TT September 17 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

WeeklyAn Association of the Finest Harness Race Tracks in the WorldStanley F. Bergstein, Executive Vice President 4640 EAST SUNRISE, SUITE 200 l TUCSON, ARIZONA 85718 l (520) 529-2525Fax l (520) 529-3235Week of September 17 - September 23, 2001SIX STUDENTS FROM HARNESS RACINGFAMILIES GET $7,500 HTA SCHOLARSHIPSSix talented students from harness racing families in Delaware, Illinois, Ohio, Ontario,Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have been named winners of $7,500 college scholarshipsby Harness Tracks of America for the current school year. The winners are:JOHN LEE HOCHSTETLER, 18, of Stone Creek, Ohio, a sophomore at the OhioState University Agricultural Technical Institute, majoring in agricultural businesswith a postgraduate major in animal science. John is the son of starter and associatejudge John Hochstetler and his wife Mary. John plans to seek a Master’s Degree inanimal science, and while he hopes to work in harness racing – his “true passion” –he feels his business education will provide “something to fall back on.” A Dean’sList student at Ohio State, he is president of the Countryside Chapel YouthOrganization, a mentor with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and coaches Little Leaguebaseball and YMCA Jr. Hockey. He also is a member of the Christian HarnessHorsemen’s Association and the Phi Theta Kappa national honor society. He hasraced standardbreds at the Ohio county fairs and hopes to become a presiding judgeat a major track, and ultimately “hold a major position within the USTA or HTA,promoting the sport that has occupied all of my life.”RAY ALEXANDER OKE, 35, Guelph, Ontario, in his final year at the OntarioVeterinary College in that city. Ray is the son of the late Wilson Ray Oke and JanetBee Oke, a retired school teacher. Ray’s father and both paternal and maternalgrandfathers were Ontario trainers. This is the third HTA scholarship awarded toRay, who is scheduled to complete his DVM next May. After graduation he plans topursue a one-year equine internship at a veterinary teaching hospital or privatepractice, which would provide intensive post-graduate training in veterinary surgery

and medicine. Following that, he may seek a residency in veterinary surgery or,alternatively, begin “a high quality private equine veterinary practice in Canada orthe United States. Oke has been directly involved with the sport since workingaround his father’s horses at 4. He jogged his first horse at 10, gained an OntarioRacing Commission groom’s license at 13, and earned a class “A” trainer’s license8 years ago. Ray did undergraduate work at the University of Toronto, where hemajored in Literary Studies and graduated in 1992 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts,with a co-specialist in Literature and Philosophy. He says the transition from trainerto veterinarian “has caused me to become increasingly aware of the abuse of racinghorses that frequently occurs at tracks. I do not wish to dwell on some of thenegative aspects of our industry, but I believe it is crucial to find solutions to animalabuse that are mutually acceptable to owners, trainers, veterinarians and perhapsmost of all, horses.”He concluded his application saying, “In awarding a scholarship to me, HarnessTracks of America not only would be investing in my future; it also represents aninvestment in the future of the Standardbred industry.”JUSTIN TYLER O’NEAL, 19, Fairfield, Illinois, a student at the University ofEvansville, in Evansville, Indiana, majoring in secondary education. Justin is the sonof Melody Lee O’Neal, a groom in the Tex Moats stable, one of the best known inIllinois. Justin has grown up with harness horses, his grandparents Delbert and RuthBurkett having bred and raised them since 1967 on their farm in rural southernIllinois. They bred the outstanding trotter Gumcorner Lad, which won the CardinalTrot at Balmoral and the Dygert at Suburban Downs at Hawthorne, and was electedto the Illinois Harness Horse Hall of Fame as the second richest Illinois bred. Justin’smother and aunt grew up on the Burkett farm, and both work in harness racing, hismother as a groom in the Tex Moats stable for 16 years. Justin’s major is theater, andhe plans to teach English and theater at the high school level after obtaining a Master’sDegree in education. He says his mother “understands my goals and shares myviews on education. I owe much of my success to her. Although I have not chosena career in the horse business, I will be forever thankful to my family for exposing meto this wonderful business.” As for HTA, he says “I admire your efforts, and I amalways pleased to see groups supporting higher education.”AMY BETH TODD, 21, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, majoring in animal bioscience atPenn State University. Amy Beth is the daughter of trainer Arthur Giambrone and

his wife Mona, a health and physical education teacher. Amy’s current educationalplans are focused on graduating with Honors in Dairy and Animal Science and thencontinuing her academic career at a school of veterinary medicine, a goal she setwhile in eighth grade. Currently she is completing her honors thesis, which focuseson the interrelationships between blood serum mineral levels and metabolic diseaseof dairy cows. She feels that a career in veterinary medicine provides her with theopportunity “to improve the lives of both animals and people.” A straight “A”student throughout her high school years at Manalapan high in Englishtown, NJ, Amycurrently ranks in the top 1% of all students enrolled in the College of AgriculturalSciences at Penn State. She has been a Dean’s List student for 6 of 6 semesters, ison the National Dean’s List and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, amember of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and the Golden Key NationalHonor Society. Her collegiate honors include seven honor societies, and herextracurricular activities include track, marching band, symphonic band and ScienceLeague. She has groomed for her father’s stable in Freehold, NJ, trained horses, andworked as a lab and veterinary technician.ROBERT LOUIS TRIBBETT, 19, Bridgeville, Delaware, majoring in businessmanagement at the University of Delaware. Robert is the son of Charles AllenTribbett, a trainer for All American Standardbreds, and his wife Lois Ann Tribbett.Both of his parents’ families were involved in harness racing. His paternal grandfather,Pat Hubbard, had a long career as a trainer, and his grandmother, Ramona Hubbard,has worked in race offices at Harrington Raceway, Dover Downs, Ocean Downs andBrandywine Raceway for over 35 years, and is still employed at Harrington andDover. The Delaware Standardbred Owners association recently honored her witha lifetime achievement award. Robert’s father, Charles Tribbett, started as a groomand then trained horses all his life, training for Fred Hertrich for over 15 years.Robert has worked as a groom for his father All-American Standardbreds for the lastfive years, traveling to Hoosier Park, Magna at the Meadows, Yonkers and theMeadowlands. He was team captain of his school’s Quiz Bowl team in the TexacoStar Academic Challenge, and was valedictorian of his high school class. He hasworked with Delaware’s governor and cabinet, and as a Dean’s List scholar he wason Delaware’s Academic Competition Team as a freshman.RACHEL AMANDA YOHN, 18, majoring in biology, with a minor in English witha writing concentration at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. She plans ona career in veterinary medicine. Rachel is the daughter of trainer of Wisconsin

trainer Robert W. Yohn and his wife Carol, a business owner in Columbus, Wisconsin.An outstanding student at Fall River high school, Rachel won speech and physicalscience awards as a freshman, was named freshman and sophomore Scholar of theYear, was a Sunday school teacher and nursery supervisor, secretary of the studentcouncil and Future Business Leaders of America, and president of the Student Councilher senior year. Rachel’s father began racing horses on his farm 56 years ago, won hisfirst race at 16, and worked for Stanley Dancer and Delvin Miller, driving the greatDelmonica Hanover several times. She says that, like her father, working withhorses and other animals is all she has ever wanted to do. She plans on attending aschool of veterinary medicine and says, “This industry has given me so much that Iwould like to be able to give something back. I feel the best way I would be able todo that would be through helping the animals that make our industry possible.”In addition to the $45,000 in scholarships presented to these six outstanding students,HTA also is awarding $5,000 in mini-scholarships to students at the University ofArizona Race Track Industry Program, who work on special studies during the schoolyear for HTA above and beyond their classroom HTA projects. This year’s $50,000in awards raises the total of HTA scholarships to $315,000.The 2001 winners were chosen, as usual, by HTA’s Scholarship committee, headedby W. E. (Hap) Hansen of Dover Downs and including Tom Barry of NorthfieldPark; Warren DeSantis of Eric Cherry’s ICN National Raceline, a program sponsor;Randy Edmonds of Magna at the Meadows; Yvon Giguere, Hippodrome de Montreal;Chris McErlean, the Meadowlands; John Millson, Windsor Raceway; Hugh Mitchell,Woodbine Entertainment Group; Rick Moore, Hoosier Park; Edward T. Ryan, SciotoDowns-Mid-America Racing; and David and Harold Snyder, International SoundCorporation, a longtime major contributor to the program. Magna at the Meadows,Hoosier Park, Northfield Park and Scioto Downs/Mid-America are annual sponsorsof the scholarships. HTA extends thanks to all of the committee for diligent anddedicated work, and to all of he sponsors, including TIMES:Standard, Inc., publisherof TIMES:in harness, which also has lent financial support to the project.All six students were selected by HTA’s Scholarship committee on the basis ofscholastic excellence, extracurricular accomplishments and financial need. In additionto the $45,000 allocated to these awards, HTA will award an additional $5,000 inscholarship monies to students at the University of Arizona Race Track Industryprogram who work on special projects for HTA.