The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) announced March 26 the complete line up of speakers for its upcoming IFAR conference. The IFAR 2025 gathering, which is scheduled to take place April 24-26 in Lexington, Kentucky, will focus on aftercare organizations. The first day of the three-day event will be a traditional conference at Spy Coast Farm’s Equine Education Center.
As previously announced, four-time Olympian Boyd Martin will be the keynote speaker and aftercare professional Jen Roytz will serve as the moderator. The all-day conference will feature six panels addressing important topics in aftercare with experts from around the world.
“IFAR strives to bring together global leaders so that we can all learn from each other and advance aftercare worldwide,” said IFAR Chair Dr. Eliot Forbes, who will open the conference. “Aftercare organizations play a crucial role in assisting racehorses as they move on to their next careers. We are thrilled to present a distinguished line-up of speakers whose extensive expertise will provide an unparalleled exploration of the most critical topics in Thoroughbred aftercare.”
The first panel will be Sustainable Business Practices in Aftercare, and it will cover running sustainable and effective not-for-profits, including succession planning and preparedness for emergencies. Erin Halliwell, the executive director of Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), and John Nicholson, the president and chief executive officer of Old Friends, will take part.
The next panel, Engaging Equestrian Communities, will focus on strengthening connections between Thoroughbred aftercare and the equestrian world across disciplines and regions. Lindsay Greenway, membership and handicap director of the United States Polo Association (USPA); Dr. Kenji Korosue, chief manager of the Equestrian Affairs Division of the Equine Department of the Japan Racing Association (JRA); and Natasha Rose, executive manager, Equestrian Affairs Projects of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) are scheduled to participate.
Rounding out the morning will be Challenges in Aftercare: On-Track to Second Career, which will address challenges horses face transitioning from racing to second careers. Scheduled speakers include Tom Persechino, senior director of Equine Welfare for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA); Kenki Sato, Japanese Olympian and Buddhist monk; Dr. Bryan Waldridge, professor at Mississippi State University and veterinarian for Old Friends; and Ashley Watts, owner Liftoff Equestrian, which houses and trains horses for Canter Kentucky.
Leading off the afternoon sessions is Post-Racing Veterinary Evaluations, which will explore best practices in post-racing assessments to identify horses suited for second careers, including those with less visible vulnerabilities. Anna Ford, the Thoroughbred Program director for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption, and Dr. David Catlow, managing director of Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), will be joined by veterinarians Dr. Jeff Berk and Dr. Valerie Hyde.
The next panel, Raising Awareness through Events, will take a deep look at leveraging horse shows and other events to raise funds and awareness for Thoroughbred aftercare globally. Scheduled speakers include Caoimhe Doherty, co-founder and director of Treo Eile; Kim Duffy, Racing Queensland’s senior animal care manager; and Kirsten Green, executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP).
The conference’s final panel, Connections Through Thoroughbreds, will focus on sourcing and preparing horses for therapeutic services. Stacie Clark Rogers, operations consultant for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA); Dan “Boone” McCanna, co-founder of Down the Stretch Ranch; Niki Purdom of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF); Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm and Stable Recovery; and Ellie Toothaker, equine manager for Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH) will take part.
Biographies for all speakers are available HERE.
Attendees will then head to New Vocations for its Open Barn & BBQ event that evening. On the second day, three additional aftercare organizations will host IFAR guests: CKRH, Old Friends, the Secretariat Center. The final day features a social gathering during the cross-country portion of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian, one of the world’s premier equestrian 5* events.
It is expected that Martin will be competing on multiple horses at the event, and he is teaming up with SmartPak for a cross-country course walk that Friday after dressage. IFAR attendees will have the chance to join Martin at the Head of the Lake, the event’s most iconic water obstacle, as he previews key cross-country combinations, shares his strategy, and offers expert insight ahead of Saturday’s action.
To see the planned schedule of events or to register, please click HERE. Tickets cost $100 each, plus fees and taxes, and cover outlined transportation and meals along with access to the various venues. A cancellation policy is available. Space is extremely limited, and registrations will close Monday, April 14.
The JRA, which has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement to support the activities of IFAR, is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 IFAR Conference. The Jockey Club (US) and the NTA have signed on to be lunch sponsors, ReRun is the breakfast sponsor, and Godolphin is the transportation sponsor. Additionally, the TAA is sponsoring the Connections Through Thoroughbreds panel. Remaining sponsorship opportunities include tailgate sponsor, welcome bag sponsor, dinner sponsor, additional session sponsors, and supporting sponsors. Full details can be found HERE.
IFAR has previously conducted forums in conjunction with the 40th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) in Sapporo, Japan in August 2024; the 39th ARC in Melbourne, Australia in February 2023; the 38th ARC in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2020; the European & Mediterranean Horseracing Federation’s General Assembly in Oslo, Norway, in May 2019; the 37th ARC in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2018; and the Pan American Conference in Washington, D.C., in May 2017. Virtual conferences were held in 2021 and 2022.
IFAR is an independent forum that recognizes geographical and industry differences among racing countries and is designed to enhance Thoroughbred aftercare worldwide. IFAR will raise awareness of the importance of welfare for Thoroughbreds, improve education on lifetime care, and help increase demand for former racehorses in other equestrian sports. For more information on IFAR, visit https://www.internationalracehorseaftercare.com.
International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses