LEXINGTON, Ky. (January 23, 2020) – Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, one of the most respected veterinary practices in North America, has joined the roster of sponsors for the 49th Annual Runhappy Eclipse Awards presented by Daily Racing Form, Breeders’ Cup and The Stronach Group, and produced by National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
The Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony, honoring Thoroughbred racing’s champions of 2019, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Founded in 1986, Rood & Riddle has grown to include over eighty veterinarians, with locations in Lexington, Ky., Saratoga Springs, NY, and Wellington, Fla., and is the Official Equine Hospital and Veterinary Pharmacy of the Breeders’ Cup Thoroughbred World Championships.
In 2016, Rood & Riddle created its RREH Comeback Award to honor equine athletes who have excelled in their discipline, encountered a physical setback and then been treated by a Rood & Riddle veterinarian which allowed their successful return to competition. Among the Thoroughbred champions who have been honored with the Comeback Award are Wise Dan, the 2012 and 2013 Horse of the Year, and California Chrome, who was feted with Horse of the Year honors in 2014 and 2016.
“Rood and Riddle is delighted to support the Thoroughbred industry as a sponsor of the Eclipse Awards. We are pleased to congratulate the winners and the contenders,” said Dr. Tom Riddle, co-founder of Rood & Riddle.
In addition to awarding the 2019 Runhappy Horse of the Year, the Eclipse Awards will bestow championship honors in 16 equine and human categories. The program also will include the presentation of an Eclipse Award to 2019 NTRA National Horseplayer Championship winner and Horseplayer of the Year, Scott Coles, and the presentation of the NTRA Moment of the Year, recognizing a singular significant occurrence as determined by fans. Members of the media will also be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories.
The “black-tie optional” Eclipse Awards is part of a full week of events that will culminate with the fourth running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Presented by Runhappy, on Jan. 25. Separate tickets to the Pegasus World Cup are available on the Gulfstream Park website at pegasusworldcup.com.
The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
About the NTRA
The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the Eclipse Awards; the National Horseplayers Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).
About Rood & Riddle
Rood & Riddle began as an ambulatory practice in Lexington, Kentucky in 1982 and established a full-service equine hospital in 1986. Today the practice is known and respected throughout the world for innovative and highly skilled treatment of horses. Rood & Riddle continues their tradition of excellence into the twenty first century serving as a referral center for horses requiring specialized medical and surgical care and providing ambulatory care for all breeds and disciplines. With the original hospital in Lexington, Kentucky and satellite hospitals in Saratoga Springs, New York and Wellington, Florida, Rood & Riddle maintains an unwavering commitment to quality, both in the care of horses and in our relationships with clients and the community.