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Stuart serves as scholarship coordinator of the fund, which recently awarded 32 scholarships for 2009-2010, bring to 384 the number of annual scholarships (at an average of $2,000 apiece) handed out since the program began in 1996. Approximately 125 recipients have been graduated from college or technical programs, several with honors and many on the Dean’s list, including a 4.0 valedictorian.

The students must apply by July 1, and the scholarships are based on need, merit, essays and personal interviews with Stuart and the board members in late July. They are required to re-apply and interview each year during college. To be eligible, the applicant must have at least one parent working at a Kentucky Thoroughbred farm.

“These kids have these huge work ethics,” Stuart said, “and because most of them have never had family members go to college, it’s a whole new life experience. Some of them are shocked that they are actually getting the chance to go to college. It’s so gratifying for us because we get to hear their hopes and dreams, and it’s fun to see their confidence grow year to year. They have so much presence and are just the greatest kids.”

The idea for the scholarship fund came from Liberation Farm’s Rob Whiteley, who serves as president of the Horse Farm Workers Educational Assistance Fund, and Tom Evans of Trackside Farm, the fund’s vice president and treasurer.

“Horse Farm workers are the backbone of the Thoroughbred industry,” said Whiteley, “and these young people are a source of great pride to their parents who have worked so hard in order for their children to enjoy a fulfilling and productive quality of life. The scholarships are an investment in truly motivated individuals who possess initiative and great potential. And the best news of all is that many of them intend to pursue careers in the Thoroughbred industry. In this way, supporting the Fund also makes practical sense, as it helps to build a stronger horse industry in the future. Several graduates are already distinguishing themselves in horse related endeavors, including one who is currently serving as Director of Racing at a major North American track.”

Board members include Whiteley; Evans; Judge Wilson of Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs,, the fund’s secretary; Dan Pride of Fasig-Tipton; John Stuart of Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services; John Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm; and Chet Blackey, DVM. Churchill Downs Inc. chairman Carl Pollard serves as an informal advisor.

“I would like to thank all of the board members for their time, caring and commitment, as well as the many individuals who have generously supported and valued this remarkable group of young scholars since the Fund’s inception,” said Whiteley. “We are especially grateful to the Carl Pollard Foundation, Thoroughbred Charities of America, Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, Darley America, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, the Crafty Prospector syndicate, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club, and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders for their substantial contributions. In addition, I am appreciative that six of our female scholars for 2009-2010 will receive awards funded by the generosity of the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee.”

This year’s scholars have a working parent at one of the following farms: Beech Spring Farm, Bradyleigh, CASA (2), Cedar Ridge, Claiborne (4), Crestwood, Darby Dan, Darley America (4), Denali, Fab Oak, Golden Age, High Point, Indian Creek, Loch Lea, Manchester, Niknar, Pin Oak, Six Winters, Stonehaven Steadings, Sunnyside, Three Chimneys (2), Wimbledon, and Winstar Farm.

The 2009-2010 Horse Farm Workers’ Educational Assistance scholars and the schools they will be attending are as follows:

Kaitlyn Alexander - Morehead State U.
Megan Brady - Morehead State U.
Lindsay Brumley - Thomas More College
Sarah Burton - Mary Baldwin College
Monica Calleja – BCTC
Cheli Castillo – BCTC
Brett Courtney – BCTC
Josh Davis - Morehead State U.
Pamela Deegan - Murray State U.
Liz Fiero - Murray State U.
Shane Goforth – U. of Kentucky
Megan Hephner - Middle Tennessee State
Ashley Herrera – U. of Kentucky
Mary Koch – U. of Kentucky
Kathleen Layton – U. of Kentucky
Megan Lynn – BCTC
Linzay Marks – LSU
Sean Parisel - U. of Kentucky
Steven Powell - Western KY U.
Justin Purvis – BCTC
John Rankin - Morehead State U.
Trey Rankin - Thomas More College
Jose Salazar – BCTC
Viridiana Salazar – BCTC
Hanna Sams - Morehead State U.
Lyndsay Sams - Eastern Kentucky U.
Sarah Shaw - Eastern Kentucky U.
Stephanie Sosby - U. of the Cumberlands
Miller Thornbury - University of the South
Parker Wornall - Western Kentucky U.
Lindsay Zahn - Eastern Kentucky U.
Elizabeth Zajic - Eastern Kentucky U.

–BCTC = Bluegrass Community and Technical College
–Two of the scholars who will be attending the University of Kentucky are also UK Pollard Scholars, and another is a UK Jamal Mashburn Scholar. The Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization run on a volunteer basis, with over 92% of donated monies flowing through to recipients. Tax deductible contributions may be made to the Horse Farm Workers’ Educational Assistance Fund, 2938 Four Pines Drive, Lexington, KY 40502-2969. Applications for the 2010-2011 school year will be available in May, and inquiries may be made to (859) 269-1719

. Additional information may be viewed at www.horsefarmworkerseducationfund.com.

Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them.  To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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“Year after year, hard working, extraordinary young people continue to impress the board with their ability, accomplishments, and enthusiasm,” said Whiteley. “They have internalized the work ethic of their parents, and most of them help pay their way through school by working one or more jobs in addition to carrying a full load of classes. Thus, the goal of the fund is to provide enough money to these deserving students so that their school work can be their number one priority.”

By Ray Paulick
Muffy Stuart calls it the “most inspiring day of my life.” It’s the day she and the board of directors of the Horse Farm Workers’ Educational Assistance Fund in Kentucky get to meet the young people who have applied for college scholarships. In many cases, the teenagers will be the first in their families to attend a college or university.

By Ray Paulick
It’s only 150 miles from Tijuana, Mexico, to Beverly Hills, Calif., but as anyone who has ever been to both cities knows, they are worlds apart. Tijuana, the border town south of San Diego, has areas of extreme poverty and has also been caught in the violent crossfire that is part of the Mexican drug cartel. Its most innocent victims are the children. Beverly Hills…well, as the old song goes, has swimming pools, movie stars and is one of the wealthiest cities in America.

Jockey David Flores, a mainstay on the Southern California racing circuit, has made the transition from Tijuana to Beverly Hills, where he now lives, but as trainer Bob Baffert said, “He hasn’t forgotten where he came from.”

Flores, born in Tijuana and raised in Rosarito Beach, followed in the footsteps of his jockey father, also named David Flores, riding at the Agua Caliente racetrack in the border town at the tender age of 16. In reality, he was a veteran in the saddle by then, having ridden in match races in Mexico since he was nine. He came to the United States in 1989 as a 21-year-old and found success while also having his share of personal problems. He straightened out his private life in the mid-1990s and his career took off. He is annually among the steadiest and most successful riders in the nation.

Flores is also among the most respected and best liked. “David is a very nice guy,” said Baffert. “No one dislikes him.”

That may be one reason that when Flores reached out to the racing community to get help for needy children in his native Tijuana, the response was overwhelmingly positive. His annual golf tournament, which will be held for the 12^th time on Aug. 11 at Encinitas Ranch Golf Course in Encinitas, Calif., has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Ciudad de los Ninos (city of children) orphanage in Tijuana. It is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the economic and educational betterment of children in Tijuana.

The event was first held in 1997 to raise money for a young girl Flores had heard about who was in need of a kidney and liver transplant. Victor Regalado, the pro at Tijuana Country Club, offered up the club as host site for a charity tournament, and Flores and friends raised more than $100,000. The girl is alive and well today.

The needs in poverty-stricken Tijuana went well beyond that one girl, so Flores decided to make a difference in the lives of as many children as possible. He made the golf tournament an annual event, dedicating the funds to the Ciudad de los Ninos. About $30,000-$40,000 is raised each year.

Jim Loya, a good friend of Flores who has helped raise money for other racing related causes including the Winners Foundation and the Noble Threewitt Free Clinic, would go with Flores to the orphanage in the early days of the golf tournament and was saddened by the conditions. “The place was decrepit,” Loya said. “The ceiling was coming down…it was just terrible.”

The building, where about 25 orphans live full time and another 130 children from single-parent families come for day care, was replaced in 2000, thanks to the generosity of the Southern California racing community. “But for the grace of God we got the support we needed,” said Flores. “The old building was falling apart. We were able to give them a new building, construct a playground, and it’s a Montessori School now.” Loya said the kids now have clean uniforms to wear and are provided healthy meals.

The orphanage, day-care center and school are for infants and children up to the age of eight.

Julie Sarno, a former marketing executive for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, assists Loya and Flores in recruiting volunteers to help put run the event, which includes a post-golf dinner, with a silent and live auction featuring Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg as auctioneer. As many as 168 golfers have participated. The event has been held at the La Costa and Aviara Four Seasons golf resorts in Carlsbad until moving this year to Encinitas Ranch. Sarno said the event would not have succeeded without Loya’s dedication. “Jim puts so many hours into this,” she said. “He is so passionate about the kids.”

The entire cost of golf, prizes and the dinner has been underwritten each year by three or four anonymous donors who areThoroughbred owners, Loya said, allowing all the proceeds from entries, sponsorships and the auctions to benefit the orphanage.

But none of it would have possible were it not for Flores. “So many of the kids in Tijuana have such great needs,” he said. “We have to give something back to our communities.”

Cost to play in the 12^th Annual David Flores Golf Tournament is $225 per golfer and is tax deductible. Tee box sponsorships are available at $300 and up. The tournament is a four-person team scramble that tees off with a 1 p.m. Pacific shotgun start. For information, please Jim Loya at (626) 825-6562. Donations can also be made to the Ciudad de los Ninos and mailed to the David Flores Golf Tournament (attn: Trami); 9230 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite 202; Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Thanks to Mary Forney for reminding us about this most worthwhile event in her recent blog.

Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them.  To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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