BREYER® Creates Portrait Model of Barbaro
Equestrian News Release
PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT NEW BOLTON CENTER
(Pequannock, NJ – June 9, 2006) – His racing career is over, but for Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby champion, the real race has just begun. He won’t be going it alone, however, judging from the outpouring of support from around the world since his recovery began at The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s famed New Bolton Center. Now, Breyer® Animal Creations®, makers of the world’s finest model horses, has stepped in to help by creating a Barbaro portrait model horse that will provide a donation to New Bolton from the sale of every Barbaro model.
“I thought that Barbaro was special from the start, but it wasn’t until he was injured that I realized what an amazing horse he really is and how fortunate he was to have the team at the New Bolton Center to care for him.” said Anthony Fleischmann, President of Reeves International, Inc. Breyer’s parent company. “After the Preakness, we were inundated with mail asking us to make a model of Barbaro and I realized Breyer could both honor a great champion and do some good on behalf of Barbaro for all the thousands of horses who rely on New Bolton when they are hurt. We were honored when his owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson agreed.”
“We are so grateful to Dr. Dean Richardson and the entire team at New Bolton that we were very pleased to allow Breyer to create a model of Barbaro that would help raise funds for the hospital. Barbaro has provided so much hope to so many, that it seems right that he can help others,” said Gretchen Jackson, Barbaro’s owner.
After Barbaro’s brilliant romp through the first leg of the Triple Crown, the world watched the unthinkable occur in the second leg, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racetrack. Keen to run, Barbaro broke through the starting gate prematurely. Then, just yards into the race, he took a bad step, shattering his right hind leg. Though his quick-thinking jockey Edgar Prado managed to pull him up and dismount, in the blink of an eye, the classy colt’s will to win had turned into a fight for his life.
If Barbaro could be saved, his owners and trainer knew where to place their bets: The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s renowned New Bolton Center.
The Jacksons and trainer Michael Matz, a former show jumping star, rushed Barbaro to New Bolton. There, using state-of-the-art technology and the latest surgical procedures, Dr. Dean Richardson set Barbaro’s broken bones with a plate and 27 screws. A cast was applied, and a special shoe fitted to his left hind foot. Barbaro has been a model patient, handling his recovery as bravely as he ran his races, amid a tremendous outpouring of international support and media attention that the horse world has not seen since the days of Seabiscuit.
The New Bolton Center is recognized as a place where the healing begins when all other hope has faded. Daily, the veterinarians and technicians at this state-of-the-art facility work wonders for horses of all breeds and backgrounds, from champions like Barbaro to beloved children’s ponies.
Breyer’s Barbaro portrait model will be available for purchase online at Breyer’s website at http://www.breyerhorses.com for $45 plus shipping and handling. The model will begin shipping October 1, 2006. Ten dollars from the sale of each model will be donated to The Barbaro Fund to benefit The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center. The Barbaro model will include a certificate of authenticity signed by trainer Michael Matz, jockey Edgar Prado, and Anthony Fleischmann, President of Reeves International, Inc. Each model will have Barbaro’s name stamped on the belly in gold ink. It will be packed in a customized, four-color Breyer box featuring pictures and the story of his career.
About Breyer® Animal Creations®
Breyer® Animal Creations® is the world’s best selling brand of equine-themed toys and collectibles. Known for authenticity and enduring quality, Breyer designs, manufactures and markets model horses and animals for play and collecting. From Hollywood Heroes like The Lone Ranger’s Silver to racing legends Secretariat and Seabiscuit, Breyer brings the world of horses to life. Each Breyer model is individually crafted and hand-painted by Breyer artisans, so that each Breyer model is an original! See the entire collection at http://www.BreyerHorses.com. To obtain digital images, please contact Kathleen Fallon at KFallon@reevesintl.com or Amanda Jensen at AJensen@reevesintl.com. To make an additional donation to The Barbaro Fund, contact: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Barbaro.htm.
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