Tag: People

Roberts Communications Network (RCN) has announced the creation of a Broadcast & Media Services division that will focus on broadcast and media business customers requiring occasional use and full-time services.

Jonathan Crawford, former President & CEO of The SPACECONNECTION, Inc. (TSC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Telesat, has been appointed President of the new RCN division, and will focus on vendor relationships, business development and strategic partnerships.

“We specialize in delivering high-quality, low-latency, reliable, secure video around the globe, whether it be via satellite, fiber, or internet,” said RCN President and CEO Todd Roberts. “The creation of a new Broadcast & Media Services division signifies our commitment to diversify into other industries, as also reflected by our recently announced partnership with Fathom Events, which serves the movie theater industry. Jonathan, with his decades of experience and expertise in the broadcast and media industry, was the perfect person to lead this new venture.”

Crawford has been in the broadcast and media industry for 28 years, serving as CEO with TSC for 13 years. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Crawford held SVP and VP roles in sales and operations. In addition, he worked for Globecast North America in many managerial roles.

As part of the transition, RCN will also be taking over the former occasional use services of TSC, servicing events such as March Madness, MLB, NBA, NFL, NCAA Basketball & Football and worldwide conferences.

“This newly-created division of RCN represents unlimited potential and I am very excited for the opportunity to lead it,” said Crawford, who has served as a board member of the TSC for 13 years, Space and Satellite Professionals International since 2017, and other boards in various industries. “I am extremely impressed with RCN's brand-new, state-of-the-art, content production and distribution facility, and I cannot wait to show off the company's existing global service capabilities to the customers I have serviced for decades and also use those capabilities to bring exciting new partners and clients on board.”

In addition to Crawford, RCN has also announced the hiring of Victoria Rivera-Caple as Director of Occasional Use Services for the new Broadcast & Media Services division. She formerly served as Manager of Satellite Services for TSC for 21 years.

About Roberts Communications Network (RCN)

Since its inception in 1998, Roberts Communications Network, LLC (“RCN”) has been the leading worldwide video distribution and wagering data communications services provider for the racing industry, among others, operating a fully secure, redundant satellite, fiber, and internet network.

With 2,861 reception nodes between satellite, fiber, and internet platforms, reaching six continents and 33 countries, RCN sets itself apart by offering unparalleled network service offerings to customers. RCN architects and provides customers with all the necessary hardware, software, bandwidth, and services to provide a wide range of content distribution and video production services.

Unparalleled reliability and redundancy are RCN's calling card, with separate fiber, satellite, and internet paths from almost every location on its vast network, all monitored 24/7/365 at its centralized Network Operations Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2021, RCN moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art 10-acre communications headquarters, complete with production, satellite teleport, and data center connectivity, that has greatly increased the company's capabilities and allows for an unprecedented expansion of service offerings across all industries.

The post Jonathan Crawford Named President Of RCN’s New Broadcast & Media Services Division appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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T.C. Stevens, son of Hall of Fame Jockey Gary Stevens, is preparing to ride his first race as a professional jockey at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. He has been named on trainer Steve Asmussen's Motown Missile in the sixth race on Sunday, March 19. Post time is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. (Central).

“I am very grateful to Mr. Asmussen and his staff for giving me this opportunity,” said Stevens. “I've had this dream of being a jockey for a very long time. While I realize I am further along in life than is the norm to start this career path, I know that I am prepared and will go out there on Sunday and do the absolute best that I can.”

T.C. comes from a long lineage of jockeys. In addition to his father and uncle (Gary and Scott Stevens respectively), his mother is from the Baze Family of the Pacific Northwest. T.C. has been riding horses for 13 years and working for Brad Cox for the last nine months. Last fall he was paired with Breeders Cup Sprint winner Carvavel. He is also the regular exercise rider of top horses Instant Coffee, Hit Show, Zozos, Strobe and Tapit's Conquest.

“The trust Brad has put in me to gallop and breeze some of his best horses has been paramount,” added Stevens. “It has taken my skill and confidence to a whole new level. I am so grateful that he has allowed me to chase my dream of being a jockey while continuing to work for him.”

Tickets to Fair Grounds can be bought at the gate. First post is 1:15pm. The races can also be watched live on TVG/FanDueland Fox Sports.

The post T.C. Stevens, Son Of Hall Of Famer Gary Stevens, To Make ‘Dream’ Debut As Jockey Sunday At Fair Grounds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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By Geoff Riggs

Having a successful first meet at Fair Grounds, Sofia Barnadela is proving it's never too late to follow your dreams.

With 12 wins on the meet, Barandela has won with 11% of her mounts, piloting difference-making rides and outrunning her mounts' odds. The same can be said for the story of how she got here. Sunday is her 37th birthday, not the typical age for an apprentice jockey. Likewise, her story is a testament to her resilience and willingness to blaze her own path.

Barandela began dreaming of becoming a jockey while growing up in Mexico.

“I was always in touch with horses, but never with the racetrack,” she said. “I did dressage and show jumping, but my grandpa had Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. My only contact with racing was through him and a painting he had of horses at Royal Ascot. So, my night stories were about jockeys and racing, but I was always told I would be a tall, strong woman, and jockeys were not that.”

Deciding to put her jockey aspirations on the back burner, Barandela pivoted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. However, it did not take long to find her way back to racing.

“When I was doing my vet practice in Mexico, I went to the racetrack and started getting in contact with people from the backside,” Barandela recalled. “I met some trainers and decided I wanted to gallop one horse.”

At the age of 25, Barandela galloped her first racehorse. When asked how her family reacted, she said, “My dad used to race motorbikes, so I think I got the need for adrenaline from him. My mom used to raise horses. When they saw I was serious about learning, they supported me from day one.”

Quickly falling in love with the racetrack, Barandela found herself juggling many activities until an opportunity arose.

“I would go to the racetrack early, then to my vet practice, then ride my two show jumpers,” she said. “One day somebody asked me if I wanted to be a jockey. I was almost ashamed to say yes because I thought people would make fun of me.”

One of only three female riders on the grounds, things were not easy early on.

“Everyone thought we just liked horses or were 'playing pony' but we were serious,” she said. “I only rode a couple months and won one race while in Mexico.”

A dual citizen of Mexico and Spain, Barandela decided to seek a new opportunity and move to Europe.

“I thought I could be both a vet and a jockey, but Mexico was very insecure,” she said. “The risk was too high and the pay too low for both vets and jockeys, and many vets got robbed. You save all this money to get equipment, only to get robbed because you have Ketamine and other drugs.”

Fluent in three languages, Barandela is an avid traveler and photographer. She spent the next three years between Spain, France, Germany, and England, but found racing opportunities few and far between.

“I finally said 'OK, to really start riding, I need to go back to America where I know people.' I also like the (American) riding style. In Europe, they say I look like a monkey on a horse,” Barandela said with a laugh. “But for me, how they ride doesn't feel comfortable. It is just a different style.”

In April 2017, Barandela moved to California and began galloping horses for top trainers such as John Sadler, Keith Desormeaux, George Papaprodromou, and Michael McCarthy. She worked with some top horses, as well.

“I was lucky enough to gallop Rombauer, Ce Ce, Rushie, Smooth Like Strait,” Barandela reflected. “I then started promoting myself as a work rider. I got a good education there.”

Referencing the experienced riders who helped her during this time, Barandela said, “All the jockeys in the room were always good. Mike Smith, (Corey) Nakatani, and (Edwin) Maldanado were always helpful. Mike Smith is very patient. They all have different styles.”

In 2021, Barandela had a friend attempt to convince her to ride races in Wyoming and Colorado.

“I'm like 'I'm galloping at Del Mar, why would I ride races in Rock Springs, Wyoming?' Barandela said, recalling her initial skepticism. “But I sat down one day and thought 'OK, if it's not now, then never. I will try.' So, I finished at Del Mar and drove to Wyoming.”

Barandela rode seven races in Wyoming and won twice at Arapahoe Park in Colorado, before moving her tack to Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona.

“In Phoenix I had no agent, so it was tough,” she said. “People recommended different agents and most of them said no. They either had somebody else, didn't want an apprentice, or didn't want a woman. One was very offended and said, 'This is a young man's business, and you are an old woman. You have no business here.'”

Not easily discouraged, Barandela continued knocking on doors. Eventually one led to her current agent, Chuck Costanzo.

“I called him and called him,” she recalled. “Finally, Chuck got back to me. I told him I needed his help and wanted to go to Minnesota. He asked, 'how many races have you won?' I said 'Two!' and he was laughing so hard. I sent him my replays and I think he saw something in me.”

To Barandela's surprise, Costanzo proposed a plan to ride at Canterbury Park and then Fair Grounds.

“I was like 'Me? Fair Grounds?' I had begun to doubt myself a little because it had been so long,” she said.

Continuing to practice her craft in Minnesota, Barandela's year of apprenticeship unexpectedly began on June 9, 2022 (at five career wins) when she guided home a 13-1 longshot named Big Boy McCoy.

“The horse was the longest shot in the field and had never done anything, but that day he just wanted to win,” she remembered with a smile.

After an unplanned stint in Chicago, it was off to New Orleans for the Fair Grounds winter meet. Joining such a decorated jockey colony can be intimidating, but Barandela beamed about how welcoming it has been.

“James Graham always teaches me, I don't even have to ask, he comes and tells me.” Barandela said. “Corey Lanerie also helps me. Of course, Johnny Velazquez when he was here. Everybody is very supportive.”

With 12 wins on the meet and guiding many other runners to outperform their odds, Barandela has a special connection with the horses she rides.

“That's the one thing I have,” she adamantly said. “The connection with them. I think they want to run for me. I have been with horses all of my life, but my racing experience has only been a year.”

Grabbing a lock of her hair she continued.

“I feel like I am like Avatar and connect my hair with them,” she explained. “With a lot of horses in the post parade, I will talk to them, and they move their ears. That lets me know 'OK, they are connecting right now.'”

Barandela is not yet sure where she will head when the current meet ends, but will likely return to Chicago, Minnesota, or Texas. She sees the unknown as an opportunity.

“I've lived a long life with many stories,” she said. “I think I have lived many lives in one. When I studied animal medicine, people were like 'you cannot do anything else, you spent six years doing that.' Well, it was six great years learning and traveling. I have a lot of stories in my life that were tragic, which is why I finally decided to try race riding.

“If it's my time, I don't want to die before I fulfill my dreams. I won't change the world by race riding, but it is my dream. I always try to encourage people to do what they love.”

The post Resilience And Willingness: 37-Year-Old Sofia Barandela Not Your Average Apprentice appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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