Page 236 - Speedhorse February 2020

NEWS BRIEFS
World Champion He Looks Hot Retired
Breeder/owner Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby announced on Jan. 23
that 2019 World Champion, Champion Aged Horse, Champion Aged Gelding He Looks Hot has been retired and will live
out his years at Allred’s Rolling A Ranch in Atascadero, California. “He’ll be in a pasture at his new home,” said Allred. “He can live to be 35 and he’ll always have a home.”
StallioneSearch Rising Star Recipients
The first recipients of the StallioneSearch Rising Star Awards have been announced. The award was created in an effort to promote growth in the sport of Quarter Horse racing amongst the younger generation. Champion Hes Relentless (One Famous Eagle-This Dreams Flying, Strawfly Special) is the win- ner of the 2019 StallioneSearch Rising Star Sire Award, which honors the industry’s lead- ing first-crop sire of money earners. Owned by a partnership, Hes Relentless has stood
at Bob Moore Farms in Oklahoma, and has sired the earners of over $2.1 million in 2019. Marcos Carrizales is the winner of the 2019 StallioneSearch Rising Star Trainer Award. Carrizales, trainer of 2019 All American Futurity winner Mr Jess Jenkins, capped
off 2019 with earnings of over $2.2 mil-
lion. Jesus Ayala is the winner of the 2019 StallioneSearch Rising Star Jockey Award. With earnings of over $1.5 million in 2019, the 25-year-old jockey won 73 times, includ- ing Grade 1 victories in races such as the Brad McKinzie Winter Championship and the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap.
Australian Wildfire Assistance
Beside the loss of human lives, the devastating wildfires in Australia have
killed an estimated 1 billion animals, and many of the affected animals that remain are later succumbing to the depletion of
food and shelter, as well as from predation from feral cats and foxes. Organizations around the globe are rallying to help those who are taking on the daunting task of treating the surviving animals, includ-
ing many equines. There are several asso- ciations that need financial support to aid those dealing with this dire situation, the scale of which is enormous. Those asso- ciations include: Australia Zoo, donate at wildlifewarriors.org.au; Australian Red Cross, donate at redcross.org/au; Salvation Army Australia, donate at salvationarmy. org.au/donate; New South Wales’ Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, donate at wires.org.au/donate; World Wildlife Fund, donate at donate.wwf.org.au/donate/koala-crisis.
Halstrom New VP, GM of Racing at Indiana Grand
Longtime racing executive Eric Halstrom has been named Vice President, General Manager of Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, pending regulatory approval. Halstrom graduated from the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program and has served as vice president of racing at Canterbury Park, vice president and general manager of racing at Fair Grounds, assistant director of racing at Prairie Meadows, and vice president of operations at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs. Halstrom succeeds the late Jon Shuster, who passed away Dec. 25, 2019, and will begin his new position at Indiana Grand on Feb. 17.
Rillito Expanding Equine Wellness Program
Rillito Race Track, located in Tucson, Arizona, will expand its Equine Wellness Program for the 2020 season. The program, which was implemented in 2019 with out- standing success reporting no horse break- downs during 96 races, puts the health and safety of horses and riders as the primary objective. Horses are monitored by University of Arizona interns every time they are on
the track, including in training and in races. Rillito Race Track participates in The Jockey Club Equine Injury Database, recording all injuries and incidents requiring regulatory veterinary intervention.
ApHC Announces 2020 Executive Committee
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) announced the 2020 Executive Committee on Jan. 15 at the Board of Directors meet- ing. The officers elected are: President Ken Johnson, Vice President Leslie Foxvog, Chair of Finance Kevin Griner, Chair of Rules Paula Gatewood, Chair of Marketing Luke Northway, and Chair of Planning & Review Megan Disselkoen. The ApHC Board of Directors will hold their spring meeting April 2-5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dr. Green Receives AAVMC 2020 Billy E. Hooper Award
The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) named Dr. Eleanor Green the recipient of the 2020 AAVMC Billy
E. Hooper Award for Distinguished Service. The award will be presented during the AAVMC’s 2020 Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium on Mar. 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The award honors those individuals whose leadership and vision have made a significant contribution to academic veterinary medicine and the veterinary profession. Green has been the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University since 2009, and has served as president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians, and the Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. Green was recently named a senior advisor and consultant for the Animal Policy Group in Washington, D.C., and will complete her tenure as dean in June 2020.
Jon Schuster Tribute at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino
The 18th season of Quarter Horse racing at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino will kick off on Apr. 14. The track has several tributes planned for the late Jon Schuster, the track’s longtime vice president and general manager who passed away in 2019. The track will
234 SPEEDHORSE, February 2020