The Earle I. Mack Thoroughbred Champion Award was recently presented to Victoria McCullough, Chairman of the board of Chesapeake Petroleum. The award is given annually to someone who shows effort to influence thoroughbred racehorse welfare, safety, and retirement. McCullough received the award during an event at Bobby Flay’s Bar American on June 5th. Flay was the recipient of the award just last year.
“Victoria McCullough has demonstrated a deep and passionate commitment to safeguarding the lives of horses,” says Earle I. Mack, businessman, philanthropist, and former United States Ambassador to Finland. “We applaud her for her untiring efforts, and we are honored to present her with this richly deserving award.”
McCullough is regarded as a model animal rights advocate, dedicating much of her life to the protection of retired Thoroughbred horses.
“Through her own resources, she’s lobbied and laid out her own money to buy 4,000 horses,” Mack told FOX Business at the awards ceremony in New York Thursday night. “It’s been nothing short of a miracle.”
McCullough has used her resources as chairman of the board of Chesapeake Petroleum to aid in preventing the reinstitution of horse slaughter in the U.S. and the fight to stop the export of horses across the country’s borders. She was successful in de-funding the USDA inspection of slaughterhouses. McCullough has also personally purchased over 4,000 horses from kill pens, paid for their care, and found them homes.
Head over to Fox Business for an interview with Victoria McCullough about her efforts to influence thoroughbred welfare.