Giving Back: Racing Comes Together For Horse-Crazy Girls
Feb 20, 2015 23:53:44 GMT -5
Post by racinggal on Feb 20, 2015 23:53:44 GMT -5
I thought this a nice article.
Giving Back: Racing Industry Comes Together For Horse-Crazy Girls
by Natalie Voss
Paulick Report
When Jim Mulvihill, director of media and industry relations at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, went through his mail at his Lexington office in late January, he had a somewhat atypical letter waiting for him.
“Dear Sir or Madam,” it began, “I am writing to you because I want to know more about horse racing, and more about your business. I want to know how do you control horses when they go really fast? I want to know more because my sister and I want to horse race when we are older. What horse is the best horse to race? How do you teach the horses to race?”
The letter was from 10-year-old Diana Sufle of Boyden, Iowa with input from her sister, Abby. Mulvihill set to work answering their questions and posting a photo of the letter on his personal Facebook page (with identifying information obscured). The post quickly picked up 211 likes and 47 comments with suggestions on what to send the girls. Before he knew it, Mulvihill was organizing a racing care package for the Sufles.
“When I initially posted it, I wasn’t even seeking donations, I really just posted it so people could see that there was this young girl who was interested in racing,” said Mulvihill. “I thought the letter was sweet, and I wanted to share it with people.”
Ultimately, gifts for the girls came in from across the country. Organizations sending materials included America’s Best Racing, The Blood-Horse, Breeders’ Cup, Daily Racing Form, Gallop Magazine, The Jockey Club, Keeneland, Maryland Jockey Club, NTRA, NYRA, Old Friends, Paulick Report, The Saratoga Special, Steeplechase Times, Stonestreet Farm, This Is Horse Racing, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, and the U.S. Trotting Association.
The contents of the care package fit into two sizable boxes and included numerous magazines, hats, books, photographs, calendars, a halter worn by Western Dreamer, a Tom Durkin bobblehead, and a framed photo of Marquetry at Old Friends. Several of the items included notes from the senders.
The halter and a DVD were particular hits with Diana and Abby, who spend summers riding barrel racers. They’re also helping train a horse their uncle owns to run barrels.
“We just started [watching racing] on TV, and we’re trying to learn more about it,” said Diana, who is most familiar with Quarter Horses. “There’s a lot of [race]horses I really like, but I don’t really know how to choose a favorite because they’re all good.”
The boxes were so packed, the Sufles wanted to take a photo of their contents but could not fit it all on their kitchen table.
For a few of the care package participants, Diana’s letter struck a personal chord.
“I think most people in racing have somebody in their life that reached out to them or mentored them or helped connect them to the game when they were really young,” said Mulvihill. “That can come from so many different places, but all of us have fond memories of when that happened in our lives, and any opportunity to help get young people interested in the game now, I think everyone is excited to give back in that same way.”
As a young racing fan, I sent a letter to jockey Pat Day singing his praises and asking for an autograph. The letter took months to get to him, as I sent it care of the wrong track, but the Hall of Famer sent me a signed photo and program (the former hangs on my wall today). What a validating thing, I thought, that an accomplished rider took time out of his day to encourage me in my dream of one day participating in horse racing. The unexpected care package has made Diana and Abby that much more curious about our sport, and I get the impression they’re that much more determined to show up at Churchill Downs on an early May weekend in the future.
And for this year, I asked Diana, who’s your Kentucky Derby pick?
Too early to tell, she answered wisely. The kid learns fast.
Giving Back: Racing Industry Comes Together For Horse-Crazy Girls
by Natalie Voss
Paulick Report
When Jim Mulvihill, director of media and industry relations at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, went through his mail at his Lexington office in late January, he had a somewhat atypical letter waiting for him.
“Dear Sir or Madam,” it began, “I am writing to you because I want to know more about horse racing, and more about your business. I want to know how do you control horses when they go really fast? I want to know more because my sister and I want to horse race when we are older. What horse is the best horse to race? How do you teach the horses to race?”
The letter was from 10-year-old Diana Sufle of Boyden, Iowa with input from her sister, Abby. Mulvihill set to work answering their questions and posting a photo of the letter on his personal Facebook page (with identifying information obscured). The post quickly picked up 211 likes and 47 comments with suggestions on what to send the girls. Before he knew it, Mulvihill was organizing a racing care package for the Sufles.
“When I initially posted it, I wasn’t even seeking donations, I really just posted it so people could see that there was this young girl who was interested in racing,” said Mulvihill. “I thought the letter was sweet, and I wanted to share it with people.”
Ultimately, gifts for the girls came in from across the country. Organizations sending materials included America’s Best Racing, The Blood-Horse, Breeders’ Cup, Daily Racing Form, Gallop Magazine, The Jockey Club, Keeneland, Maryland Jockey Club, NTRA, NYRA, Old Friends, Paulick Report, The Saratoga Special, Steeplechase Times, Stonestreet Farm, This Is Horse Racing, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, and the U.S. Trotting Association.
The contents of the care package fit into two sizable boxes and included numerous magazines, hats, books, photographs, calendars, a halter worn by Western Dreamer, a Tom Durkin bobblehead, and a framed photo of Marquetry at Old Friends. Several of the items included notes from the senders.
The halter and a DVD were particular hits with Diana and Abby, who spend summers riding barrel racers. They’re also helping train a horse their uncle owns to run barrels.
“We just started [watching racing] on TV, and we’re trying to learn more about it,” said Diana, who is most familiar with Quarter Horses. “There’s a lot of [race]horses I really like, but I don’t really know how to choose a favorite because they’re all good.”
The boxes were so packed, the Sufles wanted to take a photo of their contents but could not fit it all on their kitchen table.
For a few of the care package participants, Diana’s letter struck a personal chord.
“I think most people in racing have somebody in their life that reached out to them or mentored them or helped connect them to the game when they were really young,” said Mulvihill. “That can come from so many different places, but all of us have fond memories of when that happened in our lives, and any opportunity to help get young people interested in the game now, I think everyone is excited to give back in that same way.”
As a young racing fan, I sent a letter to jockey Pat Day singing his praises and asking for an autograph. The letter took months to get to him, as I sent it care of the wrong track, but the Hall of Famer sent me a signed photo and program (the former hangs on my wall today). What a validating thing, I thought, that an accomplished rider took time out of his day to encourage me in my dream of one day participating in horse racing. The unexpected care package has made Diana and Abby that much more curious about our sport, and I get the impression they’re that much more determined to show up at Churchill Downs on an early May weekend in the future.
And for this year, I asked Diana, who’s your Kentucky Derby pick?
Too early to tell, she answered wisely. The kid learns fast.