Fundraiser.
Denise McNitt, DVM in Cumberland, Maine. Our wonderful vet who offered care at a reduced fee to help with expenses.
And all the other private sponsors, we couldn't have done it without you!
Dream Acres is an Approved Foster Home for CANTER NE.
On September 27th, 2003 the kids of the Dream Acres Gitty ^ Club were honored at Suffolk Downs for all their hard work and dedication. This is their story:
Project Background
The kids in the club spent their summer raising money. This
money was used to purchase two OTTB (off track thoroughbreds). The members
of the club decided to donate these horses to
CANTER (Communication
Alliance Networking Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses), and were fostered at
Dream Acres Equestrian Center (DAEC), until being adopted thorough CANTER.
Some of the fundraising jobs were barn painting, closet cleaning, a day of work at Dream Acres Equestrian Center, a Fun Day where they hosted riders for a trail ride, games, and crafts, and many miscellaneous jobs. The money the club raised was also used to pay for farrier and veterinarian bills for these horses. This way the money CANTER received as the adoption fee was 100% profit to them. CANTER uses this money to help other OTTBs move onto a second career.
The first horse they purchased, Feel the Felt, a 6yo, 16.1hh gelding was retired due to "old ankles". This horse was adopted by club member Brandi Raymond! Frank, now known as Rockie is enjoying a career as an event horse! So you see... even though he couldn't hold up to racing, he is holding up to eventing just fine!
The second horse they purchased was Frank's Green Money. Frank's owner Mike McKenzie actually requested for Frank to be the second horse! He wanted the best for Frank, and he knew the Gitty ^ Club girls were the ones! He was thrilled to think Frank could have such a wonderful opportunity.... being part of this wonderful project. Frank is a Kentucky bred, 7yo Moleskin Thoroughbred Gelding. He is 16hh. Frank was a very successful racer, but developed severe ankle soreness. He is now at a retirement facility.
The news of this club & what they were doing made headlines all over. They were featured multiple times in The Horses Maine, Making it at Home, The Yankee Peddlar, the Suffolk Downs Website, Canter NE Website, and so many more places (like local newspapers around New England) They were also featured on NBC news!
Ellen O'Connor (President of Canter NE),and the President of Suffolk Downs, invited our Gitty ^ Club to Suffolk Downs on Sept 27, 2003 for a day of Honor, and an official retirement ceremony for Frank! The girls were very excited...as we pulled into Suffolks, the digital sign read "Welcome Gitty ^ Club"!
A Day at Suffolk Downs for
The day started off with some classroom time, where the girls got to learn about racing, the jockeys, the horses, the races, the training, etc... After the classroom time everyone went over to get Frank ready for his big day!
The club members braided him, applies Twinkle Toes, Show Sheen, and just made him more beautiful than he had ever been! After all this hard work, the girls were treated to pizza, fries, chicken nuggets, and soda by Suffolks, with front row seats to live racing. During lunch everyone was given complimentary Suffolk T-Shirts.
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Shortly after lunch there were some interviews (of Club members, and DAEC owner) with local newspapers, and NBC. Then the girls watched some races from the winner's circle while waiting for Frank.
Once Frank arrived there were more photos, interviews, and lots of publicity. The girls of the club were getting a taste of fame, and I think they liked it! They were the spotlight of the whole day.
After the ceremony, all club members received a copy of the winner's circle publicity photo taken by track photographer Chipp Bott.
When the day was over, we picked up Frank, and brought him home to DAEC to be fostered until he was ready to move on to his new permanent home. We brought home a video of his winning races to watch during our next meeting. It was amazing. What a competitor. Even when you thought he couldn't win, he would come from behind on the outside track, and win by lengths!
A Note from Angie Morin on this Project
When the idea for this project came out, I never thought it would gain so much publicity. But these kids went all out, there was no stopping them! The best part of the whole project was how it brought awareness to the public about these horses needing second careers. It brought many people together, and even though the Gitty ^ Club girls raised the money to help these horses with their hard work and dedication, it is also because of all the generous sponsors, and supporters that helped make this possible.
The Club has decided to make this an annual event, although I'm sure the most special will be the first year, 2003, when these girls were able to experience and learn how to give unselfishly. They had a once in a lifetime opportunity, and used it to help not only Frank & Fred, but many others, by spreading the word through the publicity they gained. Letting the public know that there are still kids out there who care, and want to make changes for the better. This was something these children will never forget, and I was lucky to be able to share it with them. They are a very special group.
For more information on CANTER, adopting or fostering please visit their website at http://www.canterusa.org/New England.
2004 Rescue & Adoption
Snoopy Blues
This is another one of the horses our Gitty ^ Kids saved from slaughter, with their 2004 funds!
He was once owned by Movie Star David Cassidy! Snoopy was 'one step' on the meat truck, when CANTER volunteer Ellen purchased him with our donated funds! Snoopy even ran at Belmont during his career! He is being adopted this weekend to a woman in RI! Congratulations Snoopy!!
(1/21) Snoopy Blues sings winning tune (Excerpt from his 'winning days') Running last on the backstretch with 10 horses in front of him, David Cassidy's SNOOPY BLUES moved five-wide on the second turn and drew clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths in Aqueduct's fifth race on Monday, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for three-year-olds going a mile and an eighth. It was the second score on the day's card for jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr., who also rode New York-bred Stage Drama to victory in the second race. Arroyo had been on board when Snoopy Blues made his racing debut on December 1 at Aqueduct, finishing fourth at seven furlongs after also being last in the early running. The New York-bred colt's first win earned $25,200 for television and singing star Cassidy.
Snoopy Blues, who has picked up checks in all three of his starts, now has total earnings of $28,920. Trained by Gary Contessa, Snoopy Blues was half of an entry favored at 1.30-to-1, with two other entries bringing the number of wagering interests in the 11-horse race to eight. Snoopy Blues was purchased for $25,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August 2000 sale of yearlings in FloridaHis breeder, Einer Paul Robsham of Cochituate, Massachusetts, qualified for a $5,040 breeder award as a result of the colt's victory.
Snoopy Blues is from the last crop of record-setting New York sire Cure the Blues, who stood at Dr. Jonathan Davis' Milfer Farm in Unadilla from the 1994 breeding season until his death in January of 1999, siring 80 stakes winners to date. Snoopy Blues' victory qualified the connections of Cure the Blues for a $1,764 stallion award.