The Horse Racing Women’s Summit (HRWS) is proud to shine a light on an esteemed group of industry women that have joined their ranks across a variety of new committees as the organization continues to grow since its inception in 2022.
Led by the Executive Committee, the HRWS has added committees focused on Event Logistics, Marketing & Communications, Operations, Membership, and Sponsorship. All committee members, who work across all aspects of the Thoroughbred industry, serve on a volunteer basis.
“I am in awe and honored to walk alongside the Executive Committee, the dedicated committee members, and all who generously share their time, experience, and talents as we build the HRWS community,” said Stephanie Hronis, Chairwoman of the HRWS. “The HRWS pillars guide all efforts to engage, elevate, and invest in the women who contribute significantly to the betterment of the sport, from the farms to the racetracks and beyond.”
New committee members include…
Events Logistics
Ana Maron has a background in communications and public relations, holds a designation as a Certified Equine Behavior and Management Specialist, and co-owns the racing partnership group Saints and Sinners, LLC, with her husband, Hans.
Marketing & Communications
Hannah Bloom has spent her life immersed in racing while also serving in a variety of social media and marketing positions for industry groups such as Del Mar Racetrack, Bloom Racing Stable, and Grand Slam Social. With a background in journalism and communications, she currently serves as the Social Marketing Manager for MyRacehorse.
Kaitlin Christopherson is a lifelong equestrian whose passion for horses, communications and marketing led her from being a published equestrian lifestyle writer in her teens to working for WinStar Farm after graduating from college. Later, she took on a role with Executive Jet Management, a NetJets Company, before returning to the Thoroughbred industry to work for Grand Slam Social (GSS). She is now the CEO of GSS, The Marketing Agency.
Sara Gordon has let her passion for writing and horses fuel her from the very beginning. After spending years working hands-on in the industry, she participated in the inaugural Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program in 2017 and later joined the Maryland Horse Breeders Association team as their Communications Manager. Since mid-2022, she has served as the Social Media Manager for Thoroughbred Daily News.
Operations
Audrey Dollase, daughter of multiple graded stakes-winning trainer Craig Dollase, graduated last year from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Business Management and Marketing while simultaneously completing an internship with Breeders’ Cup Limited. She is now a member of the FanDuel TV team as a Production Assistant and also works as the Social Media Manager for Bonne Chance Farm.
Membership
Anne Litz was born into the horse world in Maryland and immersed herself in it, combining her passions for photojournalism and the Thoroughbred industry as she took on a variety of roles with the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred magazine. Since 2016, Anne has worked as the Field Marketing Specialist for the Maryland Horse Industry Board.
Michele Ravencraft holds deep roots in Kentucky that helped to propel her into working within the Thoroughbred industry. The journey led her to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), where she is now the Senior Vice President of Events and oversees the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) and the Eclipse Awards. She also assists the Breeders’ Cup Limited Racing Department during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Meghan Rodgers headed out to Washington D.C. after graduating with a degree in political science, where she worked as a Communications Director before spending four years as the Press Secretary for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Following that experience, Meghan joined the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) when Tom Rooney became President and CEO, and is now the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs.
Alison Zeitlin’s love of horses and the Bluegrass brought her back home to Lexington, Kentucky, after she attended the University of South Carolina, to pursue her law degree at the University of Kentucky College of Law. She is now an attorney at Stites & Harbison PLLC where she focuses on equine law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters.
Sponsorship
Naomi Hurdle graduated from the University of Kentucky’s equine program in 2021, which propelled her to spend significant time as a broodmare groom before moving into a job as a surgery technician. After garnering plenty of hands-on experience, Naomi has moved into the public relations and outreach side of the industry as the Account Manager for Kick Collective USA, assisting with Light Up Racing.
Ashlyn Moore hails from Toronto, Ontario, where she grew up in the world of American Saddlebreds before shifting her focus to Thoroughbreds with a veterinary internship at Adena Springs after graduating from college. She has since found her place with The Stronach Group, working as the Manager, Office of the President for 1/ST, where she contributes to all aspects of its racing, wagering, entertainment, and content businesses.
Courtney Reid’s time spent with the National Steeplechase Association, New York Racing Association, and the Virginia Racing Commission helped lead her to her current role as the Senior Director of Racing and Industry Relations for Breeders’ Cup Limited. She oversees key programs such as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and Dirt Dozen Bonus Series while also leading efforts to recruit top-tier equine talent to participate in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Alexa Zepp is an accomplished handicapper, horse owner, and passionate advocate for the world of horse racing. Outside of her work as the Quality Assurance Analyst at the Daily Racing Form, where she creates content for both DRF and DRF en Español as a public handicapper, she owns and manages a racing syndicate, Haphazard Racing Inc.
Along with the new committee members, the HRWS has brought on Bella Hodge, a student at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, as an intern. With plenty of experience working for a variety of groups across the industry, including time spent at Fasig-Tipton and internships with Breeders’ Cup Limited and Colonial Downs Racetrack, Bella will have the opportunity to work with each committee during her internship with the HRWS.
“I am a proud member of the executive committee and love pulling in other extraordinary women from across the U.S. to support the HRWS movement on committees that fit their talents,” said Jordyn Egan, Membership & Operations Committee Chair for the HRWS. “This concept does not work without genuine support at all levels—from the committees to event attendees, HRWS Members, and sponsors. Our supporters make it possible.”
The next HRWS event will be held Tuesday, July 23 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. To purchase tickets, click here.
To learn more about the HRWS committees and how you can get involved, click here.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.