On Aftercare: United Pegasus Foundation Still Going Strong After 25 Years
Helen Meredith
The United Pegasus Foundation (UPF) was founded in 1994 by Helen Meredith. Meredith moved here from England in 1990 to work in the Thoroughbred racing industry as she had in the United Kingdom and France. Currently, UPF has two farms, one in Tehachapi with 46 horses, and the other in San Jacinto that holds the remaining of the 124 horses in UPF care. UPF was one of the first Thoroughbred sanctuaries to be accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
UPF and Meredith have ridden the arc of Thoroughbred rescue in the US from 25 years ago when tens of thousands of Thoroughbreds were found in kill pens each year and most of them went to slaughter, to the current time when awareness and industry funding are at a peak. As with many organizations, the road was not straight or smooth. No matter what the political or financial hurdle facing Meredith, her dedication to and standard of care for the horses of UPF didn’t waiver. She is seen by many as the heart of horse rescue in California.
“Helen is the single best horsewoman and hardest working person I have ever known in my life,” said Joe Snyder, a UPF board member of 13 years. “The reason why the United Pegasus Foundation has been so successful over the years is because of the pragmatism of Helen and her way of making sure every donation and every dollar goes to the horses. Since its founding, Helen has saved UPF in excess of a million dollars through her hard work and knowledge of what is essential for the well being of the horses in her care.”
Meredith did not come to the US with the intent of dedicating her life to sanctuary for Thoroughbreds.
“I was shocked to learn about what was happening to so many racehorses,” said Meredith. “It broke my heart so I bought a few acres of land and started to save as many as I could. For years, I paid for the operation out of my own pocket until 1994 when I started the foundation.”