NEWS RELEASE
August 11, 2019
Contact: Alexa Ravit, (212) 521-5307
Communications Coordinator
The Jockey Club and Racing Officials Accreditation Program Approve International Stewards Education Programs
The Jockey Club and Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) announced the creation of two programs, administered by ROAP and funded in part by The Jockey Club, to educate stewards practicing in North America on international officiating standards.
The purpose of the program is to provide an immersive experience with international stewards to cultivate and foster interest in a career as a race steward and to further the experiences of seasoned stewards. Racing associations will have a pathway to invest and develop candidates of interest for succession planning. The long-term goal is to establish a global exchange between North American stewards and international colleagues to facilitate international harmonization.
The first program, the ROAP International Apprenticeship Program, will serve as a supplement to ROAP’s current apprenticeship program by adding exposure to international race stewarding. Racing associations or regulators can nominate prospective candidates, and selected individuals will be placed by ROAP in a foreign racing jurisdiction for up to 10 weeks, during which chosen stewards will learn of the practices followed and challenges faced by stewards in these areas. This program is intended to encourage interest in race stewarding and establish a foundation for further growth and development upon these individuals’ returns to North America.
The second program, similar to the International Apprenticeship Program, will be geared toward more experienced stewards. Stewards chosen for this program will spend approximately three to four weeks in an internationally recognized racing jurisdiction working alongside their foreign counterparts, exposing them to new perspectives and facilitating professional networking opportunities.
“We are excited to offer these two programs, which directly serve ROAP’s long-standing mission to provide quality educational opportunities to racing officials,” said Dan Fick, chairman of ROAP. “Horse racing is becoming an increasingly global sport, and stewards at all levels of experience stand to benefit from exposure to a range of officiating rules and practices.”
Individuals, racing associations, and regulators interested in more information about these two exchange programs should contact Cathy O’Meara, ROAP manager, at comeara@jockeyclub.com.
The mission of ROAP is to accredit and provide continuing education to all racing officials, stewards and judges in the horse racing industry. By doing so ROAP is enhancing the image and upholding the integrity of horse racing at all levels.
ROAP, which receives primary funding from The Jockey Club and is based in its Kentucky office, is a 501(c)(6) organization whose board of directors is made up of representatives from 17 industry organizations and ten at-large representatives. Stewards and judges receive their accreditation and continuing education credits through this program. The website address for ROAP is horseracingofficials.com.
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
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