Tony Stewart may have finished second in NASCAR’s Food City 500 at NASCAR’s fastest half mile track Sunday, but he did score a victory prior to that; on a horse racing track.
Stewart, through his Tony Stewart Foundation, recently gave $20,000 to Friends of Ferdinand Inc. an Indiana based non-profit organization that supports the retirement and adoption of Thoroughbred racehorses.
"These are animals that are all racehorses that have been retired versus being destroyed," Stewart said. "Friends of Ferdinand is a great organization that will take these horses, rehabilitate them, fix their injuries, and get them trained and adopt them to new homes. Their racing careers may have ended, but their lives don't have to."
Stewart began the program, called ‘Tony’s Ex-Racers’, in 1998 with 10 Thoroughbreds from racetracks from across Indiana. The current donation will allow 20 horses who faced an uncertain future an opportunity for safe haven, training, and new homes through Friends of Ferdinand. The horses are evaluated for temperament and ability and provided professional re-training for second careers. Through FFI's programs, more than 250 horses have been transitioned from the track into new homes and careers.
"Friends of Ferdinand is an all-volunteer run organization that puts the horses first,” Joni Thompson, executive director of the Tony Stewart Foundation said. “We are pleased to support their work and do our part to 'accelerate change' and encourage the humane and responsible retirement of racehorses in Indiana."
Six additional Thoroughbreds will be identified for the program in the coming months.
For the latest NASCAR news and commentary follow me on Twitter or Facebook
Comments