SUSIE RAISHER, Photographer/Social Media Coordinator for Centennial Farms; freelance photographer; social media consultant; writer.
As part of a new series, we asked a number of people not born into racing families why they got into the sport, and what their first racing memory was.
Why did you get involved in the sport?
Love and admiration for the horses, coupled with the acceptance of and appreciation for the community that surrounds them. I was an animal lover from day one, and like a lot of girls, that led me to horses. An author named Joanna Campbell had a series called Thoroughbred, centered around racing. As an avid reader, I absolutely devoured them. I connected it to the real thing when I stumbled upon a race on TV and soon realized how close I happened to live to Belmont Park. My parents never hesitated to support this odd new interest, and a few weeks later, my ninth birthday present was a visit to the track. Within the next couple of years, along came the internet, and with it message boards connecting me to fans of all ages. Organizations like Trudy McCaffery's Kids to the Cup followed. I can't fathom any other industry offering the access to young fans that we were granted. Executive Director John DeSantis made sure we were exposed to every aspect of the game. Trainers of all levels opened their barns to us. On the advice of one of the trainers we were introduced to, I found a layup facility on Long Island to volunteer and learn at. From there, it was on to the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program, the Shug McGaughey barn, Coglianese Photos, NYRA, and now my current position. At every single step along the way came a feeling of kinship like no other. You don't end up in this unique, demanding, heart-stopping, heartbreaking, enchanting industry if you don't truly love it, and the community that surrounds it reflects that.
What's your first racing memory?
My parents took me to the terrific Breakfast at Belmont program when I was really little. My mother says it was just something to do when you're looking for things to do with small children, and I have a very vague memory of green and white barns that must have come from the backside tram tour. The first solid memory I have is a race I stumbled upon on TV. I had just gotten in to a fight with my older brother, so I stormed off and started flipping through the channels. I found the coolest thing I had ever seen–Tabasco Cat taking the San Rafael S.
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