Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) has announced the recipients of its merit award who were honored at breeders associations’ awards ceremonies in June.

Launched in January, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, nearly 20 recipients will be honored throughout the year. Recipients are nominated by the leadership of various state Thoroughbred owners and breeders associations.

The Louisiana Horse Rescue Association (LAHRA) was honored at the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s Awards Banquet on June 6 and LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers (LOPE) was named the Award of Merit recipient at the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s Awards Banquet on June 20.

A nonprofit organization, LAHRA aims to rescue, rehome, and retrain Thoroughbred racehorses. The organization is staffed exclusively by volunteers and has recently been involved in two large scale horse rescues in Louisiana. Since their inception in 2010, LAHRA has assisted over 200 Thoroughbreds