Rescue horse’s story recognized at O’Briens

Cream Ridge, NJ – 2/21/2022 – Jason Baxter, co-anchor of Atlantic Canada’s The CTV Atlantic “Live at 5” news program, produced a five-part series on the life of now 17-year-old harness racing gelding, Samspace, and earned the O’Brien Media Award in 2021. It was his family who bred, raised, raced, and rescued Sammy.

For Samspace, a 17-year-old gelding, life started out full of enjoyment for his owner and the entire family. For many people in racing, that may be typical. Also typical is when these noble warriors can no longer get around the oval at demanding speeds, they face what Samspace did, a trip to slaughter. The volunteers at the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, (SRF), known as Save Our Standardbreds From Slaughter, (SOSS) on Facebook, found this “thrown away” gelding tagged for slaughter. The family joy this reunion brought is shown through this beautiful documentary. It covers from being born and raised in Nova Scotia through his accolades and near perils to a new life at his home with Christine Faulkner at Serenity Acres in Nova Scotia. This is where he has a second career as a therapy horse, dealing with individuals who suffer from trauma.

This is what SRF does with its supporters by their side. Many trotters and pacers have been reunited with their owners and families by SRF and SOSS. Now, with the removal of mandatory freeze brands these horses face more sadness as identifying them when they are in “kill pens” will not be possible. SRF urges everyone to call and email the USTA directors before the March 11th meeting to plead with this need to return freeze brands.

From the Standardbred Retirement Foundation