Life is a roll in the mud, fresh strawberries, petting and peppermints for the horses at Old Friends, a 52-acre farm in Georgetown, Ky., that is home to more than 50 retired thoroughbreds. On a recent windy Wednesday, Kim Boyle and her sister Aimee Boyle Wulfeck, organizers of Ferdinand’s Ball, a Derby party that benefits the farm, spent some time with their four-legged friends. The ladies fed red-swirled peppermints to residents Special Ring and Popcorn Deelites, and stroked their silky snouts. “It’s so wonderful to see them grazing, running and basking in the sun,” says Boyle, a Germantown resident who grew up with her sister in Fort Mitchell, Ky. “It’s difficult to imagine anyone doing anything to hurt or disrespect them, but unfortunately it’s the reality.”
In operation since 2003, Old Friends exists to combat the often-ignored issue of retired thoroughbreds getting slaughtered or otherwise mistreated. The horses at Old Friends have had a range of experiences. Some have been victims of terrible neglect, others have been abandoned. A few have been rescued from overseas or saved at the last minute from slaughter auctions.
The farm is owned and run by former Boston Globe movie critic Michael Blowen. While living in Massachusetts, Blowen developed an interest in horse racing and worked with trainers at the East Boston racetrack Suffolk Downs for a couple of years. After noticing that many of the horses he had helped train ended up in the slaughterhouse, he got the idea that he would do something about it once he retired. “I knew if we were going to do it we had to come to Kentucky, which is the heart and soul of the whole deal,” he says. “That’s how we ended up here.”
Blowen lives with his wife Diane in a house on the sprawling property, where they’re never far from their tenants. “It’s just great to have them here,” Blowen says of the horses. “They take care of themselves. The big ones stay outside. That’s where they want to be. We don’t do much for these horses, but we do feed them.”
And feeding happens to cost $3,200 a week. The farm also pays thousands of dollars to purchase their horses.
Visitors frequently come to meet these beautiful animals, who are cared for with the help of volunteers. Cynthia Grisolia, a member of Old Friends’ Board of Directors, has been volunteering with the farm since 2005. “We invite people here practically every single day of the year to come see them, come learn about them, hear their stories, and to understand why they’re in the situation they’re in and why a place like Old Friends needs to exist,” she says. “You get to see tremendous athletes who gave their all to a sport just like any other athlete in any other sport.”
Old Friends currently cares for a total of 116 horses. The remainder of thoroughbreds not living at the farm are boarded at other locations, including a satellite facility in New York state, Old Friends at Cabin Creek.
The idea to raise funds for Old Friends through a Derby party came to Boyle in 2009. “I wondered if there were any Derby events for the horses. I did some research and couldn’t believe that of all these huge parties, while they all are attached to worthy causes, not one gave back to the horses,” she says.
She researched horse charities that could benefit from a prospective party, and quickly settled on Old Friends. “It was perfect. I loved the organization and what I was reading online.” Boyle consulted Wulfeck, with whom she was planning the event, and the sisters agreed it was a worthy cause.
“The horses often are millionaires in their own right. It is their legs that run the race, their eyes that see the finish line and their hearts that give their all,” Wulfeck says. “They win the fortunes their owners claim. The least we can do is to help ensure they have a dignified life once their careers have ended.”