Shamrock Kid

In many ways, the formation of The Horse Fund was an obvious project for me. My work with Wasabi Ventures Stables, my love of animals, and my previous experience building small businesses all made the creation of The Horse Fund seem like the perfect venture. However, like any project, there were underlying factors that motivated and inspired.

Our club

The first outside influence that encouraged me to build The Horse Fund was our club. When I introduced voluntary aftercare donations to our members in 2019, there was a general atmosphere of excitement and commitment. While my request was small, only a five dollar donation per co-owner on a positive exit of a horse, the reaction was fully supportive.

With the backing of our club members, I began researching the requirements of building a non-profit. Although I have started other small businesses, this was my first foray into the non-profit world. Building a non-profit wouldn’t be difficult, the application for 501c3 status would be more onerous.

Our horse

The second outside factor is what sealed my commitment. In March of 2021, our horse, Shamrock Kid, broke down during morning training. The outpouring of support and donations from our club provided the final inspiration I needed. I knew that I would have a group fully supportive my initiative. It was time to bring this non-profit to reality.

I have told the story of Shamrock Kid and our club many times. Rather than retelling this amazing story of generosity and love, I am sharing a link to an article published in Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred.

Building this non-profit was not created by my enthusiasm alone. The generosity of our club and the memory of Shamrock Kid provided the extra nudges I needed. Now that this dream has become a reality, I look forward to seeing how much I can accomplish with The Horse Fund. I want to make our club proud and continue to honor the memory of Shamrock Kid.