We tried to find the dams of the three yearlings we adopted from Ernie Paragallo’s Center Brook Farm in New York.

It was just confirmed by the NY State Police that Party Forever, the dam of our colt Bravo, went to slaughter.

Party Forever Colt is leaving Center Brook Farm

Aintjustwhistlin’, the dam of the Adonis filly Star, died at the farm prior to the police raid.

Star, the daughter of Aintjustwhistlin'

We are awaiting final verification that the dam of the Griffinite filly Stripe, Shelly’s Wind, is indeed amongst the group of mares found at Center Brook at the time of the police raid on April 9, 2009.

Aintjustwhistlin’ was 14, Party Forever died at 10.

These mares were part of the worst case of horse abuse in the history of the United States when 177 horses were found in horrifying condition at Mr. Paragallo’s farm. We’ll probably never know how many horses had been at the farm in the winter before the raid and how many were not strong enough to survive until the police arrived in April. Mr. Paragallo will be sentenced on May 18 for 33 counts of animal cruelty he was convicted of.

NBC’s Jill Rappaport reported this past March that she was “elated to report that the vast majority not only survived, but they were ALL adopted into wonderful, loving homes.”
Well, 82 adopted horses out of 177 are not quite the “the vast majority”, and we have yet to find out about the remainder of the horses that were at the farm at the time of the raid.

Let us be clear: This is NOT a story with a happy ending. As of now, Paragallo still owns horses and will also profit from NY breeder awards whenever one of the horses bred at Center Brook wins a race. The 3 babies we adopted required intensive and costly care to restore them to health. So if one of our adopted babies wins a race, Paragallo will earn the NY Breeders incentive awards. He will still be earning money from horses he left to die.

We urge you to write to John Sabini, the chair of NYS Breeding and Development Fund.

The phone # is 518-580-0100-www.nybredfund, and request that Mr. Paragallo not profit any longer from any horses who suffered his abuse.

You can also write Hon. George J. Pulver Jr., 320 Main St., Catskill, NY 12414, who will sentence Ernest Paragallo on May 18 to consider revoking the breeders’ benefits as part of the sentencing.

The Kill Pen

“Show me your horse and I will tell you who you are.”

Old English

Among the lesson horses at Lisa Leogrande’s Triple L Stables in Fulton, New York, are several Thoroughbreds.  Like many of the horses she has trained, sold or adopted out to new homes, or kept for her own riding stable, these Thoroughbreds were discards. They were not needed or wanted anymore by their owners, sold at auction, and were on the last leg of their trip to a slaughterhouse in Canada when Lisa bought them a new life.

Lisa was the first one to find some of the mares from Ernie Paragallo’s Center Brook breeding farm. It was on one of her regular visits to a so-called “kill pen”, the facility were a dealer keeps horses before they are shipped to slaughter.  Lisa visits the pen whenever she can take on a few horses on her farm Triple L Stable, to rehabilitate and retrain them, giving them a new chance on life.

On March 13, 2009, Lisa found a large group of Thoroughbred mares at the dealer: approximately 20 broodmares with yellow collars around their necks.

“It was a disturbing sight.  Not just because they were in a meat pen waiting to go for slaughter in Canada, but because of the condition they were in”, remembers Lisa. “The dealer was horrified of the shape they were in.  He had the worst in his barn with blankets.  He and I talked on how someone could do this to the horses and that it was sick.”

Casa Eire after her arrival at Lisa's farm in March 2009

“One of the mares would put her head on my shoulder – Casa Eire was my first pick to get on my trailer and she was the only one we could catch. Casa is a wonderful horse with a personality that screams, “I love people and life!”  She also rides like a dream, smooth, classy and safe. I am sure she had not been ridden for many years and she rode right off after getting weight on her and we got rid of her lice problem.

Lucky Val in March 2009

All the horses in that group at the kill pen had huge bald spots from the lice.  No glitter in their eyes and scared to death, running around in the pen.  It was so very hard to catch them.  They only had bands around their necks and numbered tags on their hindquarters.  I wrote down the numbers on the horses I wanted to get loaded on my trailer.  We had to herd them into a smaller pen and them pin them in a corner to catch them and put halters on.  I picked out three of the Paraneck/ Paragallo mares, and three others from the kill pen that day, a total of six horses. We loaded them on my trailer to come home.”

Lisa was curious to find out where the mares had originally come from and started researching them.

Yeah Baby Yeah in March 2009

“I found that they had come from a large breeding farm in Climax, NY, owned by Paraneck Stables owner Ernie Paragallo.  I called The Exceller Fund trying to get enough money to rescue the remaining mares I had to leave behind at the kill pen. Those mares ranged from 4 to twenty years of age. The Exceller Fund gave me some phone numbers to call for help.

After talking with Diane, Lisa and Christy from Another Chance 4 Horses rescue in Pennsylvania, they were able to get four more mares out of the kill pen. Unfortunately the other 17 or so had already been shipped.”

The four mares AC4H took on had been in such bad shape that they could not have survived the transport to Canada. They could therefore not be shipped off right away and were left behind for another time. The delay saved their lives.

Lisa recalls the sorry sight of the horses at the dealer: “All the mares in the kill pen were extremely skinny, lice-infected, had skin lesions, their hooves needed much care. I remember a mahogany bay mare with an almost pie bald face. I found out later that her name was Red Hot Chili Pepper, an Ireland-bred mare who was born on my birthday, March 18.  She was only 6 years old. She will be in my thoughts. Unfortunately she was shipped.”

Casa Eire September 09

“I rescued six horses that day and $ 2,000.0 later they went home with me.  About 60 horses a week go to kill from this one dealer each week.  They do two loads per week with 33 horses per trailer. The horses are killed as soon as they get off the trailer at the slaughterhouse.  Upon arrival the trailer is backed up to the slaughter plant and the horses get unloaded to be processed.  Once the horses are loaded on the trailer at the dealer’s, the trailer is sealed and the seal cannot be broken until the trailer arrives at the plant.

Often, horses go from the auction directly to the plant, they never see a pasture again, hear a kind word or feel a gentle hand. Most of the horses don’t have papers, the dealers don’t really care; they are merely liaison between the sellers and the buyers at the slaughterhouse. When Lisa purchases the horses from the dealer she takes her chance. There are no vet exams, x-rays or test rides. All Lisa can go by is her experience: She looks at the eye of the horse and tries her best never knowing what comes home with her.

Lucky Val June 2009

But she says “OTTBs (off track Thoroughbreds)

Yeah Baby Yeah, June 2009

you can never go wrong on.  You know they ride.  You just have to look at their legs for any injuries.  I work and talk with the dealers and I have learned a lot from going to auctions.”

Lisa Leogrande has rescued many more since that day in March.

Lucky Val feeling good at Lisa's in April 09

We want to introduce you to some more of the thoroughbreds that were rescued from Center Brook Farm.  The meaning of the word “rescue” becomes clear when you look at the photographs of the horses at the time when they were taken away from Center Brook Farm.  These horses would have not survived much longer if the misery at the farm had not been discovered.  We cannot stress enough how much we owe to Lisa Leogrande and AC4H, Another Chance For Horses, and Christy Sheidy, who rescued the first thoroughbred mares from the slaughter pen.  They made the effort to find out where the mares were coming from, thus starting the investigation into Center Brook Farm and the farm owner Ernie Paragallo.

AC4H gave us permission to show photographs of the horses but please visit their Web site to find out more about their activities and of ways of helping them.

http://www.ac4h.com/

So, here are  four rescue stories which have fairytale endings because of people who care.

Theonlyword

Born in 2001 by speed champion Artax out of Exclusive Word,  Theonlyword raced 8 times, was 4 times in the money, making some $ 50,000.00.

Theonlyword leaves Center Brook Farm

This is how she looked in March 2009, rescued from a kill pen, malnourished, parasite infested, with several old wounds that had never properly healed.

Theonlyword found a new home with Lauren who already took her to a 4H show and made 5^th place in a walk and trot class out of 12 competitors.  This is only 6 months after the photograph above!

Her first ribbon!

Coconut Martini

A half-sister to Theonlyword by Artax out of Houston Station, 8-year old Coconut Martini raced 11 times, won once and made some $35,000.00 in her racing career.

Coconut Martini was in terrible shape, starved, full of lice and other parasites with terrible skin condition and swollen front legs from an untreated racing injury.

Coconut Martini on her way out of misery

Coconut’s story is a real fairytale:  As a racehorse, “Teeny” was exercised by Kate, the daughter of Karen B. who adopted Coconut Martini from AC4H in May.  Kate exercised for Paranack Stables, Ernie Paragallo’s racing outfit, and helped Teeny to recover after a broken pelvis injury.

Coconut Martini a few weeks after rescue on her way to recovery

Barely recognizable in March, Teeny is again the beautiful grey captured in a painting by Adam Coglianese.

Finely Decorated

Born 1992, the Well Decorated daughter out of Tribute of Gold, had an extensive racing career: 35 starts, 14 times in the money, but she only made a mere $ 33,125.00.

Finely Decorated was of no real use anymore in the world of horse racing; at 17 years old her second career as broodmare was nearing its end, she had become one of the many discards of the industry.

The rescue of Finely Decorated

Here is what her new owner Deirde says about her plans for Well Decorated:

“My trainer rode her last week and she was perfect. She is loved by all at the barn. We are training her to be a western horse because she has the perfect head carriage and gates. My hope is to ride her western in an open show in April.”

Finely Decorated after a few weeks of good care

Jennifer

Jennifer was never registered. She is out of Thrifty Jennifer, probably by Danzatame. She is a little horse, almost 5 years old but still ponysize – the level of neglect is terrible.

Jennifer still neds to find a home, she is only 5 years old and has responded well to the care and attention.  Jennifer needs a lot of love and care to recover from the abuse she has experienced in her young life.  She is  beautiful and will be even more so when she finally gets a chance.

Little Jennifer - a pixie horse but what strength to make it that far!

There are many more and more detailed photographs and videos of the condition of these horses at the time of their rescue on the AC4H Web site.

Please visit them at     http://www.ac4h.com/

It is important that we don’t forget that there were almost 200 horses in terrible condition at Center Brook Farm.