There was a time when Annise Montplaisir, a jockey as a young teenager, was part of the “next generation” of motorsport.
Today, as a graduate of North Dakota State University and a Godolphin Flying Start program with extensive experience in the racing business, Montplaisir joins the current generation of the industry. Along the way, she picked up something extremely valuable: her passion for using lessons learned to help newcomers find their way in the industry, too.
That path is Amplify Horse Racing, the nonprofit she and Madison Scott co-founded in 2019 that promotes education, mentoring, and career opportunities for youth and youth interested in entering the industry. Thoroughbred.
Start with its informative website [amplifyhorseracing.org], Amplify unites online and in-person by working with people, established organizations, and educational initiatives across the industry to help people find satisfying careers in business. And over the next few weeks, Montplaisir will be at one of the racecourse strongholds, Saratoga, to help young people connect with programs and mentors in a variety of ways.
“One of the biggest struggles for most newcomers to the sport is finding information about the industry,” said Montplaisir, president of Amplify. We have a lot of great initiatives for workforce education and training, but if you’re not mature in the industry, it can be difficult to figure out how to get started. “
That’s where Amplify is stepping up to offer full-day behind-the-scenes educational tours for teens and young adults, ages 15 to 25, at Saratoga Racecourse on Wednesday, August 10; Friday, August 12; Wednesday, August 17; and Friday, August 19
Now in its third year, the “Saratoga Experience” travel program is “the pinnacle behind the curtain”, as one Saratoga 2021 participant described it, a way to help young people interested in business Businessmen learn about typical days of racehorses. Participants will speak with coaches and experts from the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) from start to finish, some of them have careers or skills that the typical fan might not be aware of. They will take part in morning training, tour the Hall of Fame, and compete in races.
“The great thing about being in Saratoga is that it’s a magical place,” says Montplaisir. “You can’t leave Saratoga without feeling passionate about racing. We want to make sure everyone on the show can see and chat with racers of all levels. Sometimes it’s all just a matter of course.” needing an open door is a conversation with one’s right. That can happen in Saratoga.”
That happened to Montplaisir, who followed his fascination with horses while watching the film, Ruffian, as a teenager. Raised near Fargo, North Dakota, she took up a volunteer position at the North Dakota Horse Park as a racetrack ambassador, standing at the front gate with its mascot, a retired racehorse named is Barracuda Boy.
From there, Montplaisir dabbled in a bit of everything at the horse park — “that’s the value of working as a mini-track,” she says — progressing from equestrian to galloping, assisting the critical director. communication system, working as an official. watches and even served a summer as communications director. “Anything I wanted to get my hands on,” she said, “they threw me right in, and I learned.”
During two graduate summers, Montplaisir interned for the Saratoga Special newspaper and began forging the relationship that would build her career. After graduating from North Dakota State, where she majored in Management Communications and International Studies with a minor in Spanish, Montplaisir joined the horse country of Kentucky. There, she interned at Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland and Mill Ridge Farm before being accepted into the two-year Godolphin Flying Start program. Today, Montplaisir is back in Kentucky, based in Lexington as the Education Coordinator for the Kentucky Horse Education Project.
Montplaisir considers himself lucky to have grown up near a racetrack and has many connections to further his career. She describes Amplify as a resource or tool that opens doors for those without connections — “a more affordable avenue to connect with programs and mentors.”
Previous participants of the Saratoga tours agreed. Matthew Scull, who joined the Saratoga tour in 2021, said: “Amplify offers a first-class experience filled with educational moments from start to finish. so many. The tour has illuminated some of the greatest people, places and shows associated with the sport. “
To another Saratoga 2021 participant, Mary Rufo, “Amplify did a great job with their tour in Saratoga.”
“I have lived in the Saratoga area most of my life,” added Rufo. “These tours are a great way to get a deeper, behind-the-scenes look at how it all comes together in a single day at the races.”
As part of this month’s program in Saratoga, Amplify is partnering with the Cornell Collaborative Expansion service to offer tours to participants in their youth programs, including the Horse team Senior and Animal Ambassador. And from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 21, Amplify will be at the Saratoga County Horse Farm Tour organized by CCE Equine, an adult education program in the Metropolitan Region . The self-driving tour event will include a list of participating farms across Saratoga County.
Considering that Amplify is dedicated to inclusion and breaking barriers, Montplaisir finds a lot of irony given the racing moniker “The Sport of Kings”.
“In horse racing, you are not restricted to sitting in the stands as an observer,” she said. , train to be a pro, and watch them strengthen and improve with each race. That’s because thoroughbred racing isn’t just a sport of kings; It is a sport for everyone! ”
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