The Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) hosted their second event of the year with panels and networking opportunities taking place at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Tuesday, July 23 in Saratoga Springs, New York, the organization said in a Wednesday release.
“To be clear, this is not an event where women get together to discuss female challenges,” said Shona Rotondo, Chair of the HRWS Marketing & Communications Committee. “It's an event that brings together intelligent and successful industry professionals to discuss the challenges of our sport with the ultimate goal being to connect and share ideas that become the building blocks of future innovation.”
Sessions began with a keynote conversation led by Liza Lazarus, CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and was hosted by Donna Barton Brothers, a racing analyst for NBC Sports.
“I'm really delighted that there are a number of initiatives, certainly also like this, around women,” said Lazarus. “It's really important to me that we have a lot of women in the industry. My senior leadership team is more than half women.”
Lazarus and Brothers not only discussed HISA and the progress being made across the country, but also delved into the challenges and strategies for balancing a career and family, the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and the need for professionalization and technological advancement in the industry.
“We can't stay in the dark ages. If we want to continue to build the incredible legacy that horse racing has, we've got to take advantage of the tools that are available to us. We have to professionalize,” said Lazarus.
Panel at the HRWS Saratoga Conference | HRWS
The first panel of the day, entitled 'Prioritizing the Equine Athlete,' featured panelists Classic-winning trainer Jena Antonucci; President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Tina Bond; Jane McMahon, manager of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds; and Dr. Martha Misheff, DVM.
Moderated by Laura Simiele, the speakers emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety and confidence in the equine athlete lifecycle, from breeding to racing.
“The minute you feel your ego is more important than the well-being of the horse you are caring for, find a new job,” said Antonucci.
The second panel, entitled 'After Racing: Options Beyond Racing' and moderated by Rachel Dunn, was led by panelists Keri Brion, a multiple graded stakes-winning Flat and Steeplechase trainer; Lisa Malloy, the program director of ReRun Inc.; Jen Roytz, co-Owner/manager of Brownstead Farm; and Kim Weir, director of strategic growth at Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga.
With backgrounds across all aspects of not only the racing industry, but the equine world as a whole, the group discussed the importance of considering and preparing Thoroughbreds for a second career.
“Aftercare is not a bad word, but it's not accurate,” said Weir. “It's not 'after' at all, it's a continuum of care. It's like the college athlete going on to their real-world job after school.”
A conversation with Jane Lyon, owner of Summer Wind Farm, about the full-circle journey of the Thoroughbred, hosted by HRWS Executive Committee Member and Thoroughbred owner Stephanie Hronis, closed out the day's programming.
The next event on the 2024 HRWS calendar is the annual Horse Racing Women's Summit, set for Sept. 25-27 in Arcadia, California. To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.
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