News

September 14, 2005
THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT, ‘HEAVEN CAN WAIT’ NAMED OFFICIAL CHARITIES OF LVWI
Inaugural $1 Million Event To Benefit
Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Animal Sanctuary in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, September 14, 2005…The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, the national organization that provides sanctuary and adoption for thoroughbred horses, and Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary, the non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to eliminating the needless killing of animals in Las Vegas, are the official national and local charities respectively of the inaugural Las Vegas World Invitational it was announced today by Fairlie Arrow, executive in charge of production for Equus Entertainment in Sport. The LVWI, the first $1 million show jumping event to be held in the United States, will take place October 14-15 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“There are no more worthy beneficiaries for this event than animals. So it is only right that the work of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in providing longer lives for horses and Heaven Can Wait in rescuing and caring for homeless dogs and cats are recognized as our official charities. It is so fitting that as we watch some of the top show jumping horses in the world compete at the peak of their fitness and performance that the welfare of less fortunate animals will benefit,” Arrow said.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to humane treatment for Thoroughbred racehorses, was founded in 1982. The following year, through a unique partnership with the State of New York Department of Correctional Services, the TRF’s first retirement farm was established on the grounds of the Wallkill Correctional facility in Wallkill, N.Y. The TRF’s first retired thoroughbred, Promised Road, arrived at Wallkill in 1984. The TRF horse care management vocational training program has now been replicated at TRF farms located at the Blackburn Correctional facility in Kentucky, Marion County Correctional facility in Florida and Maryland’s Charles H. Hickey School for youthful offenders.

“We are thrilled to be the national charity for this extraordinary Grand Prix event. It is fitting that this prestigious event would be dedicated to helping the wonderful animals that make it all possible. The TRF’s work for the last 25 years has helped thousands of horses and we will continue to work until our mission to stop the slaughter of horses is complete,” said Diana Pikulski, TRF executive director.

Las Vegas entrepreneur and businessman Harold Vosko co-founded the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary in 2000 to provide shelter for homeless animals, primarily cats and dogs. Funded entirely by donations and fund raising events, Heaven Can Wait today has developed a variety of programs that protect animals including an adoption service that has found homes for thousands of homeless pets.

“The Las Vegas World Invitational will be one of the world’s premier show jumping events. Heaven Can Wait is proud to be associated with such an international show and we look forward to working with the LVWI for the benefit of all animals,” Vosko said.

The LVWI will feature the world’s top 25 show jumping riders who will compete for $1 million in prize money, the largest purse for a Grand Prix competition. The inaugural event already has been rated a five-star competition (CSI 5*) by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the only show in the United States to be rated at the highest level.

They will compete in the $100,000 Vegas Stake, a speed event that features one round, plus a jump-off against the clock; the $50,000 Knockout, where riders will race against each other on identical courses; the $100,000 Ride And Drive, a unique event where riders first complete a jumping course on a horse, then finish an obstacle course in a car, and the $750,000 Grand Prix, a premier jumping event that will include some of the highest fences in international competition.

Tickets, $75, $85, $100, $150, $225 and $500 per night and $1,000 for two-day VIP packages, are available at the Thomas & Mack Center box office in Las Vegas, by telephone at 1-866-388-3267, an unlvtickets.com or at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, the official host hotel and sponsor of the LVWI. Ticket purchases are subject to transaction fees. Room reservations at the Hilton are available by calling 1-800-442-4002 or at i4vegas.com

Ends

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the international sanctioning body and the United States Equestrian Federation, headquartered in Lexington, KY, is the national sanctioning body for the Las Vegas World Invitational.

Equus Entertainment in Sport of Las Vegas is the parent company of the LVWI. Its mission is to take show jumping to a new level in the U.S. As the sport’s worldwide popularity increases in the U.S., Equus is playing a major role in that growth by presenting the sport on television as never before. Equus’ coverage includes cutting edge techniques that utilize moving cameras at close proximity and low angles to show the extreme athleticism of horses and riders.

For more information the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary, “Where homeless pets get a second chance,” please visit www.hcws.org.
For more information about the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), please visit www.horsesport.org.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), which sanctions national events, is online at www.usef.org.