On Thursday, August 30th, the ASPCA held its annual “Champagne for Horses” Equine Welfare Celebration and expert panel discussion at the Hampton Classic Horse Show.

The event was sponsored by Louis Roederer Champagne and co-hosted by animal welfare advocates, actress and ASPCA supporter Aida Turturro and ASPCA Equine Welfare Ambassador Jill Rappaport of NBC’s Today Show.

An expert panel discussion on equine welfare and critical advocacy issues was lead by the ASPCA’s Valerie Angeli, senior director of equine and special projects for the ASPCA, and featured:

·         ASPCA experts Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations, and Carolyn Schnurr, federal legislative manager of ASPCA Government Relations;

·         ASPCA Equine Welfare Ambassadors, Georgina Bloomberg and Anna McKnight; and

·         The directors of three local horse rescue and advocacy groups, including Manda Kalimian from the Seraphim12 Foundation, Linda Kramer of the Kaeli Kramer Foundation, and Richard Rubin of Baiting Hollow Farm Vinyard and Horse Rescue.

“This event was a celebration of horses and the people who love them, and a call to action to help the ASPCA advocate for all at-risk horses,” said Valerie Angeli, senior director of equine and special projects for the ASPCA.

Attendees were a “who’s who” in equestrian sport, VIP animal lovers and people who came out to celebrate all that horses bring to our lives. They learned how to help at-risk horses and what needs to be done to be the voice of the many suffering horses who are not as lucky as the beautiful, revered horses at the Hampton Classic.

Some notable attendees included:

·         Dennis Shaughnessy of FTI Consulting;
·         Mark Bellissimo of Equestrian Sport Productions and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Fla.
·         Rosalind Schaeffer, supporter of the ASPCA Equine Fund; and
·         Charles Ferrara, Louis Roederer Champagne.

Photo credit: ASPCA/ Geoff Tischman