OwnerView Panel Examines Industry Support Programs

The final installment in the 2025 OwnerView webinar series was held on December 9 and covered industrywide efforts to support individuals in need. The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland, and Stoll Keenon Ogden. The panel was sponsored by Daily Racing Form. A Q&A was sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, and attendees were able to ask questions through a Q&A link. Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView, moderated the panel with guests Joe Clabes, executive director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF); Christian Countzler, chief executive officer of Stable Recovery; Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation; and Dan Waits, executive director of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA). The first question focused on The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, giving an overview of its purpose and who it serves. "The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that's underneath the umbrella of The Jockey Club and assists people in horse racing that are in financial need," Kelly said. "What's really unique about the Safety Net is that we assist all people in racing in all occupations across the country. So, people that work at racetracks on the backside, grooms, hot walkers, exercise riders, foremen, trainers, night watchmen, at farms, on breeding farms, on the front side of racetracks, jockeys, you name it." Countzler explained the ins and outs of the Stable Recovery program, explaining that it has two parts: the recovery side and the workforce development side. Countzler also commented that they've had applications from 49 states and three different countries. "The horse industry has been absolutely incredible to Stable Recovery, and the amount of support and partnership that it has provided in giving our folks a chance at a new life has been remarkable. Every major horse farm in and around Lexington, I can almost safely say now, has agreed to be a part of Stable Recovery," he said. When discussing the PDJF, Clabes said, "We send monthly stipends, financial assistance, to each one on our recipients list. If we're able to have a good year of fundraising and do our investments, we try to provide a holiday bonus, but strictly financial assistance, no strings attached. They can use that for whatever purpose they may need." Waits gave a brief explanation of the purpose of the RTCA and who it serves: "The Racetrack Chaplaincy of America has been around since 1972, and we serve the entire North American racing community with the love of Christ. We serve everybody. We don't care what their faith background is. We don't care where they came from. If they have a need, we're going to try to meet it." All panelists agreed that they work together within the industry to help those in need. "I don't know that there are many other industries around that can say they have the level of support that this industry does," Countzler said. "And I'm very proud of that. I'm very proud to support that, you know. And so especially this time of year, it seems to ramp up for all of us on this panel right now. The holidays are really, really tough if things aren't going very well in your life. So, I would like to thank everybody on this panel for the incredible support." The replay of Tuesday's Thoroughbred Owner Conference panel is available. The 2026 Thoroughbred Owner Conference virtual panel schedule will be released in the coming weeks. For more information about the owner conference series, please visit ownerview.com/event/conference or contact Gary Falter at 859.224.2803 or gfalter@jockeyclub.com.