The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Jan. 9 that Frank Taylor and the Stable Recovery Program will be honored with the Special Eclipse Award for service to the Thoroughbred industry.
Taylor, along with Stable Recovery CEO Christian Countzler, is the driving force behind Stable Recovery and the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship, two programs that work in tandem to take recovering addicts, give them the ongoing support they need, and find them meaningful employment in the Thoroughbred racing industry. Taylor and the programs will be honored at the Resolute Racing 54th Annual Eclipse Awards Dinner and Ceremony at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida Jan. 23.
"This program has changed so many people's lives," said Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the NTRA. "Not only does Stable Recovery give recovering addicts a second chance, but the racing industry is fortunate to find very capable and talented horsemen as a result. Dependency is an issue that affects everyone, one way or another."
Frank Taylor got the idea for the program several years ago, from local Lexington restaurant DV8 that employed only individuals in recovery. After learning about their success, he explored whether a similar model could work within the horse industry, especially because of the therapeutic attributes of horses.
"I went to my brothers, told them about this idea and said I wanted to try it," Taylor recalls. "After a lot of discussion, we decided on a 90-day trial period—and five years later it has been nothing but positive."
Taylor launched the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship, a 90-day program that helps men learn the essential tools needed for working on a Thoroughbred farm. Then along with Countzler, Taylor launched Stable Recovery, a program to provide a safe and stable living environment, along with a 12-step program, for men in early recovery to regain control of their lives. The peer-driven therapeutic community allows men to live, work, and recover together, while helping each other grow mentally, physically, and spiritually.
While participating in the Stable Recovery program, residents attend the School of Horsemanship at Taylor Made Farm. They receive training and on the job experience in several different facets of the Thoroughbred industry by the very best in the business at Taylor Made. Stable Recovery then provides employment opportunities at participating strategic partners in the Thoroughbred industry—if participants possess a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic.
Participants are able to attend the program entirely free of charge. The project was launched and was initially self-funded by the Taylor family. Since then, they have received an outpouring of support from the local community, and across the United States and the world, and have been able to involve not only other horse operations and racing entities in the program, but also are expanding their curriculum to help individuals with other interests. Now the program is funded approximately 80% by private donations and 20% by state and federal grants.
"Our success rate is three times better than national average—I think there's several reasons for that," said Taylor on the success of the program. "One, they're getting exposed to a horse, which is an amazingly therapeutic animal. Two, it's a military type of operation, and they're held very accountable. We have high expectations, and we require maximum effort from our participants each and every day. Three, they're in a natural setting and are exposed to a lot of hard work, which is good for people. And finally, they are in a very controlled environment with a strict daily schedule. All these things combined give us a little advantage over other places, and it's working."
More than 100 individuals have graduated from the program. When asked what this program means to him, Taylor said, "I feel like this program has been like a spiritual journey and that God has had his hands on it every step of the way. This program is solving a lot of problems—the addiction problem, the imprisonment problem, the homelessness problem, the labor problem in the sport, and on top of everything, it's reuniting families. It's just so good on so many levels, and I'm very proud of that."
More information about the Eclipse Awards can be found at https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
