CONGRESSMEN, AUTHOR FIGHT HORSE SLAUGHTER

Saratoga Springs, NY (April 11, 2005) – U.S. Representative for Saratoga Springs, John E. Sweeney (R) and Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) joined award-winning turf writer Bill Heller today at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame to promote Heller’s new book, After The Finish Line: The Race to End Horse Slaughter.

The book details the growing movement to end the slaughter of America’s horses. Representative Sweeney is spearheading efforts on Capitol Hill to end horse slaughter for human consumption, and recently reintroduced the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503).

Representative John Sweeney (R-NY) said, "Bill Heller has drawn attention to an important issue that must be addressed. I'm working at the federal level to stop the senseless slaughter of horses and this new book will help educate the public on this and hopefully bring this cruel practice to an end. I thank Mr. Heller for his efforts and wish him success on raising awareness."

More than 65,000 horses were slaughtered in this country in 2004, and the meat shipped overseas, primarily to Europe where it is considered a delicacy. Only three plants slaughter horses in the United States, and all are foreign-owned.

"Bill Heller has done it again. His new book is groundbreaking and will significantly boost our efforts to end the slaughter of American horses for European and Asian dinner tables. We are lucky to have a writer of Bill's caliber on our side and I am grateful for his hard work and dedication" said Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), who also attended today’s event. Representative Whitfield has worked closely with Representative Sweeney to persuade their colleagues on Capitol Hill to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

In After the Finish Line: The Race to End Horse Slaughter in America, Heller, an Eclipse award-winning writer for The Thoroughbred Times lays out the case for and against horse slaughter, but leaves the reader with only one conclusion – that horse slaughter must and will end.

"The only question is when horse slaughter in America will end," Heller said.