About KEEP
Richard Wilcke

Richard W. Wilcke,
University of Louisville

Rich Wilcke was raised in upstate New York but received an undergraduate degree from Kansas State University. Following graduation, he was a high school football coach and chemistry teacher, spent 4 years in radio-television broadcasting, 5 years as an executive with the Kansas Livestock Association, 5 years as president and CEO of the Council for a Competitive Economy, a national business association in Washington, DC, and 10 years as executive director of Maryland Million Ltd., the first state-oriented racing program, and executive vice-president of Maryland Horse Breeders Association, where he began the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred magazine.

He served 2 three-year terms on the state’s Agricultural Commission; and 3 years as chairman of the University of Maryland System’s Advisory Council on Agriculture and Natural Resources. He spent 3 years as chairman of the American Thoroughbred Breeders Alliance and 3 years as director of the American Horse Racing Federation. He is the secretary of the American Youth Horse Council, a member of the national racing committee of the American Quarter Horse Association, a director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), and chairman of the Sprint Racing Committee for the Kentucky Quarter Horse Association.

Rich joined the faculty of College of Business at the University of Louisville in 1995, and was named director of UofL’s Equine Industry Program in 2006. Rich did graduate work in economics and intellectual history. He has spoken in many states, as well as Canada, Germany and Australia. He’s had over 300 articles, editorials, speeches and essays published in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Washington Post, Japan Today, and Vital Speeches of the Day. He and his wife, Jan, of 40 years had five children and raise cattle and horses on their farm in Henry County.

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