Thoroughbred Classic horse show to include SLR relief efforts

California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) holds two horse shows annually which bring attention to post-racing futures for retired race horses as well as funding for CARMA, and the Dec. 9-10 Thoroughbred Classic Horse Show at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank also allowed support for the displaced horses and workers from the San Luis Rey Training Center.

“We will make it a relief effort,” said CARMA vice president Candie Chew.

“We felt like we could use the show to reach out to the community and kind of unite everybody,” Chew said. “The show has ended up being a good networking opportunity for the equestrian community.”

CARMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization intended to provide future careers for race horses who are retired from racing or who have been rehabilitated but can no longer race. Because those future careers involve other equestrian activities, including jumping and show performance, CARMA is involved with equestrian disciplines other than racing.

Chew’s father, Richard Chew, was once a trainer at what was at the time called the San Luis Rey Downs Thoroughbred Training Center and what was called the San Luis Rey Training Center when it burned in the Lilac Fire.

“This is a pretty horrific thing that happened,” Chew said.

“Continuing on with the show is making it something positive,” Chew said. “Something good’s got to come out of this.”

Horses and other large animals who were evacuated due to the fire have been housed at the San Diego County Fairgrounds in Del Mar which is used by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club part of the year. Thoroughbred racing dates in Southern California are assigned to Del Mar, Santa Anita Park, and Los Alamitos by the California Horse Racing Board. Los Alamitos had the race dates during the Lilac Fire, and Santa Anita was involved in relief efforts.

“It’s been incredible,” Chew said. “It’s a gigantic effort by a lot of different people.”

The short timeframe between the Lilac Fire which began Dec. 7 and the Thoroughbred Classic Horse Show caused CARMA to develop preliminary plans for a relief effort as soon as the equestrian community learned that several San Luis Rey barns burned and more than a dozen horses at San Luis Rey were killed (the estimated death toll now exceeds three dozen horses). Over the next two days more specific details for the relief activities at the Thoroughbred Classic Horse Show were developed.

“It makes me proud to be a member of the equestrian community. Everybody pulled together,” Chew said. “I’m glad we kept the show going.”

CARMA’s next horse show is scheduled for March 24-25 at Galway Downs in Temecula. “Hopefully we’ll get some semblance of order going again,” Chew said.