A Haven For Retired Champions
"Old Friends" Offers A Quiet Retreat For Thoroughbreds That Are Past Their Prime
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Haven For Retired Horses
Only On The Web: Michael Blowen operates Old Friends, a Kentucky facility that provides a retirement home for elderly racehorses. Richard Schlesinger reports.
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Michael Blowen and retired thoroughbred Popcorn Deelites. Popcorn wasn't a racetrack star, but he was a star on the silver screen, as Seabiscuit. (CBS)
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"We have an understanding, but it took me a long time to get the understanding," Michael Blowen, who runs a retirement home for thoroughbreds called Old Friends, told CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger.
What's the understanding?
"Well, it's that hes the boss," Blowen said.
Blowen has quite a collection of old friends at Old Friends. Swan's Way raced 81 times when he was younger. He's slowed down a little at 17 years old.
"He's the only one I can beat," Blowen said. "When I wake up in the morning, I see these wonderful great champions in my backyard. I think it's like having Larry Bird or Michael Jordan here."
Blowen used to be a movie reviewer in Boston. But he owned a few horses; raced one and learned a lot about the business especially the dark side.
He saw horses that were too old or too injured to race or to breed sent off to slaughterhouses.FYI: Find out more about the retired champions, including how to help
Only On The Web: More with Old Friends' Michael Blowen
It even happened to Ferdinand, who won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and ended up being killed 16 years later when he stopped making money for his owners.
"Everybody who was ever around this horse said this was the kindest, nicest, sweetest horse anyone was ever around and that's what happened to him," Blowen said.
When Blowen heard about Ferdinand, he decided he had to rescue as many other horses as possible.
These may be some of the luckiest horses in the thoroughbred world. Blowen can only take care for only 30 through his organization, and there are only 20 groups like his in the country. That's not a lot considering that in one year, more than 36,000 thoroughbreds were born.
Old Friends relies mostly on donations to rescue and maintain the horses. Some owners pay the roughly $2,300 per year for their horse's retirement, but just a handful. Too many of them sell the horses to slaughterhouses for up to $1,000.
"If you can't look at this animal and see something spectacular, if you're just looking at this horse as an economic commodity, then they should be racing cars and not horses," Blowen said.
The horses at Old Friends still attract a crowd, even though their moneymaking days are behind them.
Busloads of people come to Old Friends to see them, admire them and learn from Blowen that horses like Sunshine Forever, once worth $20 million and then almost slaughtered, still have great value even though they're not worth much money.
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FYI: Find out more about the retired champions, including how to help
Only On The Web: More with Old Friends' Michael Blowen



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See all 74 CommentsFor the next two years she was my best friend. She couldn't be ridden nor have foals due to her ankles. Even with Melanoma's on her head, she was GREAT! Due to a divorce, I gave her to another wonderful owner! She still has the same vet!
I didn't know there were any places that took "unwanted" racehorses until this show. I watched in disbelief that those who prospered from such magnificent creatures, left them in the dust! Those who give up these horses JUST because they can't race anymore should be "euthanized" themselves!!!!
The cruelty the past OWNERS show, and the slaughterhouses condone is horrific!!
Is there away to get ahold of Mr Blowen so as to contribute?
Micheal Blowen is an angel and I'm so glad you brought his story - and his kindness - to the world for millions to see.
I am asking that Katy Couric and CBS do a thorough study and program so that ALL in the UNITED STATES can FINALLY KNOW about the evil business of HORSE SLAUGHTER.
HELP US MUST KEEP AMERICA'S HORSES SAFE AT HOME
S311 /HR503 must be passed by OUR CONGRESS MEMBERS
Also - nice to see a story on the evening news that isn't about politics or war. Why doesn't 60 Minutes or 48 Hours run a story on this? So glad to see all of the comments posted on this story - as someone who recently visited "Old Friends" I hope that everyone who saw this story takes the time to send "Old Friends" a donation so that Michael Blowen and his staff can continue their good work - every little bit helps!
Fellow Old Friends Lover!
Old Friends
1841 Paynes Depot
Georgetown, KY 40324
www.oldfriendsequine.org
By the way when you go to visit Old Friends, Michael doesn't charge for the tour - it is donations only because he loves those horses and telling people about them so much - we need more people like him!
America call your congresspeople and tell them to stop this now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trusts should be established for retired racing
champions so that some of the money they have won over their careers will be used to keep them well-cared for throughout their lifetime.
What happened to Ferdinand should never happen to any creature who has worked hard and earned the right to a happy life.
You read more about this new partnership between Old Friends Farm and Media Thoroughbred Group at:
www.mediathoroughbredgroup.com
This should be the future of horse racing.
I would also like to bring to the publics attention that not only are horses destroyed after they are "no longer money makers on the track", but Greyhound dogs also face the same horrible life, and ending of life. So many of these dogs are euthenized because they are no longer valuable. It saddens me that there are so many people who cannot see that these beautiful animals, all animals, have a soul and personality, and the ability to bond with us. I encourage everyone, who have now come to realize the horrible ways that these animals are treated, to share their new found knowledge with others who are unaware, and maybe some day we can learn to appreciate the animals for the beautiful, mysterious creatures that they are... and not as a money maker that is easily disposed of.
As far as I am concerned horse racing should be treated he same as dog fights, they are both injured and killed. The only difference between the two is that "society" has accepted horse racing. What a shame!!
I wish Ky. had more rescues but to my knowledge there are only 5 of us not counting Michael's.
All horses need a safe place to go to live their lives out...Thank You Michael and all the rescues who are trying to do just that.
bush,or how "not to say anything" remotly good
about Irac, I nearly fell faint after watching
the story on old friends horse rescue in beautiful
georgetown,Ky.and im not joking,that entire area
down there changed the way I view life now.my wife
and i drove down there the last weekend of march
and man was I in for a treat,mike and a staff of
nearly all volenters give new meaning to compasion
while the rest of us think nothing of pitching
out a half a cup of hour old coffie, they are putting that .50 to .75 cents to good use, by
scrapping together enough change they know that
ol'creator,ruhlmann or popcorn Deelites will be
given not a blanket of roses but maby a blanket
of new straw.enough money in the jar wont get
one of them a big shining new throphy but it
would afford them a big new trough to drink from.
just think of all we waste,or give to so called
foreign aid,by way of the U N (useless nations)
a few dollars would sure go a long way towards
helping some real OLD FRIENDS!
Thank you talking about horse slaughter. This is a practice that must be stopped. There is no way that this is a humane practice. I encourage everyone to contact their congressman/woman and their senator. Encourage them to co sponsor HB 503/S. 311. This is the only way to stop this.
Even if the slaughter houses close, our horses can still be sold and transported to Mexico or Canada for slaughter. HB 503/S 311 will make that illegal.
If you want more information go to www.timwoolleyracing.com click on Anti horse slaughter strategy or go to http://www.timwoolleyracing.com/wiki/index.php/Horse_slaughter#Current_Strategy
Again thanks for this story. I encourage you to do a follow up story on the horse slaughter business and the current legislation.
In addition to care for these marvelous equine athletes once they leave the track, more must be done to improve horse-racing 1000s of horses - some famous some not- die on the track each year-
there were 137 beakdowns in the month of May alone
http://www.equuseditorial.com/equus/unknownsoldier.html.. Please contact the NTRA and your state racing boards and encourage adoption of much needed changes for the horses today..
There is nothing humane about the fate in store for these animals. It should be stopped - NOW!!!
I have rescued 4 OTTB's (off the track thoroughbreds) from the above fate. Each of them are magnificent individuals who now have another chance for life. They are the lucky ones.
Remember Ferdinand and Exceller (who beat both Affirmed and Seattle Slew - and also died in a slaughter house)!!!!
STOP HORSE SLAUGHTER NOW!!!!!!
I hope everyone who saw the story will ask their legislators to pass the horse-transport-for-slaughter bans, and save our American horses from cruel fates that profit foreigners. Slaughter is NOT a necessary evil -- the horses slaughtered are usually young and in good shape, contrary to the Myth of Unwanted Horses put forth by the pro-slaughter people -- it is just evil.
As an example, a group of Friends of Barbaro had secured new homes and raised enough money to purchase the horses waiting to be killed at one of the plants just before it was closed down -- but they were not allowed to rescue them: the horses all went to their grisly deaths instead. Please help shut this down.
Barb Dierickx
Barb Dierickx
Going to the above websites you will see why it is so necessary to get these bills passed. There are 100,000 +/- young healthy beautiful horses being brutally and barbarically butchered ALIVE to feed the RICH in other countries. The horses are NOT old, lame and at the end of their useful lives. According to the USDA 92 % are in good health!!! Please help!!!
Thank you so very mush .... and looking forward to more 'treats' such as this!
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