The night Hurricane Katrina rolled over New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, National HBPA CEO Remi Bellocq sent out what he described as an “APB – a mass e-mail to everyone I could think of … everyone who might be of help. I understood, as did everyone, I think, that our horsemen down there were going to need a lot of help.”

New Orleans is the home of the historic Fair Grounds, and as with so much of the Crescent City, the racetrack was rendered a wasteland by the massive flooding that occurred. The upcoming meet was cancelled. Horsemen and their animals were displaced.

Prior to Katrina, the National HBPA already had in place a fund designed to provide assistance for horsemen imperiled by such natural disasters. The National HBPA Foundation was created to provide for members who have found themselves in sudden, dire circumstances or those needing additional subsistence beyond what is provided by the National HBPA Fire and Disaster Insurance Program. Bellocq said that the National HBPA Foundation funds were critical in providing for immediate relief to Louisiana horsemen.

“What we did was offer a matching program,” he noted. “The morning after Katrina, I put together a conference call and I said, ‘look, for any organization or individual that can donate $20,000, we will match that.’”

The National HBPA Foundation discovered several takers, too, namely the Thoroughbred Charities of America, The Jockey Club Foundation, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and Bill Casner of WinStar Farm.

“The timing of it all was incredible,” explained Sean Alfortish, president of the Louisiana HBPA. “I had already heard that the Fair Grounds had been destroyed. A lot of horsemen were flooded out, stranded … horses had been killed, were missing. People were missing.

“But right away, I was hearing from Remi and John Roark (then National HBPA president), and they were telling me that funds were on the way. We all had a tremendous amount of work to do here, but right away we were given plenty to work with.”

The National HBPA Foundation and its matching contributors were able to raise over $400,000 for Katrina-hit horsemen. In addition, over 160,000 tons of horse equipment and human supplies were shipped to Louisiana. At the time, the Louisiana HBPA did not have a local fund designated for relief beyond what was provided by the Fire and Insurance Program. But the National HBPA Foundation proved to be a significant force in the care for Louisiana horsemen and horses.

Bellocq noted, “As far as Katrina was concerned, I don’t know that we helped everyone. There are 6,000 members there … but we sure tried. And we are continuing to do so. That’s what the Foundation is for.”

“Horsemen helping horsemen,” said Alfortish. “That has never been more true than what happened during Katrina.”

Forces of Nature in Kansas, Kentucky

There have been other, less-publicized disasters that have hit racetracks in recent months. In early February of this year, a massive fire on the backstretch at tiny Eureka Downs in Kansas nearly killed every horse stabled there. Not only were some local horsemen devastated by the fire, so was the small town of Eureka (“Eureka Downs is the bread and butter of the small town it’s named after,” reported one Wichita news outlet.).

Eureka Downs horsemen were not covered by the National HBPA’s Fire and Disaster Program, but because of the National HPBA Foundation, assistance was available. Through a tack supply company, Big Dee’s Tack and Vet Supplies (a National HBPA sponsor), tack and equipment accounts were set up for horsemen affected by the fire.

The National HBPA Foundation has been quick to assist Kentucky horsemen, as well. A tornado touched down near Ellis Park last fall, and then, this year, several trainers at Turfway Park had horses wait through a month-long quarantine due to the equine herpes virus (EHV-1). The quarantined horses could not race or even train which, of course, meant they could not earn purse money. It also would take time to get them racing fit again.

Tom Metzen Sr., president of the Minnesota HBPA, is the chairman of the National HBPA Foundation’s Assistance Committee. “We get applications from individual horsemen and from the racetracks themselves,” he said. “In the case of Ellis Park, the track notified us, and when they did, we understood it was behalf on the many horsemen who were stabled there. We were glad to be able to help them.

“At Turfway, we decided the way to contribute was to offer each horseman seven and a half dollars per day per horse. In other words, what it took to keep those horses fed. It adds up. The horsemen there might be the first ones to tell you that.

“Without question, our biggest concern is serving our horsemen,” Metzen explained. “That’s what the HBPA is all about.

Regarding the Foundation, our next concern, obviously is how to keep it funded. Right now, we have over a hundred thousand in there, but I’d like to see a lot more, to tell you the truth.

“The Foundation received a huge boost some years back when the HBPA won that lawsuit against Birmingham Race Course. The money from the lawsuit went directly into the Foundation. Also, when we sold our share in the off-track betting parlor in Omaha to the Nebraska HBPA, that money went right into the Foundation, as well.”

The National HBPA has on the drawing board at least two different initiatives for fundraising for the National HBPA Foundation. One concept ought to seem familiar enough, at least to those who visit the internet on a regular basis.

“We’d like to establish our own auction house,” Bellocq noted. “Something like what exists now on eBay.com. We could get horsemen to donate memorabilia. You will see saddle towels and saddle blankets for sale on eBay on a regular basis. Some of this stuff brings strong bids (For example, a Hansel saddle towel from the Florida Derby was for sale for $799.99; a Kitten’s Joy saddle towel from the Secretariat Stakes went for almost $500; a Giant’s Causeway jacket went for $250.00.). I think we can offer trophies or silks or whatever horsemen feel like donating.

“Also, it can be something of a clearinghouse for working equipment; saddles, bridles, reins … if a horseman needs something, is looking for a good price, our auction might be the place they can look.”

Another fundraising initiative taps into the talents of Bellocq, who happens to be the son of the famous cartoonist, Pierre “Peb” Bellocq, and is a widely published cartoonist in his own right. Belloq plans to create a series of greeting-holiday cards that can be purchased as a series “for around $50.” He pointed out that if a majority of the National HBPA’s over 30,000 members would choose to purchase the cards, the National HBPA Foundation coffers would fill rapidly.

“Building up this Foundation is important to us,” he said. “It’s important to every horseman in this country.”

“I look at what’s happened in Louisiana in the past year,” commented Alfortish. “The other professional sports franchises – the Saints and the Hornets – had to leave the state. But horse racing never left Louisiana. We held the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs (in Bossier City), and the races are going to start up again, as always, on Thanksgiving Day at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Our horsemen can’t wait.

“I think that what all this proves is that the HBPA and the Foundation were ready. I think we always should be.”

“We want the Foundation to be in good shape, that’s for sure,” Metzen asserted. “I look at all that happened recently, and I think, ‘who knows what’s going to happen next?’ It never hurts to be prepared.”

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