Video: From Korean Slaughterhouse to Freedom on a Farm, PETA-Rescued American Racehorse Has Safe Haven in U.S.

For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2024

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Reddick, Fla. – A new video from PETA tells the story of American Thoroughbred racehorse My Elusive Dream, who the group rescued at the eleventh hour from slaughter in South Korea and flew to a new home in the U.S. aboard what it affectionately refers to as Mare Force One. Now, she’s living the dream on a lush farm in central Florida that’s owned by racetrack conglomerate The Stronach Group. Though she was more than 200 pounds underweight when PETA flew her to the U.S. and shows evidence of a previous head injury, she’s now recovering in the comfort and safety of her new home—and running only when she chooses to do so. Photos are available here.

My Elusive Dream was rescued by PETA investigators and Jeju Vegan activists, who stopped a truck just yards from the entrance of the largest horse slaughterhouse in South Korea, only to find that the filthy and malnourished mare in the back of the truck was an American Thoroughbred. After scanning her microchip, they discovered her identity and traced her lineage: She was sired by El Prado, the leading North American stallion in 2002, who had been owned by The Stronach Group. PETA contacted Belinda Stronach, chair, CEO, and president of The Stronach Group, who agreed to give My Elusive Dream a permanent home—and PETA flew her back to the U.S. to make that dream come true.

My Elusive Dream, who is now nearly 17 years old, was raced 10 times in the U.S., then used as a broodmare, and, after having already borne five foals, was sold into the South Korean racing industry at a Keeneland Sales auction in Kentucky in 2018. She gave birth to three more foals in South Korea before she was sold to a horse-meat farm—a practice approved by the Korea Racing Authority for horses deemed no longer useful.

“This gentle mare is now safe at home after being shipped overseas to be used as a breeding machine and, as soon as her last foal was taken from her, neglected and then sold for slaughter,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “Keeneland Sales must stop selling horses to South Korea until the slaughter stops and an aftercare program is in place.”

A 2019 PETA investigation uncovered the widespread slaughter of American Thoroughbred racehorses and their offspring in South Korea. PETA’s footage captured inside a slaughterhouse revealed horses trembling as they arrived, many covered with mud and burrs, some bleeding, and one fresh off the track with a bandage on his leg from an injury sustained in a race just three days prior. Workers beat horses to force them onto the kill floor and slaughtered them in full view of others—violations of the Korean Animal Protection Act that resulted in multiple criminal charges and convictions. Following the investigation, The Stronach Group joined PETA in calling for a ban on the sale of North American Thoroughbreds to South Korean racing interests.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.