Standardbred Transition Alliance Awards $100,000 in Grants

The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) is pleased to announce the election of new officers following its annual meeting held on Friday, March 6, 2026. The newly elected leadership will guide the organization in its ongoing mission to accredit, inspect and award grants to organizations that are responsibly rehoming Standardbreds. Dr. Andy Roberts has been elected President of the STA. Joining him on the leadership team are David Reid and Moira Fanning, continuing as Co–Vice Presidents. Russell Williams has been elected Secretary, and Renee Mancino continues as Treasurer. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve this organization and the horses who’ve given us so much. As a veterinarian, I’ve seen firsthand how important quality aftercare is, and I’m excited to work with our team and supporters to keep raising the bar for Standardbred welfare and second careers,” said Dr. Roberts. “I’m looking forward to helping the STA grow its impact in a way that truly honors the animals at the heart of the industry.” The STA also extends its deepest gratitude to outgoing President Don Marean, who has led the organization with vision and dedication over the past two years. His leadership and commitment have helped strengthen the STA’s foundation and advance its mission of responsible aftercare. As Don retires to spend more time with his family, the STA expresses sincere appreciation for his many contributions and wishes him the very best in this next chapter.

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) has concluded its 2025 grant cycle with a final year end distribution of $97,000 to accredited aftercare organizations. Additional 2025 STA grant payouts included $103,000 in STA Spring Grant Awards and $12,500 in Placement Liaison Program Awards for a total of $212,500 in disbursements this calendar year. The recipients of the Fall Grant Awards are Futures For Standardbreds (ME); Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH); Heart of Phoenix (WV); New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (OH, NY, KY); Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY) and Sunshine Horses (NY). “STA grants reward accredited organizations that are operating professionally and in the best interests of the horse.” said STA President Don Marean. “ We look forward to growing the grant fund in 2026.” Contributions to the 2026 STA Grant Awards can be made here: https://www.standardbredtransition.org/donate The requirements to submit an application for STA Accreditation include: Organization must have current status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) or registered as a charitable organization with Canada Revenue Agency. Organization must have been in operation for at least two years at close of the STA application period. This will be based on the filing date with the Secretary of State in the pertinent state. Organization must comply with all applicable state, provincial and national licensing and permitting requirements related to the sourcing, transferring, rehoming, or brokering of horses. STA compliance statement can be viewed here. Organization must have a written euthanasia policy applicable to all stages of a horse’s life with that group, from intake forward, consistent with that established by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). That policy can be viewed here. Board members, staff and volunteers must not be a party to legal proceedings connected with the applicant organization. Organization must have cared for a minimum of five Standardbreds in the year prior to close of applications. Adoption contracts of the applicant organization must prohibit breeding of any adopted horse. Post adoption protocol must include a minimum of two years documentation of the horse’s location and condition, as well as a commitment to resume care of the horse at any point in the future, if requested. 

June 17, 2025 -- Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) has concluded its 2025 accreditation and Spring grant awards with a total of six non-profit adoption charities meeting all necessary criteria. This year the Spring Grant distribution totaled $103,000. The STA accredited organizations are now eligible for subsequent grant awards throughout the year. They are also able to take part in the STA’s Placement Liaison Program , which was designed to empower owners to better navigate the racehorse retirement process. “Since inception, STA accredited organizations have placed over 700 Standardbreds. At this time, they are accepting horses at 11 facilities across multiple states” said STA President, Don Marean. “We appreciate the hard work they’ve put into maintaining their accreditation and in facilitating safe career changes for Standardbreds. These programs have also shown themselves to be successful in assisting with responsible ownership changes later in a horse’s life. We applaud each of them for their commitment to the welfare of the horse and for utilizing humane and responsible practices.” The 2025 STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations are Future for Standardbreds (ME), Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH), Heart of Phoenix (WV), New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (FL, KY, LA, NY, OH, PA), Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY), and Sunshine Horses (NY). Additional details can be found here . To make a donation to the 2025 STA Fall Grant Award Campaign click here .

The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) elected its 2025-2026 officers during their annual board meeting, held February 2 in Westerville, Ohio. Don Marean, longtime USTA director and chairman of district 9, was re-elected President for a second term; David Reid and Moira Fanning were both re-elected Vice Presidents; Renee Mancino was reelected as Treasurer and Dr. Andy Roberts was newly elected to the office of Secretary, replacing Elizabeth Caldwell who stepped down after serving 2 three-year terms on the board. The STA committees continue their work this week as they conclude their final accreditation and grant determinations. The board has approved up to $250,000 in grant money to be disseminated to STA Accredited Organizations in 2025. The mission of the STA is to award grants to approved 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and re-home Standardbreds.

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) has issued $100,000 in grant awards to STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations that are actively transitioning Standardbreds into well-qualified homes. The award recipients are Futures For Standardbreds (ME); Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH); New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (OH, NY, KY); Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY) and Sunshine Horses (NY). “It’s our board’s mission to raise and distribute funds for Standardbred aftercare.” said STA President Don Marean. “Since 2020 we’ve issued $625,000 to accredited programs. We’re looking forward to growing those distributions and to increasing the number of facilities that meet accreditation standards in 2025 and beyond.” Contributions to the STA’s 2025 Grant Awards can be made here: https://www.standardbredtransition.org/donate

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) welcomes Linda Bédard to her first term as a Director of the STA Board. The Registrar of Standardbred Canada since 2012, Bédard has a deep understanding of the industry and a strong background in equine welfare. She’s actively participated as a delegate to both the World Trotting Conference’s Health and Welfare Committee and their Breeding Committee, since 2015. Additionally, she’s had involvement in many other welfare related committees and initiatives, including her position on the Equine Guelph Advisory Council. Bédard holds the honor of being the trainer of the first ever Canadian bred mare to reach one-million dollars in earnings, Tricky Tooshie, now in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. She joins fellow Canadian, Alison Moore, DVM who was named to the STA Board in early 2023. Last year the STA distributed $200,000 in award monies to accredited organizations.

Laurelville, OH– Standardbred Transition Alliance is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, with an overall score of 98%. This rating designates Standardbred Transition Alliance as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that our organization is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria. Charity Navigator is America’s largest and most-utilized independent charity evaluator. Since 2001, the organization has been an unbiased and trusted source of information for more than 11 million donors annually. Charity Navigator analyzes nonprofit performance based on four key indicators, referred to as beacons. Currently, nonprofits can earn scores for the Impact & Results, Accountability & Finance, Culture & Community, and Leadership & Adaptability beacons. “We are delighted to provide Standardbred Transition Alliance with third-party accreditation that validates their operational excellence,” said Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator. “The Four-Star Rating is the highest possible rating an organization can achieve. We are eager to see the good work that Standardbred Transition Alliance is able to accomplish in the years ahead.” “Our Four-Star Charity Navigator status is further validation that our supporters can trust our commitment to good governance and financial health,” said STA President, Don Marean. “We hope that it will introduce our work to new supporters who can help us advance our mission to inspect, accredit and award grants to 501(c)3 accredited organizations rehoming Standardbreds.” Standardbred Transition Alliance’s rating and other information about charitable giving are available free of charge on charitynavigator.org. ***  A rating by Charity Navigator enables organizations to help more people turn their values, passions and beliefs into meaningful change and impact. Charity Navigator provides the data, ratings and advice that cut through the noise, making it easy to make informed choices that turn intent into action. Because whether it’s money, time, expertise, information or material goods, there are more ways not just to believe, but to act.

March 6, 2024 -- Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) is pleased to announce the successful accreditation of five aftercare organizations for 2024. Through accreditation each of these 501c3 non-profit charities became eligible for 2024 grant funding, including a first round of grant awards totaling $100,000 issued today. The STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations have successfully met or exceeded all application criteria and have adhered to the STA Best Practices guidelines. Applying organizations must demonstrate that they are fiscally sound, with competent staff and a rigorous screening process in place to ensure that Standardbreds being rehomed through their organization have the best chance at a quality career once they retire from racing. “We are proud and grateful of the many individuals working tirelessly to build a structured and nationally supported approach to Standardbred aftercare.” said STA President, Don Marean. “We’re now entering our fifth year of accreditation and have issued $525,000 in financial grants that reward sustainable systems.” The 2024 STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations are Future for Standardbreds (ME), Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH), New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (FL, KY, LA, NY, OH, PA), Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY), and Sunshine Horses (NY). Additional details can be found here . The STA Board made their accreditation recommendations at its February annual meeting. Also in that meeting a new slate of officers was elected, with Don Marean replacing David Reid as President, a position he’d held since the program’s inception. Reid remains an officer, joining Moria Fanning and Renee Mancino as Vice Presidents. Elizabeth Caldwell was elected Secretary and Renee Mancino was elected Treasurer. The STA is supported by equine enthusiasts from every facet of harness racing, including trainers, owners, breeders, racetracks, sales companies, and others. To learn how you can support the STA click here .

Laurelville, OH – The Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) has issued $100,000 in Fall Grant Awards to STA Accredited Aftercare Organizations that are actively transitioning Standardbreds into well-qualified homes. The combined total of all awards issued in 2023 was $200,000. “The STA continues to increase the amounts awarded to our accredited facilities,” said STA President David Reid. “It’s our Board’s mission to raise and distribute funds for Standardbred aftercare. Over the last three years we’ve issued $425,000 to accredited programs. We’re looking forward to growing those distributions and also to increasing the number of facilities that meet accreditation standards in 2024 and beyond. The award recipients are Futures For Standardbreds (ME); Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH); New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (OH, NY, KY); Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY) and Sunshine Horses (NY). Contributions to the STA’s 2024 Grant Awards can be made here: https://www.standardbredtransition.org/donate