by Winnie Morgan Nemeth, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program

Marysville, OH — New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program has announced that the halter belonging to the late 2002 Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Cigar, who passed away last week, will be auctioned off with proceeds going directly to the program’s aftercare efforts.

Individuals interested in the halter may bid directly by clicking on this link. The auction will start Monday (Oct. 13) and close Sunday (Oct. 19).

Cigar’s halter was generously donated to New Vocations by Halters for Hope, an organization that collects leather halters worn by famous Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses around the nation and then sells them to fans and collectors to raise proceeds for horses in need. All proceeds of every sale, 100 percent, go to charitable horse rescue organizations. For more information on available halters or donating a halter from a famous racehorse, follow them on Facebook and leave a message.

“The great Cigar overcame a lot in his long life, year after year after year, and gave back so much to his millions of fans. So it seems fitting that he continue to give to other horses, less celebrated but no less valuable, who are in need today,” shared Halters for Hope founder Andrew Cohen. “If the proceeds of the sale of this halter help just a few of those horses get through the coming winter it will be a wonderful tribute to a horse that always seemed to try his hardest even when the odds against him seemed great.”

We are honored to have the opportunity to auction off such a treasured halter. All funds raised will go directly to New Vocations’ mission to rehab, retrain and rehome retired racehorses. Cigar had a huge following and one lucky fan will have the chance to own a very special piece of Thoroughbred history.

Cigar, the 1990 son of Palace Music, had an impressive racing career with 16 consecutive wins, including the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and earnings of $9,999,815. After twice earning the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award, Cigar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002. He retired to Ashford Stud in 1997 but after failing to impregnate a single mare was later moved to the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions in Lexington where he became a visitor favorite.

New Vocations continues to lead the nation in racehorse adoptions. Starting with a single farm in Dayton, Ohio, the program has grown to have six facilities located in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Serving more than 40 racetracks, New Vocations works directly with owners and trainers in need of an aftercare program for horses leaving the track. The program has a sound adoption system in place that is proven to move a large number of horses in a rather short period of time. Their sole mission is to provide non-competitive, often injured racehorses with a peaceful environment and skilled hands to assist in their development as pleasure mounts and therefore, a future.

For more information, visit www.newvocations.org.