Churchill Changes Lanes and Charges Ahead

It's one thing to grow up in Louisville, Ky., near the world's most renowned racetrack, and it's another to actually share your last name with the name of that racetrack—but for Charles Churchill, the stars just happened to align.

Now growing up touring the backside of Churchill Downs and attending the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) years ago has led him to a new career path, and the 2021/2022 Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship recipient is pursuing his choice with a passion. 

At first, horse racing was just a part of his social circles in Louisville. Churchill's grandfather would take him around the backside on weekend mornings, and he'd celebrate school being let out on Kentucky Oaks Day by having general admission to the track. His first horse racing magazine he ever purchased was BloodHorse. And when he and his friends attended Downs After Dark, they'd head to the concerts while he made a beeline to the rail for the races. Still, horse racing wasn't the direction his life was going. 

That is, until the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Churchill saw that while the rest of the world shut down, the horse industry didn't. He was trying to decide if he should switch his major from the University of Kentucky's business school to Equine Science and Management; the pandemic helped him take the plunge.

"(Horse racing) was always something I was into, but I didn't know if there was a viable career for it," said Churchill. "When COVID happened, I decided it was now or never."

Churchill utilized the knowledge of his mentors at UK, including internship coordinator Savannah Robbins, who pointed him in the direction of farms to contact for internships. After a pandemic-related internship cancellation, he reached out to local farms and finally connected with Bill Landis, general manager at Hermitage Farm. 

"I talked the farm manager at Hermitage and essentially pleaded for a job just to get exposure to the horses and the industry," Churchill said. "Mr. Landis graciously welcomed me and would bring me into his office on the weekends, while I worked on the farm learning all about grooming and breeding during the week.

"It was definitely a change from business school," he continued. "And Mr. Landis would say, 'That Churchill boy didn't know the first thing about being around a horse when he started here.'" 

After that internship, Churchill switched his major and focused on obtaining more experience and making more contacts within the industry.

"I decided that racing and racetrack operations was definitely the path I wanted to work towards," he said. "And I knew I needed to learn about horse racing from the ground up... literally."

Taking advantage of his proximity to Keeneland, Churchill reached out to Jim Pendergest, the Lexington oval's director of racing surfaces, to learn about what really goes into racing surfaces and how they contribute to the safety of the horses. He then was accepted into the Maryland Thoroughbred Career Program, and spent a week in the Mid-Atlantic region networking and learning about the region's industry. This past fall he shadowed Keeneland racing secretary Ben Huffman as well as completing an internship with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. 

"One of the coolest experiences I've had, so far, was taking over as the director of equine safety initiatives one day at Keeneland," Churchill said. "I learned all about the test barn, testing protocols as well as the safety initiatives."

Throughout all of this, Churchill has maintained his grades at UK while serving as part of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee, where he works with other students to help increase awareness of minorities and help others fight inequity.

"Working with Greg Harbut, Ray Daniels, and the Ed Brown Society to create more opportunities for minorities in the industry has made a big impact in my mission and my career choices," Churchill said.

Citing the lack of minorities in upper-level track management positions, Churchill added: "That's an initiative I'm working towards—to close the gap for minorities."

Churchill hopes to do that, thanks to the Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship Award. The scholarship was originally established at UK in 2005 as part of the UK's College of Agriculture, Good and Environment, home of the Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program. The scholarship is made possible thanks to the contributions of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Daily Racing Form, and many others in conjunction with the Legacy Equine Academy. 

"I am extremely grateful for the Joe Hirsch Legacy Academy Scholarship Fund because it has provided me with additional funds to allow me to continue my studies at the University of Kentucky," Churchill said. "I hope to utilize UK's curriculum to develop my knowledge on various direct and indirect economic contributions of wagering and necessary protocol required for a successful racing program in respective jurisdictions."

On top of finishing his college degree, Churchill is in pursuit of more lessons to learn in the industry. He already has another internship lined up with a track management group and looks to gain firsthand knowledge about wagering, racing, and how it all works in conjunction with the economy. 

"I definitely want to work with racino conglomerates to learn more about that working relationship, and I'm also thinking of working towards being accepted into the Darley Flying Start program," he said. "I want to see how we can improve the sport from all aspects.

"I am just so extremely thankful for everyone who has supported me," Churchill added. "Jumping into a brand new industry is not easy, but the horse industry has been very welcoming. I hope I can continue on this path, and I hope to change the sport for the better."