University of Kentucky

The board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation announced the recipient of a one-time scholarship, with Shelby DeVita, a senior majoring in Equine Science and Management at the University of Kentucky, receiving a grant of a semester's tuition. DeVita has worked for Calumet Farm and is currently working as a tech at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. She is Vice President of the UK rodeo team and participates in roping and barrel racing competitions. In addition, the board announced a one-time scholarship to the Irish National Stud. Full tuition...

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) and the University of Kentucky (UK) have joined together to launch a statewide survey in 2022, designed to establish the number of horses in Kentucky and to determine the impact of horses in the Commonwealth. Kentucky has a unique cluster of private and commercial horse farms and operations, with hundreds of horse-related businesses which include everything from transportation to equine health services to tourism. These ancillary businesses create an advantage for Kentucky's equine industry and are integral to Kentucky's economy. The last survey completed in...

The inaugural Racecourse Manager Certification program, an online curriculum for turf surface maintenance personnel, will host its third and final session Monday, June 21 at 11 a.m. ET, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and University of Kentucky announced Thursday. Entitled "Measurement of Turf Condition," Monday's two-hour session will feature presentations from eight leading authorities on racing surfaces. Brian Jabelman, Senior Director of Track Operations for the New York Racing Association, will provide introductory remarks as the leader of the session. The Racecourse Manager Certification program curriculum is designed for...

The inaugural Racecourse Manager Certification program, presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and University of Kentucky, will take place Monday, June 14 at 11 a.m. ET. Entitled "Cultivation of Turf for Compaction and Wear," Monday's two-hour session will feature presentations by Keeneland Director of Racing Surfaces Jim Pendergest and Atlantic Tractor's Jamie Reeves, who will present John Deere research and development findings. The upcoming program includes: "Turfgrass aeration--why, how, when" - Mike Boekholder, Boekholder & Associates "How often in practice: Lessons from Del Mar, Woodbine, Fair Grounds and...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory (RSTL) will launch a joint initiative offering a Racecourse Manager Certification from the University of Kentucky. The initial three-course program, entitled "Turfgrass as an Equine Sports Surface," is designed for those already engaged in careers with turf surface maintenance. Free online classes will begin June 7 and will be archived. Individuals who complete the video courses and pass a test that requires a $50 fee will receive a...

On the same day it was announced trainer Todd Pletcher had so deservedly been chosen as a member of racing's Hall of Fame, another conditioner confirmed to Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that he was retiring at the conclusion of the Churchill Downs meeting next month. This was the first year Pletcher was eligible and the announcement certainly came as a surprise to no one. Pletcher is one of the most successful trainers of all time, having won more than 5,000 races and holding the earnings record (increasing every day)...

The Jockey Club has completed a contribution of more than $750,000 from its commercial businesses to the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory (RSTL) for equipment and other assets to expand services to additional racetracks across North America, the organization announced Tuesday. The need to increase and sustain the future of research and innovation in track safety testing by the RSTL was expressed by Dr. Nancy Cox, dean, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, at The Jockey Club's Aug. 11, 2019, Round Table Conference. Following Dr. Cox's remarks last...

During this year's spring and fall meetings at Keeneland several jockeys willingly turned themselves into lab rats. The riders took part in an on-going initiative at the University of Kentucky (UK)'s Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI), where researchers believe they can pinpoint ways for a rider to maximize their potential. The study, called the Jockey and Equestrian Initiative (JEI), began as a way to learn more about concussions and concussion testing for riders. The university's work took on an entire new life after researchers met with riders at a Jockeys'...

Before new student athletes at the University of Kentucky (UK) embark upon their collegiate sporting careers, they undergo a 2 1/2-hour battery of physical tests to determine a variety of factors, like the alacrity of their neuromotor and neurocognitive functions, their aerobic efficiency and their musculoskeletal health. The data generated from these tests can be used as a reference should one of these athletes get injured, as well as to help design protocols to reduce the likelihood of injury in the first place, said Scott Lephart, dean of UK's College...