The Race For Education has announced the 27 recipients of scholarships totaling $300,000 for the 2004-2005 academic year.
According to the organization, a majority of the scholarships cover the students' tuition for the extent of their college careers. Scholarships offered by the The Race for Education are the Thoroughbred Scholarship and the Horsemen's Scholarship. Under the scholarship guidelines, household income may not exceed $50,000 per year to be eligible for either award.
The Horsemen's Scholarship is available to children of racing industry workers, including, but not limited to, foreman, grooms, hot walkers, assistant trainers, riders, and maintenance workers. The field of study for recipients is open and students are required to maintain "C" average.
The Thoroughbred Scholarship is available to students wishing to pursue a racing-related career, such as veterinary medicine, agricultural science, racetrack management, or equine business management. The scholarship is open to students from all walks of life.
"These scholarships awarded by The Race For Education will provide educational opportunities for many deserving young people throughout the United States," said RFE board member Boyd Browning of Fasig-Tipton. "Future leaders will emerge from these outstanding recipients in our communities and our industry."
"It's great to provide young people with such an opportunity," said board member Duncan Taylor of Taylor Made Farm. "What the Race for Education provides them will come back to our industry for many years to come. I encourage all of the students to work hard and set their goals high."
A national education scholarship foundation funded by various parties related to, or with an interest in the Thoroughbred racing industry, The Race For Education is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization established to "improve the quality of life for young people through education, attract younger and better-educated individuals to the careers in the Thoroughbred industry, and establish the racing industry as a good citizen in the community."
One hundred percent of donations go directly to scholarships and educational programs.
2004 Horsemen's Scholarship recipients: Tiffany Akin Middletown, Del. Plans to study Social Services at Wilmington College in the fall. Parents work at Candyland Farm. Ainslee Brackney Lexington, Ky. Just completed her sophomore year at the University of Kentucky, where she studies international economics and Spanish. Wants to remain involved with Thoroughbred racing after graduation. Her mother is the office manager at Winchester Farm. Heather Brown Lexington, Ky. Will be a freshman at the University of Kentucky in the fall. Father is manager of Lakeside Arena near Frankfort, mother is a veterinarian. Heather plans to study veterinary medicine. Carly Casey Townsend, Del. Will be a freshman at the University of Delaware in the fall, where she plans to study animal science. Has worked at Candyland Farm for more than two years. Kelsey Danner Louisville, Ky. Plans to study pre-veterinary medicine at Midway College in the fall. Her father is a trainer and her mother works at Churchill Downs.Paulina Delacruz Walton, Ky. Will be a freshman at Northern Kentucky University this fall. Wants to teach Spanish after graduation. She and both her parents work at Ben D Farm. Jannette Dupuy Laurel, Md. Is a freshman studying pre-med at Towson University in Maryland. Would like to open a free clinic on the backstretch of a racetrack after graduation from med school. Her father is the chaplain at the Maryland racetracks. Rhet Eikleberry Cave Creek, Ariz. Plans to attend Arizona State University but has not decided on a major. Parents are trainers at Turf Paradise. Courtney Green Boca Raton, Fla. Will be a freshman at Florida Atlantic University in the fall. Plans to become a chiropractor. Mother manages the tack shop at Calder Race Course. Matt Hebert Frankfort, Ky. Just completed his freshman year at Murray State; has not decided on a major. One parent is a veterinarian, the other works with Bradley Racing Stables.Tarah Lowery Lexington, Ky. Plans to study nursing at Lexington Community College beginning in the fall. Parents work at Bel-Mar Farm in Fayette County. Ashley Murray Winchester, Ky. Attends University of Southern Indiana, where she studies advertising and broadcasting. Her mother works at Lakland Farm. Melissa Scott Versailles, Ky. Plans to study agricultural communications and education at the University of Kentucky beginning in the fall. Her mother makes custom chaps, father is a farrier. Travis Senegal Rayne, La. Will be a junior at Southern University, studying psychology. He and his uncles work for Tom Amoss. Emily Weber Louisville, Ky. Father owns a custom leather tack shop in Louisville. Emily plans to study business management.
2004 Thoroughbred Scholarship recipients:
Rosario Aiello West Palm Beach, Fla. Will be a freshman at the University of Arizona this fall. Plans to study equine business management through the Racetrack Industry Program. Ashley Allen Weatherford, Texas. Home schooled. Plans to attend Weatherford College and study Equine Production and Management. Amanda Benton Most recently from Great Falls, Mont. Will be a sophomore at the University of Arizona, studying with the Racetrack Industry Program. Caitlyn Carroll Union, Ky. Will be starting her second year in the University of Tennessee's veterinary medicine program. Jacob Eshelman Lincoln, Mont. Will be a freshman at the University of Montana in the fall, where he will study pre-veterinary medicine. Karen Hancock Lexington, Ky. Will be a junior at the University of Kentucky, where she's studying pre-veterinary medicine. Amanda Johnson Bentonville, Ark. Will be a junior at the University of Louisville, where she studies equine business management. Would like to become a lawyer specializing in equine issues. Katie Mancini North Adams, Mass. Will be a sophomore at the State University of New York Cobleskill, where she is studying Thoroughbred management. Plans to become a trainer. Grant Minnemeyer Bloomington, Ind. Will be a sophomore at Purdue in the fall. Is studying pre-veterinary medicine.Kristin Slater Versailles, Ky. Will be a senior at Murray State University this fall, studying organizational communications and equine science.Chad Summers Originally from New York, Chad just completed his sophomore year at the University of Kentucky, where he's studying journalism and communications. Chance Timm Murray, Utah. Is transferring from the University of Utah to the University of Arizona's Racetrack Industry Program. His father, a former jockey, passed away in 1997.
