STA Earns a Four-Star Rating From Charity Navigator

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) welcomes Linda Bédard to her first term as a Director of the STA Board. The Registrar of Standardbred Canada since 2012, Bédard has a deep understanding of the industry and a strong background in equine welfare. She’s actively participated as a delegate to both the World Trotting Conference’s Health and Welfare Committee and their Breeding Committee, since 2015. Additionally, she’s had involvement in many other welfare related committees and initiatives, including her position on the Equine Guelph Advisory Council. Bédard holds the honor of being the trainer of the first ever Canadian bred mare to reach one-million dollars in earnings, Tricky Tooshie, now in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. She joins fellow Canadian, Alison Moore, DVM who was named to the STA Board in early 2023. Last year the STA distributed $200,000 in award monies to accredited organizations.

Laurelville, OH– Standardbred Transition Alliance is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, with an overall score of 98%. This rating designates Standardbred Transition Alliance as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria. Charity Navigator is America’s largest and most-utilized independent charity evaluator. Since 2001, the organization has been an unbiased and trusted source of information for more than 11 million donors annually. Charity Navigator analyzes nonprofit performance based on four key indicators, referred to as beacons. Currently, nonprofits can earn scores for the Impact & Results, Accountability & Finance, Culture & Community, and Leadership & Adaptability beacons. “We are delighted to provide Standardbred Transition Alliance with third-party accreditation that validates their operational excellence,” said Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator. “The Four-Star Rating is the highest possible rating an organization can achieve. We are eager to see the good work that Standardbred Transition Alliance is able to accomplish in the years ahead.” “Our Four-Star Charity Navigator status is further validation that our supporters can trust our commitment to good governance and financial health,” said STA President, Don Marean. “We hope that it will introduce our work to new supporters who can help us advance our mission to inspect, accredit and award grants to 501(c)3 accredited organizations rehoming Standardbreds.” Standardbred Transition Alliance’s rating and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on charitynavigator.org. ***  A rating by Charity Navigator enables organizations to help more people turn their values, passions and beliefs into meaningful change and impact. Charity Navigator provides the data, ratings and advice that cut through the noise, making it easy to make informed choices that turn intent into action. Because whether it’s money, time, expertise, information or material goods, there are more ways not just to believe, but to act.

March 6, 2024 -- Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) is pleased to announce the successful accreditation of five aftercare organizations for 2024. Through accreditation each of these 501c3 non-profit charities became eligible for 2024 grant funding, including a first round of grant awards totaling $100,000 issued today. The STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations have successfully met or exceeded all application criteria and have adhered to the STA Best Practices guidelines. Applying organizations must demonstrate that they are fiscally sound, with competent staff and a rigorous screening process in place to ensure that Standardbreds being rehomed through their organization have the best chance at a quality career once they retire from racing. “We are proud and grateful of the many individuals working tirelessly to build a structured and nationally supported approach to Standardbred aftercare.” said STA President, Don Marean. “We’re now entering our fifth year of accreditation and have issued $525,000 in financial grants that reward sustainable systems.” The 2024 STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations are Future for Standardbreds (ME), Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH), New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (FL, KY, LA, NY, OH, PA), Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY), and Sunshine Horses (NY). Additional details can be found here . The STA Board made their accreditation recommendations at its February annual meeting. Also in that meeting a new slate of officers was elected, with Don Marean replacing David Reid as President, a position he’d held since the program’s inception. Reid remains an officer, joining Moria Fanning and Renee Mancino as Vice Presidents. Elizabeth Caldwell was elected Secretary and Renee Mancino was elected Treasurer. The STA is supported by equine enthusiasts from every facet of harness racing, including trainers, owners, breeders, racetracks, sales companies, and others. To learn how you can support the STA click here .

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) has issued $100,000 in Fall Grant Awards to STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations that are actively transitioning Standardbreds into well-qualified homes. The combined total of all awards issued in 2023 was $200,000. “The STA continues to increase the amounts awarded to our accredited facilities,” said STA President David Reid. “It’s our Board’s mission to raise and distribute funds for Standardbred aftercare. Over the last three years we’ve issued $425,000 to accredited programs. We’re looking forward to growing those distributions and also to increasing the number of facilities that meet accreditation standards in 2024 and beyond. The award recipients are Futures For Standardbreds (ME); Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH); New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (OH, NY, KY); Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY) and Sunshine Horses (NY). Contributions to the STA’s 2024 Grant Awards can be made here: https://www.standardbredtransition.org/donate

Five equine charities have been awarded funds for 2023

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) welcomes three new directors to first terms on the Board of Directors. Chris Antonacci, Dr. Alison Moore and Dr. Andy Roberts will be joining the full board at next week’s Spring meeting for the consideration of 2023 accredited aftercare organizations and their corresponding grant awards. Chris Antonacci is an attorney actively involved in the management of his family’s Lindy Farms of Connecticut and other businesses as in-house counsel. He’s a director of the U.S. Trotting Association and has been licensed as a groom, driver, trainer and owner across many racing jurisdictions. Dr. Alison Moore is an equine internist and sports medicine specialist who has been involved in the Ontario Standardbred industry over the years as a veterinarian, owner, breeder and groom. She is presently a member of the Ontario Association of Equine Practitioners Executive and Racing Committees, the American Association of Equine Practitioners Racing Ccommittee and the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians. Dr. Andy Roberts is a racetrack veterinarian based in the Midwest. He’s worked for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Turfway Park and Ellis Park racetracks. A member and past president of the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners and a board member of the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians, Dr. Roberts is currently a director of the U.S. Trotting Association. He’s been licensed as a trainer and driver for more than 30 years. “Accreditation is the cornerstone of the STA’s work,” said David Reid, STA president. “Integrity and transparency are important components of the evaluation process. Antonacci’s business and legal background, combined with the vast veterinary and board experience of Dr. Moore and Dr. Roberts, will help the STA continue building Standardbred aftercare organizations that can be counted on by our industry stakeholders and participants.” Last year the STA distributed $125,000 in award monies to accredited organizations. To learn more about the Standardbred Transition Alliance click here . *** The STA is an industry-led charitable 501(c)(3) organization established in 2018 to advance the scope of Standardbred aftercare. The STA mission is to inspect, accredit and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and rehome Standardbred horses. www.standardbredtransition.org

Laurelville, OH — The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) is pleased to announce that an additional $75,000 in grant money has been distributed to STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations, for the purpose of transitioning Standardbreds into well-qualified homes. The combined total of all awards issued in 2022 was $125,000. “The STA continues to make good strides, with contributions growing year after year,” said STA President David Reid. “We’ve just sent out the highest amount of support since inception. It’s a real accomplishment to look back and see $225,000 has been sent out to aftercare charities since we first began accrediting in the Spring of 2020.” Reid acknowledged the hard work of the STA directors throughout the year, along with the industry supporters that make the program possible. “We’re looking forward to 2023, but in order to continue distributing these funds, we need everyone’s assistance. The STA provides a central collection point for the industry to do this important work,” added Reid. The award recipients are Futures For Standardbreds (ME); New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (OH, NY, KY); Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY) and Sunshine Horses (NY). The Standardbred Transition Alliance is a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit organization. Donations, in any amount, help further the industry-led mission: to inspect, accredit and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and rehome Standardbreds. To make a donation to the STA, visit here .

Columbus, OH — At the 2022 U.S. Trotting Association annual meeting in March, the USTA directors overwhelmingly voted to increase the fee for horse transfers by $5 starting on June 1, 2022, with all of the additional revenue earmarked to provide financial support for the Standardbred Transition Alliance.  The STA is an industry-led charitable 501(c)(3) organization established in 2018 to advance the scope of Standardbred aftercare. The STA mission is to inspect, accredit and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and rehome Standardbred horses. “The fee increase for transfers is another example of the USTA’s support of aftercare for the horses that make harness racing possible,” said USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner. “It is critical for our industry to support the STA and this is an excellent way for USTA members to assist with that.” Funding is generated across the spectrum of the Standardbred industry, including regulatory agencies, horsemen’s groups, tracks, sales companies, farms, and individuals who participate as trainers, drivers, owners, and breeders. “Developing a consistent, broad-based stream of financial support for the STA has been the board’s goal from the very beginning,” said STA President David Reid. “We greatly appreciate this new source of funding that should generate more than $100,000 annually to help us support accredited organizations providing essential aftercare for our Standardbreds.” The STA provides partial funding to groups serving Standardbreds, ensuring donor confidence by examining the equine care and business practices of groups applying for accreditation. “The STA is dedicated to raising money for the care, retraining and rehoming of racehorses once they leave the racetrack, and then disbursing those funds to inspected and accredited 501(c)(3) Standardbred aftercare organizations,” added Tanner. “That last part is crucial, because in a field that is largely unregulated, it is imperative that donors have confidence that their money is being put to its highest and best purpose.” In 2021, there were 23,313 horse transfers, including 5,183 from claims made in races, which would have resulted in $116,565 for the STA if this program had been in place. To learn more about how to transfer horse ownership, click here .

Oxford, NY — We are honored to be accredited by the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA). We thank STA for recognizing our program and for their financial support. We see this as validation that our non-profit is doing all it can to operate in a fiscally sound and transparent way. This should be the goal of every public charity, and having the chance to prove our merit by meeting the STA’s accreditation standards was one we gladly welcomed. Having an accreditation program that inspects and monitors adoption programs is important to ensure horses are receiving exemplary care while being safely and professionally transitioned into new homes. Not only does it give our directors, staff and volunteers the positive encouragement that we are adhering to best practices in every sector, it also gives our supporters confidence their money is being used in the most beneficial way to help establish a better racehorse aftercare network. As we worked through the application we found the STA’s accreditation and inspection process to be clearly outlined in the application materials and direction was available when needed. The paperwork was labor intensive, as you’d expect with sharing all facets of your charitable business and horse management practices. While each program is different the document requirements remain essentially the same. After the application was submitted there was a physical inspection of the horses in our care and the farm itself. Another component of the inspection was a review of the professional ethics in our organization displayed both generally and in our promotion and publicity efforts. We (PHSAP) feel strongly that the best way to showcase how wonderful our breed is and to attract quality adopters is in conducting ourselves with the utmost honesty. We pride ourselves on being straightforward, honest and always available to provide support services for our horses and their new families. In closing, we are gratified that Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program has met all STA standards for accreditation and we look forward to renewing our application next year! We invite anyone to come to the farm for a visit, or contact us with any donation questions or adoption inquiries.