SPEAKERS
Luncheon speakers
2008 Speakers Archive
2010 SPEAKERS
Jessica Barnes (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Director Indiana Standardbred Breed Development Program, Indianapolis, Indiana Paul Gallagher (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) & (D - Equine Association Management/Leadership) Managing Director, Issues and Advocacy Practice Burson-Marsteller, Washington, DC Cam Foreman (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Executive Vice President Ohio Quarter Horse Association, Richwood, Ohio
Susan Harding (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Vice President, Group Publishing Director Source Interlink Media, Bethesda, Maryland Matt Hegarty (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Industry Analyst Daily Racing Form. Lexington, Kentucky Holly Kruse, PhD (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Assistant Professor of Communication University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma Mark A. McDermott (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Executive Secretary Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Greg Medley (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Director of Online Sales Source Interlink Media, Phoenix, Arizona Joe Morris (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Publisher Thoroughbred Times, Lexington, Kentucky Randy Moss (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Television Sportscaster ESPN Horse Racing Analyst/NFL Network Host/Minneapolis, Minnesota Ray Paulick (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Publisher The Paulick Report, Lexington, Kentucky Leverne Perry (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Executive Director Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association, Alexandria, Louisiana Jon Siegel (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Partner PM Advertising LLC, Ocala, Florida/Versailles, Kentucky Dan Silver (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Director of Communications and Media Relations New York Racing Association, Jamaica, New York
Jim Simpson (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) President & CEO Hanover Shoe Farms, Hanover, Pennsylvania
Gary West (A - New Ideas in Equine Media and Technology) Sports Reporter Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas
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Michael Stone (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) President Equestrian Sports Productions, LLC, Wellington, Florida Harold Workman (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) President and CEO Kentucky State Fair Board, Louisville, Kentucky
Louis Cella (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Vice President Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc., Hot Springs, Arkansas Nick Eaves (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) President and Chief Operating Officer Woodbine Entertainment Group, Rexdale, Ontario, Canada Chris McErlean (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Vice President of Racing Penn National Gaming, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Scott Bennett, DVM (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) President Alliance Stud, Simpsonville, Kentucky Carol Rose (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) Owner-Manager Carol Rose Quarter Horses, Gainesville, Texas John G. Sikura (B - Equine Industrial Structures and Strategies) President Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, Lexington, Kentucky
Greg Avioli President and CEO Breeders’ Cup Limited, Lexington, Kentucky Tom Charters President and CEO The Hambletonian Society, Cranbury, New Jersey David Llewellyn President Wyvern International Ltd. /Australian Racing, Louisville, Kentucky Case Clay President Three Chimneys Farm, Midway, Kentucky Chauncey Morris Sales and Marketing Associate Keeneland Association, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky Dan Pride Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky
David O‘Connor President United States Equestrian Federation, Lexington, Kentucky Michael Stone President Equestrian Sports Productions, LLC, Wellington, Florida James Wolf Executive Director, Sports Programs United States Equestrian Federation, Lexington, Kentucky
Dave Avery Director of International Programs American Quarter Horse Association, Amarillo, Texas
Becky Jordan Vice Chair
USEF HP Reining Committee, Georgetown, Kentucky Pete May President National Barrel Horse Association, Augusta, Georgia
Peggy Entrekin Executive Director United States Pony Clubs, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky Jeff Hooper Executive Director National Cutting Horse Association, Fort Worth, Texas Lyle Sussman, PhD Professor & Chair, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship College of Business, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky David Foley Executive Director American Association of Equine Practitioners, Lexington, Kentucky Jack Gallt Senior Association Executive AMR Management Services, Lexington, Kentucky Lori Rawls Executive Director, Administration & Finance United States Equestrian Federation, Lexington, Kentucky
Peter T. Grass President Asphalt Institute, Lexington, Kentucky Jane Seigler Executive Committee Member, Ex Officio Maryland Horse Council, Lisbon, Maryland Steve Taylor Chief Executive Officer Appaloosa Horse Club, Moscow, Idaho Remi Bellocq Chief Executive Officer National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Lexington, Kentucky Paul Gallagher Managing Director, Issues & Advocacy Practice Burson-Marsteller, Washington, DC Rob Werstler Executive Director Texas Quarter Horse Association, Austin, Texas
Harold F. Hintz, PhD Professor Emeritus of Animal Science Cornell University, Ithaca, New York Anne V. Rodiek, PhD Professor of Horse Science California State University, Fresno, California David Whitaker, PhD Director, Horse Science Program Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee Jason Bruemmer, PhD Associate Professor, Animal Sciences Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado Karin Bump, PhD Professor, Equine Business Management Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, New York Ellen Taylor Executive Director
Harness Horse Youth Foundation, Westfield, Indiana Greg Medley Director of Online Sales Source Interlink Media, Phoenix, Arizona Jon Siegel Partner PM Advertising LLC, Ocala, Florida/Versailles, Kentucky Dan Silver Director of Communications and Media Relations New York Racing Association, Jamaica, New York Holly Kruse, PhD Assistant Professor of Communication University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma Joe Morris Publisher Thoroughbred Times, Lexington, Kentucky Jim Simpson President & CEO Hanover Shoe Farms, Hanover, Pennsylvania
J. Curtis Linnell Wagering Analyst Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, Fair Hill, Maryland Kevin Mullally, Esq. General Counsel & Director of Government Relations Gaming Laboratories International, Kansas City, Missouri David Ruffra Vice-President, Sales United Tote Company, Woodland Hills, California
Hugh J. Gallagher Administrator Delaware Harness Racing Commission, Dover, Delaware Bennett Liebman, Esq. Director, Racing and Law Program Albany Law School, Albany, New York John Veitch Chief Steward Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Lexington, Kentucky
David Basler Executive Director Ohio HBPA, Grove City, Ohio Will E. Cummings President Cummings Associates, Arlington, Massachusetts
David Llewellyn President Wyvern International Ltd. /Australian Racing, Louisville, Kentucky
Edward S. Bonnie, Esq. Member Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Lexington, Kentucky Rick Goodell, Esq. Assistant Counsel New York State Racing & Wagering Board, Schenectady, New York Alex Waldrop, Esq. President National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Lexington, Kentucky
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Luncheon Speakers
John Long
Nick Nicholson
John R. Long Chief Executive Officer, United States Equestrian Federation Chairman of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
John Long has been directly involved in the equine industry for over 20 years. For four years, Mr. Long served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. He oversaw the management, operations, and planning for all of the company's racetracks and simulcast facilities. Prior to his tenure at Churchill Downs, Inc., he spent ten years as President and Chief Operating Officer of Ladbroke/USA, one of the largest pari-mutuel operators in the country during the 90’s. From settling union disputes to equine medication policies to legislative affairs, Mr. Long has served on the front line, dealing directly with many constituencies in the equine industry.
In December of 2003, Mr. Long became the first Chief Executive Officer of the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., which is the national governing body for equestrian sport in the U.S. The USEF was officially formed that same month when the former United States Equestrian Team and USA Equestrian joined together with the purpose of becoming one strong national voice for equestrian sport. The USEF supports a membership of over 95,000, ranging from children with their first pony in their own backyard to the training and selection of our Olympic equestrian teams. Twenty-eight breeds and disciplines are represented in the Federation and annually participate in more than 2600 USEF-recognized horse shows in the United States and in high performance international competitions, including the Olympic Games, the Pan American Games and World Cup competitions.
Internationally, Mr. Long serves as Secretary General to the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) which is the international equestrian federation. Mr. Long was appointed in 2007 Chairman of the newly created Nominations Committee. In 2009, he was appointed to serve on the FEI’s Structure Steering Group in order to assist with planning to restructure its governance.
Mr. Long serves as Chairman of the World Games 2010 Foundation Board of Directors developed for the planning process for the FEI World Equestrian Games to be held in Lexington, Kentucky in 2010.

Nick Nicholson Chief Executive Officer Keeneland
Nick Nicholson became Keeneland’s sixth president in January of 2000, making him the first Keeneland
President who doesn’t have a direct line to the people involved in the opening of the track in 1936.
Prior to joining Keeneland, Nicholson was the executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, which maintains the official pedigree of all North American Thoroughbreds. During his tenure at The Jockey Club, several innovations were implemented, including the introduction of The Jockey Club Interactive, the world’s first interactive Thoroughbred registration system. While at The Jockey Club, he took a leave of absence to help form the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and served as its first chief operating officer.
Before joining The Jockey Club in 1989, he was executive vice president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders and was instrumental in the drafting and passage of the bill that allows intertrack wagering. Earlier in his career, Nicholson served as executive assistant to Kentucky Senator Wendell Ford in Washington, D.C. He previously served as administrative assistant to Kentucky’s Commissioner of Parks.
“There’s a pride and a loyalty among Keeneland’s employees that transcends from the top to the bottom. It is my honor to serve with a team of individuals that continually go the ‘extra mile’ in all they do,” Nicholson said. “From a simple smile and greeting to our guests to handling complicated situations, the dedication of the Keeneland staff is tremendous.”
Nicholson is the current chairman of the American Horse Council, and serves on the board of several other major industry organizations, including the NTRA, the Thoroughbred Racing Association, Equibase, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, and the University of Kentucky Equine Research Foundation. He is a past president of the Thoroughbred Club of America and also served as vice chairman of the International Catalog Standards Committee..
For his many contributions to the industry, Nicholson received the Lifetime Service Award from the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, as well as The Jockey Club Gold Medal. In 2004, he was elected a member of The Jockey Club.
Nicholson’s community involvement includes serving on the board of the Urban League, Commerce Lexington Inc., KET Commonwealth Fund, Transylvania University, the Dermontti Dawson Foundation, and Shakertown.
Nick and his wife Susan have two children. Trish is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and Nick III is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
ARCHIVE
2008 Summit Speakers
Where Horseplay Is Serious Business.
Spring 2008, Lexington hosted the inaugural Kentucky International Equine Summit, an event which brought leaders from all aspects of the horse industry together to examine the most important issues facing the industry.
The Wellbeing of the Competitive Horse Discussed how breakthroughs in veterinary science and innovative synthetic surfaces promise to make racing, showing, and training safer, and as a result, improve and sustain the competitive careers of equine athletes.
The Emerging Science of Horse Breeding The mapping of the equine genome, as well as other advances in veterinary and biomechanical knowledge, may have dramatic implications on the future of horse selection. Examined how this emerging science will challenge historical practices, breed registries, and other organizations concerned with the preservation of traditional breeds and popular equine disciplines.
 Jim Heird Colorado State University |
 Dr. Jamie MacLeod M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center |
 Dr. Nena Winand Cornell University |
 Alan Porter TrueNicks |
 Dr. Ernest Bailey University of Kentucky |
 Dr. Molly McCue University of Minnesota |
 Dan Kenny Dan Kenny Bloodstock |
 Ken Jackson Kentuckiana Farms |
 Fred Sarver Leatherwood Stud |
 Ann Peters Three Chimneys Farm |
 Frank Mitchell Bloodstock Advisor |
 Dr. John Steiner Rhinebeck Equine LLP |
 Robert Fierro DataTrack International |
 Mike Brown Sireaverages.com |
 Dr. Samantha Brooks Cornell University |
 Gary Carpenter American Quarter Horse Foundation |
 Ken Carson Valor Farm |
 Tom Crouch Kentuckiana Farms |
 Dean Hoffman Hoffman Communications |
 Laura Lipf Royal Vista Ranches LLC |
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The Equine Economy in the 21st Century While there has been unprecedented growth in the horse industry over the last half-century, the trend has slowed in recent years. Rather than accept that this the end of an era, discussed ways the industry could better position itself to find more participants, spectators, sponsors, and to reach out to more consumers.
 Rich Wilcke Equine Industry Program |
 Steve Day Dover Saddlery, Inc. |
 Tom Aronson Churchill Downs |
 Martin Concannon Lafayette Associates KY |
 Allen Gutterman Santa Anita Park |
 John Della Volpe SocialSphere, Inc. |
 Tim Campbell IMG |
 John Long USEF |
 Alan Balch ASHA |
 Todd Gralla Gralla Architects |
 Craig Dado Del Mar Thoroughbred Club |
 David Osborne Member Kentucky State Legislature |
 John Volk Brakke Consulting |
 Tom Persechino AQHA |
 Dale Owens Louisville Bats |
 Mark Simendinger Kentucky Speedway |
 Corey Johnsen Kentucky Downs |
 Denny Hales OHQHA |
 Karin Lippert Protocol Entertainment, Inc. |
 Sam Sheppard European Breeders' Fund |
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Session Shots
 Kentucky State Legislators |
 Dr. Ernest Bailey from UK |
 UofL Equine major Marylee Kuchta worked registration table |
 Dr. Craig Wood from UK |
 Larry Thornton Thornton Quarter Horses |
 Between sessions |
 Speakers Alan Porter and Dr. Nena Winand |
 Robert Fierro and Ed Bowen |
 Ready for lunch |
 Tuesday's lunch sponsored by United States Equestrian Federation |
 David O'Connor President USEF Tuesday's Keynote Speaker |
 Gary Clay meeting speakers at session break |
 Equine students from throughout KY attended the summit |
 Registrants in a session |
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 Registrants in an Equine Economy in the 21st Century session |
 Bob Evans CEO Churchill Downs Monday's Keynote Speaker |
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