About KEEP
Nick Nicholson

Nick Nicholson,
Keeneland Association

Nick Nicholson, who was instrumental in the formation of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, took over as Keeneland's sixth president in February 2000. He is the first Keeneland president who doesn't have a direct line to the people involved with the opening of the track in 1936. Nicholson's professional career began as an administrative assistant to Kentucky's Commissioner of Parks. Later, he became a key member of Kentucky Senator Wendell Ford's staff in Washington, D.C. After four years in the nation's capital, Nicholson returned to Kentucky. For the next seven years, he ran the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders and was instrumental in the drafting and passage of the bill that allows intertrack wagering. Later, he was named the executive director of The Jockey Club. During his tenure there, he took a leave of absence to help form the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Nicholson serves on the board of the NTRA, the Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. He is a past president of the Thoroughbred Club of America, vice chairman of the International Catalog Standards Committee, member of the International Stud Book Committee, on the executive committee of the American Horse Council, and director of the Kentucky Horse Park.

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