EQUINE INDUSTRY PROGRAMS

Bluegrass Community & Technical College

BCTC program welcomes students from many backgrounds, provides industry opportunities

ONE SCHOOL, VARIETY OF PATHS

BY FRANK ANGST West enjoys those various roles because he’s working in PHOTOS BY ANNE M. EBERHARDT a sport he’s passionate about. And that opportunity has fol- lowed a rather atypical path that included an all-important AS RACING OPERATIONS MANAGER for Bradley stop at the North American Racing Academy at Bluegrass Thoroughbreds, Aaron West wears many hats—from Community & Technical College in Lexington. keeping racing and sales paperwork current to work- With a four-year degree from Ouachita Baptist University, ing as a concierge to ensure owners have tickets and West soon found work after graduation in the non-profit sec- any needed direction, and providing updates, posts, tor near his Little Rock, Ark., home. While that work paid the bills, he felt he was missing something. and photos to social media and the website of Pete While in college, West had visited nearby Oaklawn Park Bradley’s bloodstock operation. and had become captivated by horse racing. In the back of

30 / BloodHorse.com / JULY 25, 2020 / TheBloodHorse / BloodHorse SCHOOLING SESSION In this series BloodHorse has examined a few of the promi- nent college and community college programs for students considering careers in the horse industry. In recent weeks BloodHorse has profiled the University of Louisville’s Equine Industry Program, the University of Kentucky’s Ag Equine Pro- gram, the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, and Texas A & M’s Equine Science Program. It’s not intended to be a comprehensive list, but we hope it provides awareness of the educational opportunities available for young—or older— people considering an industry career.

West might not be the typical student, but then again, in some ways NARA might not have a typical student. Some are looking to exercise horses or compete as jockeys—the original focus of the program that has since added more emphasis on training in horsemanship for industry careers. Some students are high school graduates looking for a fast- track into industry work. Others use their BCTC experience to get a jump on a four-year degree, gaining hands-on experience and some transferrable credits for when they enroll in four- year institutions such as the Ag Equine Program at the Uni- versity of Kentucky or the University of Lou- isville’s Equine Indus- try Program or at other The North American schools. Other stu- Racing Academy is based dents are still in high in Central Kentucky school—yes, NA R A even has opportunities to earn credits ahead his mind, he wondered if there was a career path for him in of secondary school racing. He hadn’t grown up on a farm and his family had not graduation. participated in racing or breeding, so he wasn’t sure where to NARA executive di- start. Through some online research, he discovered NARA. It rector Remi Bellocq proved a great fit. said it’s important that Flash forward a few years and West has completed an in- high school graduates ternship that took him to Ireland on scholarship where he have a number of op- worked or interned at Darley and Irish National Stud. He has tions so that they can worked at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm, and he’s been find programs that fit Program director Dixie Kendall in his current Bradley Thoroughbreds role for two years. West their needs. liked his initial career path, but racing has proved his passion. “It does provide a lot of students who may not have the “I enjoyed that, but I was using all of my free time on racing. means or ability to do a four-year college program an oppor- I went to Kentucky a few times to go to the races and things tunity to jump in and dip their toe in the water and get some like that; went to the Kentucky Derby (G1) for the first time really good solid, foundational workforce preparation and in 2010 when Super Saver won,” West said. “Finally it was to some really solid academic work,” Bellocq said. “They can then the point where I was thinking, ‘This is what I’d really like to transfer that to UK, or any of the other schools, if they want to. do,’ but I knew nothing about working hands-on with a horse. Or they can go straight to work. We can get them started.” Just through research I found the NARA program. I decided to Students at desks watching films on riding horses or read- basically quit my job, move to Kentucky, and go back to school ing about mucking stalls, are not common sights at NARA, for two years. It’s been a great decision.” where the traditional classroom setting is rare. With typically

JULY 25, 2020 / BloodHorse.com / 31 Bluegrass Community & Technical College

small hands-on classes of 12-15 students at its barn at the Thoroughbred Train- ing Center, students figure things out first-hand. Those students garner fur- ther learning through NARA’s extensive internship program. Students in the in- ternship programs are located through- out the country and even the world. They continue their class work through online classes. Through emphasizing hands-on ex- periences and internships, Dixie Ken- dall, program director for NARA, said students build inroads toward careers. “We really are working on rebranding from that original concept of a jockey school to a workforce provider. For stu- dents coming in, and particularly those that are interested with hands-on posi- tions, they may not be interested in the Remi Bellocq is the executive director of NARA at BCTC traditional academia that you see with four-year universities,” Kendall said. “For them, they’re able to come in, and in one semester take hands-on courses. And in just 16 weeks, they have enough foundational training that they’re then placed in internships, so they kind of see that instant gratification in terms of get- ting into the workforce.” NARA offers workforce certificates for equine industry work, which leads to positions such as groom or barn fore- man; for a career as an exercise rider, jockey, or an assistant trainer; and equine veterinary assistant, where stu- dents learn about equine anatomy, phys- iology, and health and lameness issues. Kendall noted that students don’t neces- sarily have to pick one area of focus as the program—updated for 2021—pro- vides a broad foundation. Amy Heitzman, NARA’s equine in- structor and stable manager, believes that hands-on experience is valuable whether a student is going straight into the workforce or plans to complete a Amy Heitzman is NARA’s equine instructor and stable manager four-year college degree.

32 / BloodHorse.com / JULY 25, 2020 / TheBloodHorse / BloodHorse Students get plenty of hands-on work at the program

“A lot of these four-year equine de- constantly keeping that dialog open with and Chad Browns, all these guys, are re- grees are kind of research-based, and the industry, and what’s really impor- alizing that.” at the end of the day, you won’t use them tant to us is that our students are com- Bellocq noted that every new employ- in a lot of the management positions ing out of the program employable. The ee might struggle a bit with a new atmo- and a lot of racetrack management,” reality is that they need the foundation, sphere and maybe the speed of opera- Heitzman said. “So (NARA) is really a and then they need to get on-the-job tions, but he said when you have a per- great kind of midpoint for them to come training, and that’s what a lot of these son who has enough commitment to the to us and get that hands-on training trainers and farms are looking for. So we sport that they’ve educated themselves, they wouldn’t get with a lot of other pro- have students and they can kind of pick those employees usually quickly adjust. grams. And if they have that initiative to a sector, if they’re interested in breeding That benefits employers. expand on that, they can pursue a four- or if they’re interested in sales.” Students at NARA can expect a staff year program.” As part of that feedback, Bellocq re- that is passionate about putting stu- Bellocq and Kendall noted that minds industry leaders that they will dents on an educational path or a career through the internship program, the need to provide workers with competi- path they desire. school is constantly communicating tive wages and a comfortable lifestyle. “It’s the best feeling in the world. I was with industry employers on what is While the students have a love for the a licensed trainer. I always tell people needed in terms of preparation. That industry, racing has to compete with after I won my first race, I didn’t have feedback keeps the school updating other employers or risk losing those that overwhelming sense of accomplish- its training and students benefit from trained workers. He believes outfits that ment,” Kendall said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Man learning the latest points of emphasis. do make that commitment will see the I worked hard and this was all worth it.’ “The internships have been a huge benefits of trained workers who have a But when students get those jobs like part of the program in the past, and passion for the industry. Aaron West has—I can’t explain the feel- they’re going to be even more impor- “Our employers are going to have to ing. I guess it would be the same as win- tant as we go forward. We have an ad- realize that you compete against the ning the Derby or something like that. visory committee with individuals from Amazons of the world, not necessarily “To me, it’s the motivation. It’s why big operations, such as Godolphin, and against each other,” Bellocq said. “And I’ve been doing this for 10 years now. top trainers,” Kendall said. “We are I think a lot of guys, the Todd Pletchers That’s my motivation.” B

JULY 25, 2020 / BloodHorse.com / 33