Old Friends Elects New Board Members
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Michael Blowen at Old Friends
Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, Ky., elected three new members to its Board of Directors.
In a meeting held June 15, the board added two additional members: Mark Simon, editorial director of Daily Racing Form, and Jill Baffert, former journalist, current Thoroughbred owner, and wife of trainer Bob Baffert. At a meeting held in December, current members voted to add Jeffrey Burch, Senior vice president of NTRA Advantage, to the board.
Old Friends president and founder Michael Blowen announced the appointments June 22.
"Thoroughbred aftercare is of great importance to me, and being asked to serve Old Friends is an honor," said Burch. "Their standards for our retired champions are high, and helping to maintain those goals is a challenge I look forward to."
"It is an honor to be able to serve on the board of Old Friends, one of the premier aftercare facilities in the world," said Simon. "It has been at the forefront of care for horses that have retired from the breeding shed or the racetrack for a decade now, and it's a shining example of the great work being done to give these horses a retirement life they so richly deserve. I look forward to helping Old Friends expand its reach to help more horses and to touch more people."
"Bob and I have been big fans of Old Friends for a long time, and I'm honored to join their board," said Baffert. "All of us in racing share an obligation to do what we can to provide life-long care for these most noble, willing, and loyal animals. I'm excited to work alongside some of the true pioneers in aftercare to get the word out about all of the great things Old Friends is doing for the horses and for our industry."
In addition to the new members, several officer appointments were made. Cynthia Grisolia was elected chairman of the board, while Mark Otto was elected treasurer.
"We're so excited to be working with Jeff, Mark, and Jill," said Blowen. "Each is truly dedicated to the mission of Old Friends and to Thoroughbred aftercare. Their varied talents will be a terrific asset to us as we expand into the future."