Annise Montplaisir

Cicero, Illinois is a suburb that hugs the west side of Chicago, and is home to Hawthorne Race Course. It's also the headquarters of Morton High School District 201, which serves approximately 8,000 students from Cicero and surrounding communities. Near the top of the Hawthorne stretch is a Golden Corral parking lot. From this vantage point you can clearly see horses on the track during training or racing. One morning while watching training from here, trainer Chris Block saw a group of Morton High School students gathered by a fence...

The 11th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be held June 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Longship Room at Kroger Field on the campus of the University of Kentucky. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be co-hosted by the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and The Jockey Club. Annise Montplaisir, equine education coordinator of the Kentucky Equine Education Project Foundation and president of Amplify Horse Racing, will emcee the event, which will be livestreamed....

"Breeders' Cup En Vivo," an all-Spanish digital series covering five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series 'Win and You're In' races will will air live on the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels of the Breeders' Cup. The Kentucky Turf Cup and Keeneland broadcasts will be produced in partnership with DRF en Espanol. The "Breeders' Cup En Vivo" team will be comprised of co-hosts Claudia Spadaro, Darwin Vizcaya, Roberto Rodriguez, and Annise Montplaisir--who also produces the show. The 2023 "Breeders' Cup En Vivo" schedule includes: the Aug. 12 GI Fourstardave S. which offers...

The Godolphin Flying Start programme celebrated its 20th anniversary with an alumni award ceremony and conference at the Legacy Suite at the K Club on June 29. The conference, "Impact and Influence", attracted over 100 graduates from around the world. During the prelude, the focus was on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin Charitable Initiatives led by Godolphin Flying Start Chair Joe Osborne. Diana Cooper, Godolphin's Strategic Adviser for Charities was also among the speakers, as was Lisa Jane Graffard (Class of 2005). Class of 2008 alum Gina Bryce hosted...

Applications for the spring 2023 intake of the Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship Program are now open through Friday, Feb. 3. The program connects youth and young adults interested in the Thoroughbred industry with experienced industry professionals who can offer career guidance. Mentee candidates should demonstrate a desire to learn and an interest in working in the equine industry. The suggested age range is 15-25, with no restrictions based on academic achievement. Since its launch in 2021, the Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship Program has produced nearly 30 graduates, and propelled its...

Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to education, mentorship and career opportunities in the Thoroughbred industry for youth and young adults, has announced the appointment of Annise Montplaisir as executive director. Guided by a goal to develop a platform for youth in horse racing, Montplaisir co-founded Amplify with Madison Scott in 2019, and has served as the organization's president since its incorporation in 2020. Scott remains on the board of directors alongside Price Bell, Jordyn Egan, Hallie Hardy, Laurel Humbert-Stock, Katie LaMonica, and Cate Masterson. Originally from Fargo, North...

Edited Press Release Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit promoting education and careers in the Thoroughbred industry to youth and young adults, has reopened its mentorship program application for 2022. The program formalizes the process of pairing young adults interested in pursuing a Thoroughbred industry career, with experienced industry professionals who can offer guidance. The initial pilot program, launched in 2021, matched 12 individuals from eight different states with industry mentors. The pairs worked together for three months to develop their knowledge of the Thoroughbred industry, and create an educational...

Several new faces were on the Keeneland sales grounds this week as part of the initial pilot for the Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship Program. This August, the three-month program launched with a group of 12 mentees hailing from eight different states. While most mentor-mentee pairs were separated by distance and initially planned on holding their meetings virtually, several mentees expressed an interest in meeting their mentors in person and decided to make the trip to Lexington for their first visit to the Keeneland September Sale. Matt Scull, age 23, lives...

Breeders' Cup and America's Best Racing launched "Breeders' Cup En Vivo," a series of six live digital handicapping shows in Spanish covering 13 of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. Co-hosted by Emanuel Aguilar, Annise Montplaisir, Roberto Rodriguez, Claudia Spadaro, and Darwin Vizcaya, the six shows will be streamed live across both America's Best Racing and Breeders' Cup's Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels. The following tracks and races will be covered by Breeders' Cup En Vivo: Aug. 28 - Del Mar: GII Pat O'Brien S. Sept. 11 - Kentucky Downs:...

Amplify Horse Racing, founded in 2019 as an initiative to welcome and educate newcomers about the Thoroughbred industry, has launched a mentorship program aimed at pairing young adults with Thoroughbred industry professionals. Objectives include improving accessibility into the Thoroughbred industry and developing understanding of what it is like to work in the sport by leveraging the experience of current industry professionals. The program is open to individuals between the ages of 18 and 22 who have a strong interest in a career in the Thoroughbred industry. No experience is required....

Annise Montplaisir has been named the Kentucky Equine Education Project's first-ever equine education coordinator. Montplaisir will be responsible for building awareness of the equine industry and the industry's educational and employment opportunities by building relationships with 4-H, FFA, and breed youth councils, among other organizations. Additionally, Montplaisir will be responsible for marketing industry programs through social media, special events, and the KEEP Equine Summit Luncheon Series. The new position is the result of collaboration among the KEEP Foundation, Fasig-Tipton, Glen Hill Farm, Godolphin, The Jockey Club, and Mt. Brilliant Farm....

Together for Racing International (TfRI)-- a global alliance to promote and progress education, community engagement, and career opportunities in the Thoroughbred industry-has launched. TfRI is a product of a 2019 education forum--hosted by Godolphin in Newmarket, U.K.--uniting Thoroughbred breeding, racing, and education professionals from six countries who addressed challenges to inclusion, attracting newcomers, supporting education, and workforce enrichment. "There is such a vast array of positive initiatives happening in the horse racing industry around the world," said Annise Montplaisir, TfRI Project Manager. "But awareness is key, and unless we publicize...