A hero is an individual admired for braveness, excellent achievements, or noble qualities. There are heroes all through the horse racing trade and the Race Observe Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) acknowledges a few of these selfless servants yearly by means of the RTCA White Horse Award and the RTCA Group Service Award. Established in 2003, the White Horse Awards present appreciation to those people for acts of selflessness, bravery, and dedication.
This 12 months’s honorees are as follows:
2024 RTCA Group Service Award
Elliott Walden, a distinguished determine in thoroughbred racing, has acquired the 2024 RTCA Group Service Award. Recognized for his success as a thoroughbred coach and CEO of WinStar Farm, it’s Elliott’s dedication and dedication to service by means of the Race Observe Chaplaincy that’s being acknowledged by means of the RTCA Group Service Award. For over thirty years, Elliott Walden has been a significant contributor to the Race Observe Chaplaincy, each domestically and nationally. His dedication and management haven’t solely expanded the chaplaincy’s affect, but additionally improved the lives of many within the horse racing trade.
Elliott Walden at Keeneland
Elliott has served the Chaplaincy in quite a few methods. As a member of the Kentucky Race Observe Chaplaincy Council, he was instrumental in establishing the primary full-time Chaplain at Churchill Downs and serving to to construct a chapel on website, offering an area for worship and group occasions. As Council President of the New York Chaplaincy, Elliott led the event of a number of modern packages, broadening the chaplaincy’s companies to satisfy the non secular, bodily, emotional, social, and academic wants of these within the New York racing group. Elliott additionally served in different capacities on a nationwide degree, together with as RTCA Nationwide President for six of the final seven years. Beneath his management, the chaplaincy’s skill to serve the horse racing trade has grown tremendously.
At this 12 months’s RTCA Evening of Religion, Hope & Love (held yearly on the Breeders’ Cup World Championships), Elliott acquired the RTCA Group Service Award. The presentation featured touching tributes from Chaplain Humberto Chavez from New York, Chaplain John Shumaker from Turf Paradise and Arapahoe Park, RTCA Board Vice President Corey Johnsen and a particular video message from Corridor of Fame Jockey Pat Day.
2024 RTCA White Horse Award
The winner of this 12 months’s White Horse Award is outrider Bo Butler. Bo’s fast actions had been instrumental in stopping what may have been a much more extreme state of affairs.
Throughout a race at Fonner Park on March third, a sequence of occasions set off a chaotic chain response that affected a number of horses, jockeys, and outriders. The race started as anticipated, however quickly turned perilous when horses clipped heels, inflicting a ripple impact on the observe. Horses and jockeys had been down, making a tense and harmful state of affairs. To make issues worse, two of the horses started working counterclockwise, going towards the move of the race, which solely added to the confusion and potential hazard.
Amidst the unfolding chaos, outrider Bo Butler demonstrated exceptional talent and presence of thoughts. Butler swiftly pursued one of many wayward horses. As they neared the primary flip, with a number of horses nonetheless racing at full pace in the direction of him, Butler confronted a frightening problem. In a show of fast considering and knowledgeable horsemanship, Butler guided the horse in the direction of the skin rail, avoiding an much more catastrophic collision with the racing pack. Sadly, regardless of Butler’s efforts, his horse collided with one other horse at full pace. The subsequent factor Bo remembers was waking up within the hospital.
Bo Butler’s instincts, coaching and heroism spotlight the essential position outriders play in sustaining security on racetracks throughout the trade.
Chris Kotulak, CEO of Fonner Park, mentioned, “The RTCA White Horse Award goes to somebody who is taken into account a hero. Bo selflessly realized that he needed to go on the market and get that unfastened horse to avoid wasting the opposite horses and riders that had been bearing down on him. I am positive he did not even give it a second thought. He knew what he needed to do. That is heroism. That is valor and a heroic effort. And he deserves this award. We have an RTCA White Horse Award recipient right here at Fonner Park and that makes me very proud.”
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