NTRA release

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Gretchen Jackson has joined the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance’s subcommittee focusing on aftercare of retired Thoroughbreds. Jackson, along with her husband Roy, has campaigned numerous Thoroughbreds under their family’s Lael Stables banner—including 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

The goal of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Subcommittee on Aftercare is to work towards a national solution to issues surrounding retired Thoroughbred racehorses, including enhancement of aftercare funding and improvement of compliance and best-practice standards for racetracks and other industry participants.

“This is a tough industry to get anyone to agree on anything, but one thing we all agree on is that we all love our horses,” said Jackson.

“We are delighted that Gretchen has joined the many outstanding leaders on our Aftercare Subcommittee who do so much on behalf of our retired equine athletes,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.  “Our goal is to create a model that will make it easier for racetracks, owners and others to provide retired Thoroughbreds with a happy and productive life after their racetrack days are over.”

Members of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Subcommittee on Aftercare include:

· Madeline Auerbach, CARMA

· Anna Ford, New Vocations

· Liz Harris, Churchill Downs, Inc.

· Gretchen Jackson, Lael Stables

· Nancy Koch, CANTER

· Lucinda Mandella, CARMA

· Diana Pikulski, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

· Mike Ziegler, NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance

“Aftercare is a shared issue among the entire industry,” said Ziegler. “The Alliance recently refined its Code of Standards for 2010 in many areas, including aftercare, so as to maximize the effectiveness of its policies and initiatives.”

The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance focuses on human and equine safety and wagering security. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as independent counsel of the Alliance.