By Ken Weingartner — The Hanover Shoe Farms Foundation has made a grant of $50,000 to the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) to support their mission of accrediting and granting to programs assisting Standardbreds as they transition to new careers.
“This gift is meant to incentivize the STA’s establishment of advanced standards for transformative grant making,” said Russell Williams, president of the Foundation and president and chief executive officer of Hanover Shoe Farms. “Transformation will be necessary to give our industry an effective network of post-career facilities using best practices.”
“Hanover Shoe Farms has been a leader in the Standardbred industry since 1926,” said David Reid, president of the STA. “It is no surprise that the Hanover Shoe Farms Foundation recognizes the importance of caring for the cornerstone of our business — the horses.
“We greatly appreciate Hanover’s faith in STA and the support of the flagship program for Standardbred aftercare with this donation. It is vitally important that our donors have confidence in the business practices of the organizations we accredit, and that funds raised are making a difference in future options for our racehorses.”
The STA, which was granted approval in April of this year by the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable nonprofit organization, is currently reviewing and inspecting six applicant agencies. The process will be complete in early 2020 and accredited groups will be eligible for grants from the STA.
Groups seeking accreditation have supplied detailed documentation of their financial, operational, and horse care policies and practices. Inspections will be conducted at each farm housing horses in the care of an applicant agency.
To learn more about the work of the STA and donors who have supported its mission to date, click here.
Ken Weingartner, for Standardbred Transition Alliance, is an HRI contributor
