David Sears is the executive director of the New England Thoroughbred Retirement Center (NETRC) in Deerfield, N.H. His farm houses rescued, abandoned and retired racehorses from tracks across the country. Incensed by the way some horses are simply discarded from the tracks, Sears spends most days on the phone talking trainers and owners into retiring their horses rather than selling them off to the slaughterhouse middlemen. Once the horses are at his center, their injuries are cared for and they are given lots of time to relax and frolic in the fields. Under his care, nervous and jittery horses just off the tracks transform quickly into gentle and relaxed creatures. He then works tirelessly to re-home those that are suitable to families looking for a show horse or family pet. 

"It is tragic," said Sears, adding, "horses that have so much left in them are being discarded at tracks across the country as if they were worthless. By working with the industry and responsible trainers and owners, we hope to change that culture. At NETRC we really believe that these horses deserve better and that they can go on to be great show horses, trail riders, and companions. Our success rate proves it."

Since its inception in 2007, NETRC has taken in 22 racehorses, and placed more than 12 with families throughout New England and as far away as South Carolina and Missouri.

NETRC's latest success story is Watchtower, a stallion by the sensational racehorse Dubai Millennium, who was owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai. Late in Watchtower's career at six years old, his future was uncertain. Sears had watched Watchtower's waning career and worked with both his owner and his trainer, Lorita Lindemann, to arrange for Watchtower to be sold to Sheikh Mohammed and retired to NETRC. To honor both Sheikh Mohammed and the retirement of his brilliant stallion, NETRC has renamed its NH stable after the horse, now calling it Watchtower Farm.

 "We hope that Watchtower will become a symbol of hope for racehorses across the country that face uncertain futures, and that he will inspire trainers and owners to retire their horses with center's like NETRC rather than selling them cheap to horse dealers that act as middlemen for the slaughterhouses," Sears said. "In New England we know that racehorses can have new lives as useful animals, and we hope that that the trend will continue nationwide."