Three college students with high marks, high hopes and high ideals have been named winners of Harness Tracks of America’s 2013 college scholarships. Each recipient has harness racing family connections and each receives a $5,000 cheque toward their college education.
Each of the winners has worked with harness horses and in harness racing. The 2013 winners are:
CHELSEA FAHY, 22, Washington, Pennsylvania, daughter of William and Moira Fahy, harness racing owners, trainers and William is also a driver. A graduate of The University of Findlay, Fahy is now in her first year at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Fahy is a third-generation horsewoman who, along with her parents, has a successful stable of horses. She was active in the Harness Racing Youth League at the Meadows and worked as a veterinary assistant for Canon Hill Equine Clinic. She credits her positive experiences growing up at the racetrack to her lifelong dream of becoming an equine veterinarian and owning her own practice.
AMY NAROTSKY, 20, Willowbrook, Illinois, daughter of Eliot Narotsky, director of racing/racing secretary for Maywood Park and Balmoral Park, and Jean Narotsky, financial manager for Francenter. Narotsky is a sophomore at the University of Illinois studying Animal Sciences with plans to attend veterinary school upon graduation. She chose the University of Illinois because of the opportunity to work with Dr. Kevin Kline and the standardbred breeding program there. Narotksy’s great-grandfather was racing when Maywood Park first opened. After discovering harness racing at Buffalo Raceway while in high school, her father ‘Doc’ went on to become the youngest racing secretary of the time. She has spent her life ‘hanging around’ in the race office with her father and a few years ago was offered the opportunity to work at the Illinois State Fair in the race office and as the ringmaster an experience she likens to a dream come true. She has since moved her way up to being a placing judge and helping in the race office at Maywood and Balmoral.
ASHLEY CONGER, 17, Hudson, Ohio, is the daughter of Jeff Conger, a standardbred owner/trainer, and Linda Conger, a physical therapist. Conger is a third-generation horsewoman with ties to harness racing that began with her grandfather, horseman Joe Urban, over 45 years ago. Both her parents received their racing licenses as teenagers and she has followed by acquiring her groom’s license in 2012 at Northfield Park. Conger has spent a great deal of her free time working with her family in the standardbred business as well as holding the officer positions within two 4-H clubs; one as president and the other as secretary. With a cumulative high school GPA of 3.8, Conger is studying Pharmacy at The University of Findlay.
The winners were selected by HTA’s Scholarship Committee, consisting of 10 HTA directors and racing industry executives from around the country, co-chaired by former HTA president Jeffrey Smith and David Snyder of International Sound Corporation.
(HTA)