HUNT VALLEY, MD (September 6, 2011) \u2014 Graham Motion, the Maryland-based trainer who won this year\u2019s Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom and currently ranks as the nation\u2019s fourth leading trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses, today received the Maryland Horse Industry Board\u2019s (MHIB) first \u201cTouch of Class\u201d Award. The award was presented following the Board\u2019s monthly meeting at a luncheon reception at the Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture in Hunt Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe equine industry is an integral part of Maryland\u2019s cultural and economic heritage,\u201d said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. \u201cWe commend Graham Motion for his extraordinary achievements and for his dedication to Maryland\u2019s horse industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The newly-instituted awards program honors a Maryland horse\/individual\/team\/organization or event who demonstrates the highest standard of excellence in the Maryland horse industry. The award will be given industry-wide, on a monthly basis, to recognize the many outstanding accomplishments of Marylanders in the horse world. Although the first recipient represents the horseracing segment of the industry, all aspects of equine disciplines will be considered and voted on for the honor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many great horses, horse people and horse happenings in Maryland that we thought we should recognize and let people know about them on an ongoing basis,\u201d said MHIB chairman, Jim Steele. \u201cThis is a strong, dynamic industry with determined and adventurous people and horses, exhibiting the best qualities of horsemanship all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The award is named after Touch of Class, the small but mighty Maryland-bred mare who won two Olympic show jumping gold medals. She currently holds the Olympic record for number of clean jumping rounds in an Olympic competition and is enshrined in the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame. The mare\u2019s breeder, former jockey Jennifer Small, also attended the awards ceremony and gave her personal account of the mare\u2019s accomplishments.<\/p>\n
Motion, who bases his operation at the Fair Hill Training Center in Cecil County, had another big week at the end of August, winning the Grade I Del Mar Oaks in Del Mar, California with Summer Soiree on August 20 and the Grade II Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga, New York with Daveron on August 27. As of August 29, Motion had saddled 77 winners from 336 starts with total earnings of near $6.5 million, ranking him fourth leading trainer in the U.S.<\/p>\n
A large part of the MHIB\u2019s mission is to promote and raise awareness of the state\u2019s equine industry. The 11-member Board is appointed by the Governor and represents the 65,000 Marylanders who own, ride, work or volunteer in the horse industry. For more information about the MHIB, the awards ceremony or the Maryland horse industry, contact Ross Peddicord, executive director MHIB (peddicrd@mda.state.md.us or 410-841-5798).<\/p>\n
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