Many a young racing fan has dreamed of flying down the stretch in the saddle of a fleet Thoroughbred, flashing past the finish line a winner of a big race. Those flights of imagination feed the dreams that bring people from all over the world to the racetrack in search of the joy of victory astride a powerful equine athlete.
Tag: The Life
On the Rise: Elizabeth Talamo
Elizabeth Talamo always desired to be a storyteller. The backdrop for those stories began organically, while growing up as the daughter of trainer Ron Ellis, a mainstay on the Southern California racing circuit. Luckily for Talamo, there is no shortage of stories to be told in the racing industry. Her eagerness to shape and share those stories was rewarded early on, with an internship at TVG — later known as FanDuel TV — when she was still in high school.
Talented Native American Apprentice Jockey Talliyah Timentwa Determined to Succeed
Talliyah Timentwa (pronounced TUH-lee-yuh TYM-en-TWAH) is a force of nature with undeniable equestrian talent that belies her size and stature. She is described as fearless, capable, determined, focused, and goal-oriented. The daughter of Trisha and Ernest “Rocky” Timentwa, she learned to ride before she could walk. Her father was a former jockey who competed in Canada. Her mother recalls her first outing on a horse when she was 2 weeks old at the Okanogan racetrack, where they trained their horses for Indian Relay races.
Women in Racing: Bessie Gruwell Turned Tragedy Into Triumph and Built a Career on Giving Back
Long before Bessie Gruwell became executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in 2005, she was forced to cope with two losses as sudden as they were devastating. She was a mere 20 years old when her father, Thomas Lovelace, died of a heart attack in 1983. She wound up taking over his training operation at that unlikely age. She was 33 when Richard Gruwell, her husband, died in his sleep two weeks after they celebrated their 10th anniversary. Another heart attack.
