Tag: People

The MTHA congratulates staff member Jessica Hammond for being recognized with the Dr. J. David Richardson Community Award for 2022 as part of the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

The award recognizes those who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the Thoroughbred industry, and in particular, to the greater good of the sport. It includes those who support the breeding and racing staff or have made an outstanding contribution to the wider Thoroughbred community.

Ideal candidates should work either for or with a charitable organization, or as part of the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred business for which they work. Nominees for the award do not need to be directly employed in the Thoroughbred industry. This year's awards ceremony will be held Oct. 14 at Keeneland.

Hammond, who joined the MTHA as counselor and benevolence administrator, soon after expanding her role as administrator of the new Beyond The Wire aftercare program when it was formed in conjunction with the Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Horse Breeders Association in May 2017. She and her husband, Scott, live on a farm in Harford County.

Hammond was nominated for the Community Award by Georganne Hale, MJC Vice President of Racing Development and a member of the Beyond The Wire Board of Directors.

“I decided to nominate Jessica for the Thoroughbred Industry Community Award because she is a person who so deserves it,” Hale said. “Jessica helps every person on the backside or frontside of the racetracks in Maryland. She is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Jessica helps and solves problems that employees bring to her when they may affect their physical or mental well-being. Her door is always open.

“Jessica not only helps the humans. Her other job is protecting the horses when their careers as racehorses are over. Jessica makes sure every horse lands in a safe and healthy environment when they retire. We need many more Jessica Hammonds in the racing industry.”

Hammond is the third MTHA employee to be honored as part of Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards. Office manager Diana Pinones was runner-up for the Community Award in 2021 while the now-retired Bobby Lillis won the same award in 2019.

“Receiving this award is a real honor,” Hammond said. “I first became aware of the Godolphin Awards when we were living in Newmarket, England, and they've been on my radar ever since. It's icing on the cake to get an award for jobs that are already so rewarding. I'm a lucky lady.”

In roughly five years, more than 550 horses have gone through Beyond the Wire program, which partners with a group of Thoroughbred Aftercare Association-accredited facilities in Maryland and beyond. Hammond has worked to expand the network of partner farms to ensure that more horses are able to find homes and move on to second careers.

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The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation has launched the Gateway Education Program, a job shadow opportunity for Fayette County high school seniors.

This program allows students the opportunity to observe professionals in the equine industry and experience a day in the life of that operation, gain a real life understanding of careers, career pathways, and the education and skills needed for a career in the equine industry.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the KEEP Foundation has partnered with Locust Trace AgriScience Center and the Fayette County Public Schools' Experience Based Career Education program. After this year, the goal is to expand the program to surrounding counties and eventually statewide.

Students with little to no experience with horses will attend an orientation session at the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center where they will participate in an introductory level equine curriculum program before starting their job shadow position(s). Students with equine experience will proceed straight into their job shadow.

Participating businesses include; The Jockey Club, KESMARC, Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, the Kentucky Horse Park, Machmer Hall Sales, the Secretariat Center, Spy Coast Farm, Stonestreet Farms, and Three Chimney's Farm.

“This is such a great opportunity for students to receive first-hand experience in exploring the countless careers in the equine industry,” said Alexandra Harper, Executive Director for the KEEP Foundation. “Our industry relies heavily on the next generation of horsemen and women, and we hope this program will help address and reduce future industry workforce issues.”

If you are a student interested in participating or a business wanting to learn more about participating as a host site, please email alexandra@horseswork.com.

All of these programs and initiatives would not be possible without the support of Kentucky's equine industry. If you would like to support the KEEP Foundation's education initiatives, donations can be made HERE.

About the KEEP Foundation

The mission of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), established in 2014, is to support the economic success of Kentucky's signature industry by ensuring its continued economic viability, making the industry accessible for all who want to participate, introducing more young people to the industry and its opportunities, and educating the people of the Commonwealth about the importance of horses to the state, its economy, its heritage, and its people.

To learn more about the KEEP Foundation or support our work, visit www.thekeepfoundation.org

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Jockey Richard Mitchell was taken by ambulance to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, for X-rays for a possible collarbone fracture after being unseated from his mount in Sunday's sixth race at Monmouth Park, according to track medical director Dr. Angelo Chinnici.

Mitchell lost the irons at the start of the 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight turf race and then appeared to lose his balance and was unseated just before the first turn.

Dr. Chinnici said Mitchel was “alert and responsive, with movement in all of his extremities, and he did not show signs of any neurological damage.”

Mitchell's mount, Staff Sergeant, a Declaration of War colt trained by owner William J. Hogan Jr., was collared quickly and appeared to be fine after the race.

Mitchell has three wins from 56 mounts at the current Monmouth Park meet.

The post Jockey Mitchell Suffers Possible Collarbone Fracture In Monmouth Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jessica Hammond, program administrator of Maryland's Beyond the Wire aftercare program, has been recognized with the 2022 Dr. J. David Richardson Community Award as part of the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

The Dr. J. David Richardson Community Award recognizes those who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the Thoroughbred industry, and in particular, to the greater good of the sport. It includes those who support the breeding and racing staff or have made an outstanding contribution to the wider Thoroughbred community.

Hammond also works for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and was a racehorse owner herself. She currently has three off the track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs). As the CEO of family-owned Somerset Racing, she managed all business aspects of the international racing operation for her husband and trainer, Scott Hammond.

Ideal candidates for the Dr. J. David Richardson Community Award work either for or with a charitable organization, or as part of the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred business for which they work.

This year's awards ceremony will be presented October 14 at Keeneland.

Godolphin, the global racing stable founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the principal sponsor of the awards in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protection Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Breeders' Cup.

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