It is not a new story that the horse racing industry has seemingly missed an entire generation of fans. Many initiatives are in place to attempt to fill that gap, and at the end of the day horsemen Ray Schnittker and racetrack executive Chris Tully can say that they are doing their part to reach out
to the younger demographic.
An article by the Times Herald-Record explains that Schnittker and Tully, Goshen Historic Track's general manager, have been instrumental in the Historic Track High School Scholarship Race, which will be taking place on Sunday, June 6.
Twelve female high school seniors have been practicing for Sunday, when they will steer a 1,000-pound horse around a racetrack surrounded by fellow competitors and a packed grandstand. Each teen will receive $1,000 in scholarship money. Two six-horse elimination races will send the top four finishers in each race to the final two weeks later. Results of that race will help determine additional scholarship money doled to the representative schools.
According to the article, Schnittker, for the second straight year, will raise upward of $40,000 to fund the scholarships.
"It's an adrenaline rush,'' said Jennifer Kelly, a Tuxedo High student who will attend Elmira College. "I sat in the grandstand filled with people watching the harness races with my dad (two years ago). It was so exciting to watch. I never thought I'd actually be in one.''
(With files from Times Herald-Record)