About KEEP
Gene Clabes

Gene Clabes,
Equine Director

Gene Clabes grew up in Henderson, Ky., and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in journalism. He attended Northwestern University on a Ford Foundation Fellowship in Journalism. While journalism was a vocation -from city editor at The Evansville Press (Ind.) Press to owner and publisher of The Recorder Newspapers in Northern Kentucky - horses have always been his avocation. He has shown Quarter Horses - in cutting, pleasure, halter and roping - owned a show arena, shown Paint Horses, operated a public racing stable, and developed a collegiate horse program.

He is a former president of the of the Kentucky Press Association. He serves on the Kentucky Friends of 4-H Board, and has experience in real estate and mortgage banking. He has been a professor in journalism at Hampton University in Virginia.

He and his wife, Judy, live on a horse farm in Bracken County. They have two sons, Joseph and Jacob, and two grandson - all of whom love horses.

Our Mission

To increase awareness of the benefits of Kentucky's horse economy and to promote jobs and economic opportunities for Kentuckians through the Commonwealth's world-class horse industry.

Goals

Educate the public and key state constituencies about the benefits the entire horse industry provides to all sectors of Kentucky's economy

  • Develop a state grassroots network involving Kentucky's horse economy in all 120 counties
  • Build a state coalition of diverse organizations supporting Kentucky's horse economy.

Encourage the development of a pro-jobs and economic opportunities agenda for the Kentucky horse economy to include:

  • Increased state advocacy and promotion of the Kentucky horse industry
  • Initiatives to stimulate jobs and economic growth through economic incentives and tax reform to solidify Kentucky's horse economy leadership to attract new horse industry interests to the state.
  • Expansion of existing state horse economy programs for all breeds such as the Kentucky Breeder's Incentive Program, to encourage ownership of Kentucky-bred horses
Key Initiatives
  • Distribution of fact-based Kentucky horse economy information.
  • Team 120: A broad-based grassroots network of horse economy participants in every Kentucky county.
  • A state advisory committee consisting of prominent horse industry representatives from all sectors of Kentucky's horse economy.
  • A state coalition of organizations with horse economy-related interests including state and local chambers of commerce, rotaries, businesses, labor and trade associations.
Charter Member Organizations

Chairman

Brereton Jones
Governor of Kentucky (1991-95)
Airdrie Stud

Vice-Chairman

Bill Casner
Chairman and Co-Founder
WinStar Farm

Copyright © 2007 Kentucky Equine Education Project [KEEP] All Rights reserved