Riding For Their Lives
Thank you for sponsoring us on our Tour de France!
If you'd like to learn what would inspire two men, ages 65 and 59, to take on 11 racetracks in 21 stages and 25 days over 1,000 kilometers--on their bicycles-- please visit us on our blog to learn more about our adventure: http://ridingfortheirlives.blogspot.com/.
The way we see it, Thoroughbred race horses have contributed to the very meaning of life, so they too deserve to retire with dignity and not be sent to the slaughterhouse just because they now do six furlongs in 1:16 instead of 1:12.
As American expatriates living in Paris, we have decided to ride our own Tour de France--riding from racetrack to racetrack across France--during the 'real' Tour de France to raise money for Thoroughbred retirement. But we need your help. Donations made by clicking the "SPONSOR US NOW" link above go directly to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
Their mission, and ours, is to save the lives of unwanted Thoroughbred racehorses. While there are many worthy charities doing the noble work of finding meaningful second careers for former racehorses, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is the only charity which not only finds permanent lifetime homes for our retirees, but also finds meaningful jobs for horses left too unsound by racing to ever be ridden again. Unfortunately, approximately 50% of the horses seeking retirement straight off the racetrack fall into that category.
The purpose they find them is nothing short of the reclamation of human life. The discarded horses the TRF saves turn around and help save the country’s discarded human beings. At our correctional facilities’ farms, TRF horses help inmates by teaching vocational and life-affirming skills through our pioneering programs in horse care and stable management. Perhaps most importantly, the horses provide the intangible benefits that come from the special bond between man and horse.
And finally, it's not just about defending animals. It's about our humanity.
Thank you for your support.
--Mark Cramer and Alan Kennedy