Midway University Equine Program on the Rise

Tiani Ibbotson is looking forward to her senior year at Midway University as she prepares to launch her career in the Thoroughbred industry.

Three years ago, she moved from the Channel Island of Jersey to join the equine program at the private university located outside of Lexington, Kentucky. While she considered many different colleges around the world, this one stuck out because of the unique program tailored to her career goals. After graduating next year with a degree in Equine Studies with a focus on Equine Rehabilitation, Ibbotson hopes to take what she has learned at college to her career in the racing world.

“Midway University was perfect for me because the classes you have in the equine program are very specific in targeting different areas of education,” she said. “Not only do you have the basic anatomy classes, but you also have classes like Eastern Medicine, which is really interesting to learn different things like traditional Chinese medicine. These are classes that a lot of other colleges don't include in their equine program. It's really interesting to get an overall view of the entire equine world and learn how different people do different things.”

Located in the heart of horse country within walking distance to the small-town community of Midway, the equine program at Midway University is one of just a few in the nation to house an on-campus, working horse farm. With 160 acres and over 30 horses to tend to, students are in the barns each morning and afternoon, including on weekends and holidays, to complete daily chores.

With an emphasis on hands-on learning, most of the program's classes are held outside of the traditional classroom space. This fall, they will be opening a new, 18-stall barn with a built-in, 40-by-60 foot equine classroom to provide even more opportunity for practical experiences for their students.

Midway University's Dean of the School of Business, Equine and Sport Studies Mark Gill said the real-life situations their students go through daily have led to an increasing demand for their graduates as employees.

“In the last several years, we have had 100% of our students fully employed in the equine industry upon graduation,” Gill said. “One of the reasons why our students are so sought after is that they have a great deal of experience by the time they leave our farm. We're able to bring horses into the equine classroom and have hands-on activities as part of the instruction. Students learn how to drive tractors. They can back up horse trailers. They're taking horses to and from lessons throughout the day. They're involved in every aspect of running our farm.”

“One of the things that is really important in the equine industry is work ethic,” he continued. “We impart that on our freshman and our students quickly learn that they're willing to work at the level expected in the equine industry.”

Asked what applicable skills she has learned during her time at Midway, Ibbotson rattled off a lengthy list.

“Anything from wrapping and bandaging legs, giving IV and IM [injections], knowing when to deworm, knowing which medications are used for what, the anatomy of a horse, rehabilitation modalities and a whole load of other things that really help someone going into that career.”

Students are required to complete an internship during their four years in the program to gain additional experience and make connections in their specific area of interest. Last year, Ibbotson interned at Margaux Farm and spent time working in their rehabilitation program.

The basis of Midway University's growing equine program is their on-campus, in-person program, which currently has about 120 students and includes three different pathways: equine science, equine management and equine rehabilitation. In addition, their MBA program with a concentration in equine management is geared toward professionals in the equine industry moving into managerial roles. This fall, they are also launching a new, fully-online Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Business and Sales.

While the university in its entirety has seen record growth in recent years, it wasn't long ago that the college was facing millions of dollars in debt and serious enrollment decline.

Students gain hands-on experience working with the 37-horse herd at Midway University | Katie Petrunyak

John Marsden, Ph.D., stepped on as President in 2013. He implemented several major changes, the first being a transition to co-education. Prior to 2015, the school was the only women's college remaining in Kentucky. Since the transition, total enrollment has nearly doubled from under 1,000 students to over 1,800 last year. The name of the school was also changed from Midway College to Midway University to reflect expanding graduate programs.

With the increase in enrollment, Marsden turned his attention to campus improvements. One of the institution's oldest buildings from the mid-19th century was converted into a third residence hall. The campus also benefitted from the addition of an athletic field house, an admissions welcome center, a baseball stadium and tennis courts.

“All of this was done without incurring any debt,” Marsden said. “Rising debt levels and decreasing enrollment are two of the biggest challenges among private colleges in the United States, but we have been paying down our debt. We've paid it down 38%.”

Marsden added that despite the improvements, Midway University remains financially accessible to prospective students.

“We are one of the most affordable institutions in the state,” he said. “Our graduate programs are the most affordable in Central Kentucky and of the 18 private colleges in the state, our traditional daytime program is the fifth most affordable.”

This year, Midway University is celebrating its 175th anniversary at their annual Spotlight Awards on Thursday, May 26. The funds from this event support ongoing academic programing and student scholarships.  With this year's theme of 'Making History,' they will be honoring two equine industry leaders.

“As part our Spotlight Awards, we honor two individuals,” Marsden explained. “The first award that we give out is called the Pinkerton Vision Award. This year it will be given to Shannon Arvin, who is making history as the first female president of Keeneland. The second individual we are honoring with the Legacy Award, which goes to someone who has made a difference with time, talent and treasure at Midway University. That will be awarded to former trustee and horseman Tracy Farmer.”

John Stuart, founder of Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, is a current member of the Board of Trustees at Midway University and is looking forward to the institution's bright future.

“I've learned what a truly impressive job President Marsden and his team have done in the past six years to make this school a university that is going places,” Stuart said. “Our horse community probably is not aware of the quality of the equine program at Midway. If we are going to produce enough foals to fill future race cards, we need equine-educated young people to employ in the local community.”

Members of the equine community in and around Lexington have been an essential piece of the equation in Midway University's recent success. Gill said that the experiences and access students in the equine program receive are some of the most influential factors for prospective students.

“Thoroughbred farms have graciously given our students unparalleled access, whether they're coming to campus to speak or inviting students to go to their farms and observe how their operation works,” he said. “We really look at Midway University as a partner with the Thoroughbred industry, and we're proud of the fact that this is really the Thoroughbred capital of the world. We want to help provide the workforce that will continue the Thoroughbred industry's growth in this area.”

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Destination Lexington: Downtown Midway

On a sunny Friday in August, a vanload of a dozen wide-eyed tourists step onto Main Street in Midway, Kentucky. The picturesque town with a population of fewer than 2,000 is easy to miss passing through, but for travelers who do happen upon it, the charming community is one they'll soon be eager to revisit.

“This is just a lovely town,” said one woman from Kansas after touring Midway's historic downtown for the first time. “It's amazing how clean the storefronts are and how friendly all the owners are.”

“There's a lot of things to see and do,” her travel companion added. “The people are very nice and it's been wonderful. To be able to get an old-fashioned soda just made our day.”

The sodas she mention come from Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain, a family-run, full-service pharmacy with an old-time soda fountain that offers a variety of delicious treats and harkens a bit of mid-20th century nostalgia.

Those who stop in to satisfy their sweet tooth can gather outside at the shaded benches along the shop's storefront. If they visit at just the right time, visitors will catch a glimpse of the train that runs through the middle of Main Street–also known as Railroad Street– each day.

Historic Midway was the first town in Kentucky established by a railroad. In 1835, the Lexington and Ohio Railroad's line from Lexington to nearby Frankfort was completed and the first steam locomotive rolled through Midway, the half-way point between the two cities.

Midway was the first town in Kentucky to be established by the railroad. | Katie Ritz

At that time, the land the railroad sat upon was owned by Colonel John Francisco.

“When the train came through, it ruined so much of his topsoil that he was going to sue the railroad,” said Leslie Penn, who along with her husband Bill owns the Historic Midway Gift Store and is known amongst locals as the town's resident historian. “To avoid a lawsuit, they paid him $6,500 . Who knows where he went with that money, but he was gone. Then the train owned all the property. They blocked off the streets, named them after board members of the railroad and sold off the lots.”

The town continued to prosper and during the 1930's and 40's, up to 30 trains a day would pass through town. But as the railroad's heyday began to dwindle later in the century, fewer passenger trains came through until in 1963, Midway's depot closed.

Penn can remember the time when Midway's downtown was much less than the hive of activity that now attracts visitors from across the state and beyond.

“At one time there were very few shops downtown and there was only one restaurant,” she said.

As the dawning of the 21st century approached, efforts were made to revitalize the heart of Midway. In 1978, 176 buildings in Midway were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Penn and her husband were among the leaders to head the charge in restoring downtown. In 1995, the couple purchased an old building along Main Street and transformed it into what is now Historic Midway Gift Store, a popular stop for both tourists and locals that offers handmade crafts and gifts, jewelry and a variety of books on the history of Midway, informational texts on Central Kentucky Horse Country, guides to Southern cooking and more.

“This building was an old saloon and was built in 1880,” Penn said. “We had to renovate upstairs, put in electricity and take out the red shag carpet. We really found a lot of history in the building.”

Another shop a few yards down the street called gigi & george offers a combination of unique antiques and locally-made crafts.

“We like to say that we're a curious mix of old and new,” shop owner Morgan Castle said. “I started out with a passion for antiques and now all of our new things come from other small businesses. We've been here about two and a half years.”

While Castle's collection of antiques is constantly revolving as items are purchased and she brings in new treasures, she said they always has a few pieces that will attract the eye of a horse racing fan.

This summer, she offered a pair of chairs that were in the original sales pavilion at Keeneland up until the facility was remodeled in the 1970s. Castle said the vintage pieces are made of Indiana hickory.

Gigi & George is described by the owner as “a curious mix of old and new.” | Katie Ritz

She also recently displayed an original painting of Hanover, a champion bred by Runnymede Farm who won his first 17 races in the mid-1880s and went on to become a leading sire in North America.

Any true equestrian will be drawn in by the lush smell of leather when passing by Freedman's Harness and Saddlery. The company specializes in saddles and tack for saddleseat and driving-type show horses and has been owned by the Freedman family for six generations.

“We are the only retail location of Freedman's here in Midway,” said boutique manager Jenny Vanwieren-Page. “If you buy something here, it has been handmade in our workshop by wonderful craftsmen in Canada, so it's really supporting a small business here in Midway.”

Shoppers can find just about anything they could dream up in the many shops surrounding Midway's Railroad Street. For the art enthusiast, Damselfly Studio Gallery offers artwork from over 200 regional artists and showcases many pieces depicting famous racehorses–both fan-favorites of today and some of the all-time greats. Antiquers can spend hours exploring Yeagers Antiques while boutique lovers will find plenty of options at Southern Sunday or Midway Boutique. Those hoping to look their best at Keeneland should visit Crittenden and Company Men's Clothing and memorable gifts are on hand for even the most difficult person to shop for at To You From Me and The Milam House.

After one has veritably “shopped 'till they dropped,” dining options in Midway's Historic District are just as extensive as the town's variety of merchants.

The Brown Barrel is a popular spot for locals. The restaurant's walls are graced with racing photos and mementos from the many prominent Thoroughbred farms surrounding the town-from Shadwell and WinStar to Hurstland Farm- and racing coverage is a constant on the televisions over the expansive bar.

Stop by the Brown Barrel Restaurant on a Sunday to discover the Chef's Surprise special for the week. | Katie Ritz

“If you like hot browns, shrimp and grits, steak or seafood, we're the place to go,” said restaurant manager Donn Knattus. “It's casual and we also have an outdoor patio. We get tons of horse people-owners, people who work with horses, the whole gamut.”

Other dining options include Don Jockey, the first authentic Mexican restaurant in town, Goose and Gander, a family-owned restaurant that offers a variety of options including salads, sandwiches and pizza as well as an expansive wine and bourbon list, Heirloom, the fine-dining spot in town that uses fresh, local ingredients to create Kentucky-inspired dishes with a global sensibility, as well a Mezzo Italian, which is well-known for its mouth-watering, wood-fired pizzas and calzones.

Once their stomachs are filled, visitors can finish their tour of Midway by taking a quiet stroll along the train tracks down the main strip and enjoy the architecture of the buildings and the Southern charm of passersby stopping to say hello. While more and more travelers are learning about the must-see destination, Midway still retains its small-town community atmosphere.

“The neighbors all work together,” said Jenny Vanwieren-Page from Freedman's. “People have been here for years and years and it's a great community.”

“Midway is just special,” Morgan Castle of gigi & george added. “It's hard to describe, but it's the charm, it's the character and it's the charisma. All the shops are wonderful and we all complement each other. Of course, there are some of the best restaurants in the state here and we have the train that comes through multiple times a day, which is really interesting.”

“People don't realize how beautiful Kentucky is,” she continued. “I like to say that Kentucky is America's best-kept secret because people don't realize how much we have to offer but when they do get here, they're blown away by the beauty, the landscape, the small towns and all the different things we have to offer.”

Travelers will experience all that and more on a visit to historic Midway, Kentucky.

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