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Now 16,
Anna Pinson has an interest in racing that goes beyond the desire
simply to be around horses or work a staff job at the track
Since 1999,
the national not-for-profit organization Kids to the Cup has
been fostering young people's interest in Thoroughbred racing.
Often to
the surprise of parents, children are drawn in by the spectacle
of horses that compete, the jockeys who ride them, and the rich
tradition that surrounds the sport. Kids to the Cup, founded
by successful owner and breeder Trudy McCaffery, offers opportunities
for children ages eight to 16 to get involved with racing.
A compelling
example of the group's impact on parent and child can be seen
through the experiences of Sherry Pinson and her daughter, Anna.
Anna became interested in racing at age 12 after she read Black
Gold, a book about the famous racehorse of the 1920s. While
her mother had always loved horses, racing was not really her
thing.
"I had never
been to the races at all until Anna asked me to take her," Pinson
recalled. "At the time, we lived [in Fairfield, Ohio], about
40 minutes from River Downs and Turfway Park, but had never
gone." Before she knew it, the Pinsons were spending a lot of
time at the track.
Anna learned
about Kids to the Cup while chatting with friends online about
racing. She visited the organization's Web site on the last
day of its 2002 Triple Crown essay contest, quickly wrote and
entered her essay, and won two tickets to attend that year's
Belmont Stakes (G1).
Soon after,
Sherry Pinson realized that all the time she and her daughter
spent at the track could eventually lead to a new career. With
a background in free-lance copywriting and marketing, she approached
Jennifer Haas, Turfway's media relations manager at the time,
and asked if Haas had any job openings. There were no immediate
openings, but Haas told her she would keep her in mind. While
free-lancing for the racetrack's media department, Pinson received
a break.
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"The
Tuesday prior to the 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1), [Haas] asked me,
'Why don't you come down to Churchill Downs with me,'" Pinson
said. "I got the cool mom award for that one, taking my daughter
out of school to go to the races."
On that
trip, Haas informed Pinson of her plans to leave Turfway. She
suggested that Pinson apply for the soon-to-be vacant opening.
In response, Pinson first laughed then decided to take a shot
at the job despite her doubts. Pinson credits Kids to the Cup
Executive Director John DeSantis with encouraging her to pursue
the opportunity.
"I was on
my way to take Anna to Colonial Downs for her Kids to the Cup
internship when I got the news that they wanted to hire me,"
Pinson said. "I almost ran off the road!"
Now 16,
Anna has an interest in racing that goes beyond the desire simply
to be around horses or work a staff job at the track. She wants
to be where the action is, and Pinson supports her daughter.
"She wants
to be a jockey, and she is going to do that no matter what I
do, so I decided to come down to Turfway to help her do that,"
Pinson said. "I can either help Anna do this, or I can lose
her."--Sean Caffey
(back
to KTTC Media)
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