If you have ever participated in the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) or the NHC Tour, two of the people you have undoubtedly, and unforgettably, come in contact with are Michele Ravencraft and Holly Short. Together, they are the top two operational administrators of the NTRA’s signature handicapping tournament responsible for annually awarding tournament players more than $3 million in purse money and the Eclipse Award for Handicapper of the Year.

The 27^th annual NHC is ready to kick off on March 13-15, 2026, at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Most tournament players already realize that the event could not go off without a hitch the way it does if it were not for the efforts and professionalism of “Michele and Holly,” as they are affectionately known. Under the leadership of NTRA Chief Operating Officer Keith Chamblin, Ravencraft and Short and the rest of the NTRA staff manage the monumental operational and administrative undertaking of putting on the show each year at the NHC – and each year, without fail, they earn exceptionally high marks.

The NHC main event in Las Vegas actually is just the tip of the iceberg for Michele and Holly. The dynamic duo runs the NHC qualifying process and the NHC Tour as a year-round endeavor.

Ravencraft is the senior vice president of events for the NTRA and is charged with overseeing both the NHC and NHC Tour. Michele updates the NHC Tour Leaderboard year-round and works with NHC handicappers on a daily basis. Ravencraft has more than 20 years of experience working at the NHC.

Short is the NTRA director of marketing and events who is often known as the “email girl,” in charge of most of the communication between the NTRA and NHC participants. She has been with the NTRA since 2017 and works tirelessly to make each year’s NHC bigger and better than the year before.

America’s Best Racing caught up with Michele and Holly in the days leading up to the start of the 2026 NHC to get their thoughts on the annual tournament, and the roles they play in it.

Describe the pride you take in the NHC. What does the event mean to you?

Michele: I’d say helping the NHC grow from 200 entries to over 800 entries over the years is my biggest accomplishment. I have been working at the NTRA and with the NHC since 2003, and I have seen it grow over the last two decades and am very proud of what it has become.

I love working with the tournament directors from across the country. They deserve a lot of the credit. Operating contests and the customer service component is not easy. They all do an amazing job and are passionate about what they do. I appreciate their support of the NHC. 

Holly: Whenever someone asks me what I do, I say, ‘I get to help create an ecosystem that celebrates hundreds of horseplayers every year. I get to make them feel like the most important person in the room and hopefully provide a meaningful experience they will never forget and yearn to experience again.’

We know the time commitment that contests require and know that the time of the members and qualifiers of the NHC is very precious. People have jobs, families, and responsibilities, and knowing that this is something worth spending their time on is not something I take lightly. I want to work every day to honor that. 

I’m proud about the community that the players have created for themselves. It’s really special, and it’s so hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. I always say I want everyone to be a fly on the wall at the NHC because you just don’t get it until you see it for yourself.

Michele in action preparing for the NHC. (NTRA photo)

What are your favorite things about the NHC and your job administering the contest?

Michele: I have been working with the NHC for more than 20 years, and I can tell you it’s my favorite part of my job at the NTRA. Horseplayers are extraordinary people. I’ve been lucky to know thousands of them throughout my time working with the NHC and NHC Tour over the years. It’s given me a lot of joy. It’s a job that I feel proud to be part of. As I tell everyone I know, NHC weekend is my favorite weekend of the year!

Holly: I love the NHC. It has introduced me to so many interesting people that I would never have been exposed to otherwise. How many people get to say their job is to talk to horseplayers every day and award millions of dollars? That’s so much more fun than sitting in a cubicle. We always talk with people over email and phone, but to get to shake someone’s hand and put the faces with the names in person is great. This is my 10^th NHC and I like seeing people year after year and getting glimpses of the people’s lives. I can literally feel the energy that is in the room at the NHC in my bones. It’s an adrenaline rush that sustains me through the event until the flight home. It’s hard for me to find another program in our industry that has the growth and the longevity of the NHC (27 years).

What are your least favorite things?

Michele: I’ve had to spend some time away from my daughter traveling in the past when the NHC and Eclipse Awards were in January. Sometimes we didn’t have a Christmas tree. But now my daughter understands, and I’m happy to say she is a pretty good handicapper. 

Also, I’ve heard thousands of bad beats in these contests. I truly root for everyone to make it to the NHC. In my opinion, It’s an unforgettable experience for a horseplayer.

Holly: I’m in Vegas for 12 days and with the time difference and how busy we are, it’s hard being away from my family and it’s hard to connect once the event begins. The worst part is when something goes wrong. We plan and plan and plan, but sometimes, things happen. We never want anyone to be upset or have a bad contest experience. It stays with us. I will dream about the NHC for weeks before and after the event. It’s usually just lists and faces, but man, it’s exhausting!

Holly during registration. (NTRA photo)

How much time and effort goes into the preparation for the Championship in Las Vegas. Does it ever get old?

Michele: Managing the NHC and NHC Tour is the main part of my job. There is not a day off. But is it really a job? I love it. I have an amazing team at the NTRA. Everyone contributes to its success each year. It takes the whole team. Keith Chamblin has been with the NTRA since the inception of the NTRA and NHC. It wouldn’t be where it is now without him. Also, I could not do this without Holly. She keeps me and the NHC qualifiers organized and prepared for the Championship. 

Holly: You truly cannot do this job without liking the people you work with day in and day out. The NTRA has an amazing team that all comes together for this event to make it what it is. People know and see Michele, Keith, and Holly, but it would not be what it is without the entire staff. I’m dead serious – we begin preparing for the next NHC the day after the last NHC begins. We’re human, our brains are fried, but it really doesn’t get old.

When you're not hard at work with the NTRA, what do you most enjoy doing in your down time?

Michele: The NHC is one of my “babies” along with my 28-year-old daughter, Schuler, who just got engaged. I love playing tennis, traveling, and hate to sit still.  I am an avid tennis player, and captaining a women’s USTA team may be just as hard as working with over 5,000 horseplayers! 

Holly: I spend time with my husband and 11-year-old son and I’m doing a lot of chauffeuring around. I can spend a good rainy afternoon watching How It’s Made and This Old House. I spend my evenings relaxing to murder podcasts and love period-based British drama series. I listen to audio books mostly because I feel very unproductive if I sit. I like to read and learn about World War II. My dog Daisy and I try to go on three-mile walks every day. I enjoy organizing and cleaning my house – I go to Goodwill so often. I play Mahjong with a group of girlfriends, and I talk to my mom every day! I like to tailgate for college football because anytime I can stand in a parking lot during the day drinking a beer, I’m pretty happy. I like to travel and spend some time out of the country and experience some really cool places. I’m in bed at 9 p.m. and up at 4:50 a.m. so I can have an hour of silence with my coffee before my day begins.

When the NHC reconvenes in Las Vegas for the 27^th time on March 13, horseplayers can never count on winning, but they can always count on a well-run event and one heckuva good time thanks in large part to the efforts of Michele Ravencraft and Holly Short. Together they are the engine that drives the National Horseplayers Championship.