AFTER Christmas break, all of the trainees arrived in America ready for action. Significant travel delays shook up the European contingent, but all the bags have arrived by now. The month has flown by, highlighted by various visits to historical Bluegrass farms, including Jonabell Farm, home to the Darley stallions, and Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, where Triple Crown winner American Pharoah rules. However, even though one would like to admire the stallions all day, work had to be done. The equine nutrition module at the University of Kentucky, as well as completing the racing official accreditation course has kept us on our toes!

Who would have thought we would get the chance to discuss significant steward decisions and disqualifications that created tsunamis within thoroughbred racing? Over and over we watched the races in question, focusing on the horses and the jockeys while discussing how the officials came to their decision. Decades of combined experience, the good and the bad, all was laid bare.