LRF Cares- An Aftercare Ally
Recently, I spoke with Billy Koch, the founder of Little Red Feather, about their aftercare non-profit, LRF Cares.
MPK: Tell me about your racing stable.
BK: I syndicated my first racehorse in 1991. We officially started LRF in 2002, consisting of a handful of friends and family and not much capital. We had one horse. Little Red Feather grew and grew and grew. I am indebted to all the people who have joined over the years.
We provide the best possible experience for our partners. I’m very proud of the brand we have been able to create and the work we do outside of LRF. I am President of CARMA and serve on the board of TOBA (Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association). Gary Fenton (LRF’s managing partner) serves as a steward of the Jockey Club and is on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California.
LRF also focuses on giving back via multiple Thoroughbred-related charities. I also am proud that we are doing our best to make sure horses are taken care of.
MPK: What prompted you to add an aftercare piece?
BK: We started LRF Cares many years ago, making sure if a Little Red Feather horse needs to be retired or assisted we are there. I had been on CARMA’s board for many years and realized we needed to do our own aftercare work. It was not due to lack of help from CARMA, I just thought we had a responsibility to take care of these horses. I spread the message among our partners, who wholeheartedly agreed. Lucy Lawrence runs LRF Cares and dedicates time to this important initiative.
We have an incredible partner base that is generous and makes donations to LRF Cares. We host fundraising events, such as our second annual golf tourney, The Pacific Classic Challenge on August 24th, which benefits LRF Cares. Our partners come out in support of horses and aftercare. We host many other events in support of aftercare, including our charity handicapping tournament on opening day at Del Mar every year.
MPK: How else is your aftercare program funded?
BK: Our partners are constantly giving. In addition to the two events I mentioned previously, we have numerous other fundraisers, such as our saddle towel auction. I can’t say enough how incredibly generous our partners are. Sometimes we just receive a random donation. When our partners join LRF, they know our brand and know we are about the horses.
MPK: Do you track your horses?
BK: We do our absolute best to track our horses. One of our horses showed up in a not so great place. We were able to jump on it immediately and brought the horse back to Florida. We are grateful for the people who help us keep tabs on these horses.
MPK: Do you have a special retired horse story?
BK: We claimed Red King for $35,000 at Santa Anita when he was five years old. We ended up winning the Del Mar Handicap and also ran him in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Although he was no longer a LRF horse at the end of his career, we assisted in his retirement via CARMA. He went onto the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover and did phenomenally well. You can read more by clicking here.
MPK: How can someone learn more about Little Red Feather and LRF Cares?
BK: Go to our website, where you will find information about our aftercare work, as well as our racing stable.
Click here to read an interview with Bourbon Lane Stable, which also has their own aftercare initiative.