“We never want anything to happen to our horses… We take care of them until the day they die. Some do not work out, while others work out bigtime. It’s not their fault. It is just how it goes. We think every one of them is entitled to a good life.” And “When we raise these yearlings and send them out into the world, we love them. We do not want them to meet up with mistreatment of any kind.”
~ Russell C. Williams, President & CEO, Hanover Shoe Farms (PA)
In 2024, 2,912 U.S. horses were shipped to Canada to be slaughtered. Animals’ Angels conducted extensive research to trace their origins and uncover how these animals ended up in the slaughter pipeline. What we discovered is deeply disturbing: 1,868 of these horses were Standardbreds, many of them racehorses with successful careers.
Using USDA health certificates and freeze brand records, we identified 524 of these unlucky horses by name. Among them were Yes Hanover, who won $408,562.00 in harness racing, and many more. They were named horses, once celebrated, once valued. Yet instead of the peaceful retirement many expect for such accomplished animals, their journey ended at a Canadian slaughter plant.
Hanover Shoe Farms, the world’s largest Standardbred breeding operation, has publicly emphasized the importance of lifelong care for its horses. Its President & CEO, Russel C. Williams, has stated that horses from his program should be treated with dignity “until the day they die.” However, records show that Yes Hanover and 15 other horses bred at Hanover Shoe Farms were among those sent to slaughter.
While it’s unclear how these horses ended up in the slaughter pipeline, their fate raises urgent questions about post-racing protections, accountability, and the gaps that allow such outcomes to persist.
Standardbred Harness Racing
Standardbred harness racing has been under scrutiny for years. Widespread drug violations, frequent injuries on the track, and declining public interest have left a lasting toll on the industry. Read more »
In response, racing leaders have launched a series of initiatives aimed at improving the sport’s image and addressing welfare concerns, including the Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund, the Full Circle Initiative, and the Standardbred Transition Alliance. Several tracks have also adopted “no-slaughter” policies, threatening lifetime bans for offenders.
Despite these measures, the data presented in this report makes clear: current efforts fall far short of protecting Standardbreds from exploitation and slaughter.
The Truth About Horse Slaughter
Since its founding, Animals’ Angels has tracked countless slaughter-bound trailers, documenting the brutal reality horses face once they are marked for death. They are crammed into cattle trucks for days without food or water, enduring long journeys to slaughter facilities across the U.S. border in Mexico or Canada.
According to official records, in 2024, three entities were involved in shipping U.S. horses to Canada for slaughter: Pennsylvania-based Rotz Livestock, Ohio’s Bauer Farms, and Michigan’s James Dutton. While late-December data remains incomplete, Animals’ Angels obtained documentation for 2,397 of the 2,912 horses shipped. Of these, 1,868 were Standardbreds, highlighting a concerning trend in the breed’s representation among slaughter-bound horses.
These kill buyers and businesses have been subjects of ongoing investigation by Animals’ Angels due to their role in the slaughter horse supply chain. Our work continues in pursuit of greater transparency, accountability, and protections for equines at risk.
Data Analysis
Where did these Standardbred horses begin their life?
STARK TAKEAWAYS OF THE TOP BREEDERS
Hanover Shoe Farms (PA) – 16 horses shipped
- Scale & Reach: Hanover Shoe Farms is the world’s largest Standardbred breeder, currently owning 2,474 horses and having bred 16,815.
- Economic Impacts: Hanover-bred colts and fillies hold the all-time record with $21.3 million in earnings. Over the past decade, the farm has invested $16.6 million in broodmares.
- Quote: “We never want anything to happen to our horses… We take care of them until the day they die.” — Russell C. Williams, CEO (and USTA President).
- Documented Outcome: 16 of the horses bred at Hanover Shoe Farms — including Cashfortheheart, Muir Hanover, Rip Hanover, Sapient Hanover — ended up at slaughter.
Winbak Farm (MD) – 16 horses shipped
- Scale & money: 2,133 horses currently owned; 8,113 bred. Largest family-owned breeder in North America.
- Profits: Horses bred and sold have won nearly 28,000 races and $262 million in purses.
- Quote: “Where stars are born.” — Winbak Farm motto.
- Documented Outcome: In 2024, records show that 16 horses bred at Winbak Farm were among those shipped to Canadian slaughter facilities.
Perretti Farms (NJ) – 9 horses shipped
- Once NJ’s largest Standardbred breeder, spanning 900 acres.
- Legacy still active through Anthony Perretti Farms.
- Documented Outcome: Records from 2024 show that nine horses bred at Perretti Farms were among those transported to Canadian slaughter facilities.
Kentuckiana Farms (KY) – 6 horses shipped
- Scale & money: 225 mares, 160 foals, 130 yearlings annually.
- Profits: Bred or raised horses with over $45 million in winnings.
- Quote: “We’ve raised and sold somewhere over 40 different horses who each earned in excess of a million dollars.” — Owner Bob Brady.
- Documented Outcome: In 2024, six horses bred at Kentuckiana Farms were among those transported to Canadian slaughter facilities.
Fox Valley Standardbreds (IL) – 5 horses shipped
- Largest breeder in Illinois, 65 broodmares (2024).
- Public reputation for quality trotters and pacers.
- Documented Outcome: Records from 2024 show that five horses bred at Fox Valley Standardbreds were among those transported to Canadian slaughter facilities.
Brittany Farms (KY) – 5 horses shipped
- Known for producing champions and a high percentage of million-dollar earners (47).
- Quote: “Money drives the bus…” — industry observers on Brittany’s business model.
- Documented Outcome: In 2024, five horses bred at Brittany Farms were among those transported to Canadian slaughter facilities.
Conclusion: From just the top two breeders, 34 horses entered the slaughter pipeline in a single year. Despite their celebrated bloodlines, pedigrees, and winnings, these animals were ultimately lost to a system that offers few safeguards once their racing careers end. The numbers highlight a troubling disconnect: an industry that invests millions to breed champions yet lacks consistent accountability for their welfare when they no longer turn a profit.
Who Were the Unlucky 524?
Many of the health certificates included the horse’s freeze brand number. What’s disturbing is that several of these butchered Standardbreds had substantial wins at the races. Each one of the unlucky 524 we uncovered had a name, and a story. Below you can read more about them.
In Memoriam
Southwind Madonna (4AN18)
 Photo credit: Standardbred Canada | Harness Racing Earnings: $964,821.00 Breeder: Fox Valley Standardbreds Date Shipped to Slaughter: January 9, 2024 A remarkable mare, Southwind Madonna earned nearly $1 million on the track and later became a successful broodmare. In 2006, she sold as a three-year-old to Carl MacArthur, who said of her in an article: “Well, the minute I laid eyes on her, I loved her. She had a great head, bright eye… she did not disappoint. She is as good-tempered a mare as there is.” Read article (PDF) She went on to produce eight foals whose combined earnings exceeded $700,000, carrying forward her legacy on the track. In 2022, she was sold to Glen J. Miller of Shipshewana, IN. USTA records show she was last bred in 2023, though no foal resulted. When questioned by the Animals’ Angels research team, Miller denied purchasing her. On January 9, 2024, this celebrated mare’s story ended in slaughter. |
Priceless Image (WM215)
Harness Racing Earnings: $851,468.00
Breeder: Brittany Farms
Date Shipped to Slaughter: January 16, 2024
Fox Valley Sage (7B812)
 Photo credit: Standardbred Canada | Harness Racing Earnings: $851,468.00 Breeder: Fox Valley Standardbreds Date Shipped to Slaughter: June 25, 2024 Full Circle Horse Fox Valley Sage was a “ Full Circle ” horse—part of the equine safety net designed to protect horses after their racing, breeding, or training careers by connecting them with people willing to provide a home if needed. In 2011, she captured Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $52,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap, showcasing her strength and determination on the track. When Animals’ Angels contacted the person who had registered Fox Valley Sage with the Full Circle program, she shared that she was never notified about the mare’s situation. Learning that Fox Valley Sage had instead shipped to slaughter on June 25, 2024, was deeply upsetting for her. |
Picture This (0H384)
Harness Racing Earnings: $558,565.00
Breeder: Sergio Corona
Last Registered Owner: Roni M Vandervort
Date Shipped to Slaughter: June 16, 2024
Full Circle Horse
Gaelic and Garlic (8G871)
Harness Racing Earnings: $418,234.00
Breeder: Bernard J White
Last Registered Owner: Bernard J White
Date Shipped to Slaughter: August 8, 2024
Dark Sign (7BD77)
Harness Racing Earnings: $418,603.00
Breeder: Craig T McEvoy
Last Registered Owner: Fabulous Farms Inc
Date Shipped to Slaughter: October 10, 2024
Yes Hanover (1A530)
Harness Racing Earnings: $408,562.00
Breeder: Hanover Shoe Farms
Last Registered Owner: Emery C Pelletier
Date Shipped to Slaughter: January 9, 2024
Volo (5C867)
Harness Racing Earnings: $391,130.00
Breeder: J D Burnett Est
Last Registered Owner: Holly S Roesch
Date Shipped to Slaughter: May 9, 2024
Full Circle Horse
Cash on Delivery (9F255)
Harness Racing Earnings: $387,551.00
Breeder: Robert McIntosh Stables, CSX Stables
Last Registered Owner: Holly S Roesch
Date Shipped to Slaughter: September 5, 2024
M C Felix (1DL84)
Harness Racing Earnings: $372,854.00
Breeder: Jean Guy Pepin
Last Registered Owner: Ted J Bowman
Date Shipped to Slaughter: November 13, 2024
According to records and interviews, the last known owner of the horse, Ted Bowman, acknowledged selling the animal to an Amish horse trader named Rubin, who is known to frequent the New Holland Auction in Pennsylvania. Rubin confirmed that the horse had been in his possession but stated that he likely re-sold it shortly thereafter to another trader.
Caviart Tyler (9E511)
Harness Racing Earnings: $319,479.00
Breeder: Jean Guy Pepin
Last Registered Owner: Mo Coo Inc
Date Shipped to Slaughter: November 6, 2024
Fritzie Rocket (2C456)
Harness Racing Earnings: $301,438.00
Breeder: William & Richard Fritts, Gerald Mc Henry
Last Registered Owner: Donna J Lee
Date Shipped to Slaughter: July 9, 2024
Full Circle Program
The Full Circle Program was created as a safety net, allowing former connections to register a horse and agree to provide a home if the horse was ever in need. In practice, however, the program has significant shortcomings.
Animals’ Angels documented 22 horses enrolled in Full Circle who were nevertheless shipped to slaughter. The program relies on someone identifying the horse’s freeze brand and taking the initiative to notify the registrant — something that rarely occurs. Even when notification happens, participation is voluntary, and there is no binding obligation for the registrant to reclaim the horse.
When Animals’ Angels contacted individuals who had registered horses, responses varied widely — from indifference or annoyance at being contacted, to regret, and in only a few cases, genuine grief. These findings illustrate the program’s good intentions but also its lack of enforceable protections for vulnerable horses.
How They Slipped Through the Cracks
Pennsylvania and Ohio are home to some of the largest horse auctions selling Standardbreds in the country. These venues remain active hubs for buyers who supply horses to the slaughter pipeline, including kill buyers such as Bruce Rotz and Fred Bauer. Based on available documentation, many of the horses featured in this report were likely sold through one of the following public auctions:
- Mel Hoover’s Horse Auction, New Holland, PA
- New Holland Sales Stables, New Holland, PA
- Penn’s Valley Horse Auction, Centre Hall, PA
- Sugarcreek Auction, OH
- Mt. Hope Auction, OH
- Bloomfield Auction, OH
In addition to public auctions, Animals’ Angels has also documented numerous “parking lot” sales, where horses are handed directly from one trailer to another without entering into the auction ring. These private exchanges are often arranged to avoid public scrutiny, making it significantly more difficult to trace a horse’s chain of custody or hold sellers accountable.
OVERALL CONCLUSION: Standardbreds have become the breed most at risk of being shipped to slaughter in Canada. Even former champions with substantial earnings are not spared.
Disposal of these horses is alarmingly easy: there is no oversight, no mandatory aftercare program, and existing efforts such as the Full Circle program, while well-intentioned, have proven insufficient and ineffective.
Potential Solutions
The racing industry should take full responsibility for every horse it brings into the world — from birth through retirement.
- Traceability: Require universal microchipping and a lifetime tracking system to follow each horse from foal to final home. Auctions must be obligated to scan all horses on arrival to identify registered animals and protect them from vanishing into the slaughter pipeline.
- Aftercare Funding: Impose a mandatory surcharge on all registrations and transactions to create a permanent, well-funded program dedicated to retraining and rehoming retired racehorses.
- Accountability: Owners and trainers who choose to ship their horses to slaughter should face real consequences — including permanent loss of their licenses.
- Responsible Breeding: End the cycle of overbreeding that floods the market with more horses than the industry is willing to care for.
Evidence Demands Scrutiny:
Animals’ Angels will ensure that the findings in this report do not sit on a shelf. This data must be carefully examined by the USTA, the Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund, and other industry bodies to assess potential gaps in oversight or patterns of concern.
The information here, combined with records already available to insiders, provides the means to flag suspicious activity. For example, this report documents several cases where ownership changed hands only weeks – or even days – before the horse was shipped to slaughter. These timelines raise questions, and Animals’ Angels will make sure they are brought to the industry’s attention.
The slaughter industry thrives in the shadows, and one of its most dangerous misconceptions is that only old or broken-down horses are targeted. Our findings prove otherwise: strong, healthy Standardbreds — some just past their peak speed — are being discarded and killed. In 2024 alone, 34 horses from the top two breeders ended up in the slaughter pipeline. Despite their bloodlines, heritage, and once-prized status, they were brutally butchered. This is a sobering reminder that no horse, regardless of success or pedigree, is safe until slaughter itself is banned.
Animals’ Angels urges those with the access, insight, and authority within the industry to use this data to strengthen accountability, identify wrongdoings and improve transparency. These connections cannot remain hidden. Change is possible — but only if the evidence is followed, the questions are asked, and the appropriate parties are reviewed through formal channels.
Justice for Standardbreds.
Owners and trainers whose horses end up at slaughter should face real consequences. Add your name to urge the USTA to investigate fully and immediately suspend the memberships of those responsible.
Add Your NameDISCLAIMER:
The identification of individual horses in this report is based on data provided in official USDA Health Certificates. While these documents are considered reliable sources, there remains a possibility of clerical or observational error, particularly in cases involving older horses, where freeze brands may be faded, obscured, or difficult to interpret. Animals’ Angels has taken reasonable steps to verify the accuracy of this information; however, misread brands or transcription mistakes may result in occasional discrepancies. This report should be viewed in light of those limitations.