‘Road Trip of a Lifetime’ Raises Awareness for Backstretch and Farm Worker Awards

[Wandering Eyes]

What would be the best way to spread the word about a series of awards that honor behind-the-scenes horse workers in the United Sates racing and breeding industries?

For one 23-year-old trainee in the Godolphin Flying Start program, a month-long journey that criss-crossed America and included a different track, farm, or training center nearly every day provided not only an effective means of grass-roots messaging about the upcoming Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), but it left her with a whirlwind of memories and a slew of new friends under shed rows all across the country.

“It was the road tip of a lifetime,” said Annise Montplaisir, who grew up near Fargo, North Dakota, but is now midway through Godolphin’s exclusive two-year management program that immerses students in global Thoroughbred experiences.

With $128,000 in total prize money on the line and a July 15 deadline looming, a final push is underway to solicit nominees for the fourth annual edition of the Godolphin-sponsored TIEA, which recognize unheralded horse workers who demonstrate leadership and dedication within the U.S. racing and breeding communities.

There are seven categories: Two separate Leadership awards for racing and breeding personnel; two separate Dedication awards for racing and breeding personnel; an Administration award, a Newcomer award, and a Community award. In addition to filling in a printed PDF document, people can nominate workers online or via phone. Click here for details.

Montplaisir’s volunteering to drum up awareness and nominations for the TIEA was part of her Flying Start “externship,” and to accomplish it she created an itinerary that kept her on America’s highways or hopping airplanes the entire month of June.

“I started at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Kentucky,” Montplaisir told TDN. “Then I flew to Louisiana to hit two tracks there. Then Texas, Churchill Downs, Belterra Park, Indiana Grand, Arlington and Canterbury. Then I went down to Florida and visited several farms and training centers in Ocala, and I drove down to Gulfstream Park. Then I flew up to the East Coast and hit Belmont, Monmouth, Parx, Delaware, and Laurel, plus some farms in Pennsylvania.

“Even though the awards program is in its fourth year, it’s surprising how many people still don’t know about it yet,” Montplaisir continued. “So the best way to spread the word is to get in front of people, tell them about it, and talk to them and answer their questions.

“Another thing that I’m very passionate about is I speak Spanish, so I wanted people to know that they can nominate in Spanish, which is hugely important considering probably about 70% of the work force in the industry is Hispanic,” Montplaisir said. “I had Spanish nomination forms with me, and was able to explain it to them in a language they understand best. So I do think we’ll be getting our first-ever Spanish-language nominations for the awards this year, and that’s pretty exciting.”

In addition to the TIEA outreach, Montplaisir documented her road trip by asking backstretch and farm workers to speak a little bit about themselves and the work they do. She shot numerous short video clips that might be used in promoting the awards, but Montplaisir said one captivating interaction she had with a groom at Belterra Park will stick with her for a long time.

“This gentleman gave me this long, very eloquent speech about how passionate he is about his job, and how important he believes it is for backstretch workers and the unsung heroes of the sport to be recognized,” Montplaisir said. “He said horses give back what you put into them, and he wanted people to know that. Everything he said was very special to me.”

Beyond the issues of awareness and language, Montplaisir said other obstacles to nomination that she encountered included backstretch workers not knowing that you don’t have to be a boss to nominate an employee, plus the notion that the paperwork process might be viewed as cumbersome, almost like “homework.”

“That was a challenge along the way, trying to explain the benefits of nomination, and helping people understand that it doesn’t just have to be trainers or managers who can nominate people, that anybody can nominate anyone,” Montplaisir said. “I tried to convince them how this is a worthwhile thing that can be very rewarding and motivating to horse workers, and how it’s an honor just to even be nominated.”

Montplaisir said that even when little logistical things didn’t go right on the trip–like getting lost in pouring rainstorms, missing the occasional highway toll booth, or even spending a night at a “potentially haunted” Airbnb in Delaware–she tried to handle them with good humor, knowing that the experience as a whole would trump the minor glitches.

“I went to some very little tracks to some very large tracks. The majestic view from the roof of Belmont Park was awesome, because I had never been there before. But the most amazing thing that I saw along the way was how intertwined the whole industry is, no matter the size of the venue,” Montplaisir said.

That last aspect about size resonates with Montplaisir, because even though her hometown of Fargo is not exactly known as a global Thoroughbred outpost, it’s where she first fell in love with horse racing.

“The North Dakota Horse Park only has four days of racing this year,” Montplaisir said. “But years ago, going there was my entry into the sport. I had some great mentors there who took me under their wings, and they were willing to show me how to dive further into the industry and find other opportunities that were out there. That’s the advantage of coming up through a tiny racetrack–you can get your hands on anything you might want to do, and those types of tracks lower the barriers of entry into our sport.”

 

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