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Veterans To Participate In Special Yonkers Horse Race

YONKERS, N.Y. -- Military veterans are invited to participate in a special horse race for the HorseAbility for Heroes program at Yonkers Raceway in Empire City on Saturday, April 26, at 7 p.m. 

As part of the HorseAbility for Heroes program, Robbie Siegelman, a volunteer of the program and a longtime New York-area horse trainer, will teach veterans and their families to jog Standardbred horses.

“I have always felt the importance of giving back to the community, and being able to do that through the sport that I love is a tremendous bonus,” said Siegelman.

“Developing the therapeutic driving program with HorseAbility and working with the veterans has been such a personally rewarding experience. I am grateful to Yonkers Raceway and SOANY for making it possible to honor these men and women, and their families, who have sacrificed a great deal in service of our country.”

Veterans and families will demonstrate newly learned horsemanship skills by jogging horses for the first time on the racetrack as they lead the post parades for the first three races of the evening. The first race will begin at 7:10 p.m. Trophies will be presented to the winners of the evening’s races.

In a special tribute to the veterans, members of the Yonkers Police Department will serve as the color guard for the national anthem beginning at 7 p.m. Following the races, the veterans and their family members will enjoy a dinner.

HorseAbility is a therapeutic center that offers a wide range of equine-related therapy programs to children and adults. Last year, the Standardbred Owners Association of New York supported the program with the donation of a special jog cart that accommodates the disabled to allow disabled veterans to more easily participate in the program.

The event is sponsored by Siegelman, HorseAbility of Old Westbury, SOANY and Yonkers Raceway.

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