Friends of Twilight

From AlexBrownRacing

Friends of Twilight, by Susan Kearney

Two horses at the extreme ends of the racing spectrum started it all: Smarty Jones and Stop the Nonsense. While Smarty brought me and most of those in Friends of Twilight to horseracing, it was Stop the Nonsense that personally led me to MidAtlantic Horse Rescue and saving horses. A wonderful trainer at Philly Park named Dee Curry allowed me, a recently retired high-school English teacher, to volunteer and get hands-on experience. Nonny (Stop the Nonsense) burrowed into my soul and my psyche. She ran 48 races and won about $30,000. At the end of her career, this low-level claimer was running in $4000 claiming races at Penn National. At the end, she was more important to me than Smarty because I had walked her, groomed her, showered her with peppermints, and she knew she had stolen my heart. At the end, all I cared about was her safety. At the end, while safe, she was taken from me. My love for the endangered horse had been born! Just like a broken-hearted lover, I needed a new place for my passion. I turned to MidAtlantic and saved my first horse with Bev’s assistance on July 31, 2006 from the New Holland PA Livestock Auction. His name was El Gato Olivo. Like Nonny, he had run about the lowest-level possible. What satisfaction I felt knowing that I had done some small deed that led him to a new and wonderful life in Virginia! One day over lunch with two friends and fellow racing fans, Jean Fritz and Carole Basile, I told the story of El Gato Olivo. They wanted to help as well. I thought to myself, I cannot afford to save a horse every month-- but if a group of us agrees to put in the cost of a monthly lunch with friends, perhaps the group can save a few each year. From that idea, Friends of Twilight was born! We selected the name Twilight in honor of my great-grandfather’s best race horse in England during the 1940s. We wanted to buy Twilight years for all horses and decided it was an appropriate name. We now number 15 people in 6 states and are growing! In less than one year, we have saved 13 horses with funds collected by the group; 9 more horses have been saved by individual members. Additionally, one of our members, Shelley Abrams, owns a TB named Mr. Boxcar. When he wins, Shelley donates part of his earnings to our cause. She calls it “Horses Saving Horses.” While we are not officially a non-profit, we work under the umbrella of MidAtlantic Horse Rescue. We collect money which is held in a separate savings account in Jean’s and my names. Our revenue comes from our members’ monthly pledges, and money made from decorating and selling used horseshoes from Philadelphia Park race horses. Thus far, the horseshoes have brought in over $4000. When we have raised enough funds to rescue, we buy slaughterbound horses for MAHR. Our members are given tax donation acknowledgements directly from MidAtlantic. That’s our story. For a few dollars a month, you can join us and help make a difference for some very needy and deserving thoroughbreds. If interested, contact me, Susan Kearney, at sekearney@comcast.net.