The Board of Trustees of Blood-Horse Publications announced Aug. 26 that Stacy V. Bearse will retire as president and CEO of the company, effective Nov. 1, 2010, after two decades of service.
Bearse, age 60, will continue to assist company management as a part-time business adviser.
"Stacy has done a great job for the Blood-Horse over many years," board chairman Stuart S. Janney III said in a statement. "He built its strength and scope during good times for our industry and he has made the tough decisions that are critical in the present challenging times. We look forward to his continuing help and advice."
Bearse joined Blood-Horse Publications in 1990 after a long media career at Hayden Publishing and VNU Business Publications. At Blood-Horse, he led an expansion into new markets and digital media that included the launch of The Horse Media Group, Eclipse Press, TBH MarketWatch, TrueNicks data service, Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup magazines, and Auction Edge.
Bearse currently serves as a director of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation at the University of Kentucky and is a past director of the High-Hope Steeplechase, American Horse Publications, and The Race for Education.
"The last 20 years at the helm of Blood-Horse Publications has been incredibly satisfying," Bearse said. "But, now I’ve reached that point in life when it’s time to pursue some new dreams. I leave behind the best team of publishing professionals in the business. There’s no doubt that our tradition of leadership, innovation, and service to the horseman will continue."
The Blood-Horse Publications board of trustees has initiated a search for a new chief executive. Blood-Horse Publications is a multimedia publishing company that traces its roots to 1916. Its weekly flagship publication, The Blood-Horse, is the leading Thoroughbred racing and breeding news and information magazine. The core websites, TheHorse.com and BloodHorse.com, are visited by more than 500,000 fans and professionals each month. Blood-Horse Publications is a subsidiary of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.