Adopt a Thoroughbred
Exceller Farm Fifth Annual Open House
Exceller Farm is the local facility of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF)
John and Betty Hettinger of Aikendale Farm in Pawling sponsor TRF locally, make Exceller Farm available to TRF for training and adoption, and provide shelter for many Thoroughbreds on their own Aikendale Farm in Pawling.
The parade of Thoroughbreds with photos is below in the story.
For more information, call Michele Oren at 845-724-3680, or email to
OrenVerida@aol.com
Herrmann’s Lipizzans were the featured guests this year (click here for story and photographs)
By John M. Benson
June 30, 2007
On June 30, the Exceller Farm Open House 2007 was a wonderful opportunity for horse lovers to become acquainted with the magnificent Thoroughbreds that are available for adoption at the farm. More than 350 Thoroughbreds have been adopted out of Exceller Farm in the past six years.
Exceller Farm is the local site of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), the oldest and largest foundation in the country devoted to the rescue, retraining, and adoption of Thoroughbreds after the conclusion of their racing careers.
Exceller Farm is managed by Michele Oren, and the farm property is made available to TRF by John and Betty Hettinger of Pawling.
Monique Koehler and her friends founded TRF in 1982, with a mission statement that included providing humane, viable rescue programs at the end of the racing careers, and offering new careers to able-bodied Thoroughbreds through rehabilitation and retraining that would enable the horses to live out full and rich lives.
Michele Oren greeted the crowd, talked about Exceller Farm, and introduced the parade of Thoroughbreds that are among the horses available now at Exceller Farm.
Michele takes it from here:
Thank you all so much for being here today. Exceller Farm would not be here if not for your incredible support, and for your attending today our Fifth Annual Exceller Farm Open House.
Exceller Farm is a Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) facility. We are the oldest and the largest of the equine rescue foundations, starting back in 1982. We currently have 23 farms and over 1400 horses. Exceller Farm opened as a TRF facility in March of 2000, and we have currently adopted out over 370 horses.
We also donate to facilities that offer riding for the handicapped, and we have those horses all over the country, in Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Vermont and New Hampshire.
These Thoroughbreds go on to do everything from eventing to polo, from English to Western, and we even had one go to Alabama for polocrosse, a new game that is a sort of lacrosse on horseback.
The great thing about Exceller Farm is that you can come here, and we make the best match possible for what you are looking for in a horse.
If you visit our website at www.trfinc.org, you can download the application, and it is a very simple, one-page application.
It is a win-win situation for everybody. If you adopt a horse at Exceller Farm, and the horse does not turn out to be the horse you were anticipating, the adoption fee is not refundable, but the horse is. You can bring the horse back and adopt another horse of your choice, so you are not stuck with a particular horse. We do our best to match you with the horse that meets the criteria that you are looking for, and we will tell you honestly everything we know about the horse.
We want to thank some people who have helped to sponsor today’s Fifth Annual Exceller Farm Open House:
The Riggio Foundation
The Mary Ellis Watkins Living Trust
Nina and Brian Goodall
Sugar Maple Farm
The Abercrombie Foundation
The PHA of Dutchess County
Sally Jesse Raphael
Sal and Ava Fantasia
Utter Brothers
Paul A. Schreiner & Ariane C. Mermod
Rose & Kiernan Insurance
Putnam Horse Council
Millbrook Equine
Rhinebeck Equine
First Pioneer Farm Credit
Oakleigh Thorne
Fiesta Mexicana
Fountain Plumbing
La Grange Veterinary
The sculpture out in front made of driftwood is by Rita Dee. It is a sculpture of Exceller, the Thoroughbred that went to slaughter in 1997, and after whom Exceller Farm is named. The horse is not complete, and when he is complete, he will have the names of famous racehorses written on all the different pieces of wood. He is being offered today for $15,000, and he can live outside year round with tender loving care.
Now we are going to start the parade of the horses that we currently have up for adoption here at Exceller Farm. We retrain our Thoroughbreds to lovely horses ready for adoption.
is a 5-year-old gelding by Silver Charm out of Local Bred. He had only two starts, with two third places, earning $7,300. His adoption is pending. He is basically going to be a flatwork horse, and he would make a good Western horse.
is an 11-year-old gelding by Regal Search out of Monument Row. This handsome gentleman had 65 starts with four firsts, six seconds and eight thirds, earning $62,970. His adoption is pending.
is a 7-year-old gelding by Gold Case out of Hip Hip Hoorah Hay. He had 25 starts with three firsts and two seconds, earning $42,999. He is going very well under saddle. He is a sturdy build, an easy keeper, plays well with others!
is a 5-year-old gelding by Forest Wildcat out of Flow Zone. He had 13 starts with five seconds and one third, earning $48,370. He is a wonderful horse going well under saddle. We have started him over jumps. The other night, he cleared a four-foot fence… without a rider!
is a 6-year-old gelding by Hunting Hard out of Video Devil. He had eight starts with one first, two seconds and two thirds, earning $15,645. He is an easy keeper and a great horse. He has been going well under saddle. He has very good feet. He would make a great Western horse, and we have ridden him both English and Western. He can jump. He is very quarter-horse looking. He is just an all-around good guy.
is a 5-year-old gelding by Storm Creek out of Birdie. He had 16 starts with one first, one second and one third, earning $30,936. He is believed to be totally sound, and he has been started over jumps. He is flashy but he needs to have an advanced rider.
is an incredible little horse, he is only four years old with the mind of a 20-year-old. He is so settled, so easy to handle, and he would rather be with people than other horses. He is totally sound, going well under saddle. He is by Pioneering out of Three Pack. He had 22 starts with two firsts, two seconds and four thirds. He is a really neat horse. For someone just getting into horses, a first-time owner, I strongly recommend this little gem of a horse.
We cannot read his lip tattoo. He is believed to be about eight years old, another very personable horse that loves to be with people. He is an easy-going, happy-go-lucky gentleman, believed to be totally sound, and he is going very well under saddle. There is no reason this horse should not be able to jump.
|
