When Mackenzie Kirker-Head joined the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority last summer as its communications manager, she arrived with a strong desire to support and strengthen the industry that she has loved since she was a child. The 31-year-old native of Massachusetts, now living in Lexington since 2015, previously worked as a marketing manager at MyRacehorse, the microshare platform that caters to more than 50,000 owners.

Horses, specifically Thoroughbreds, have been in my life for most of my 37 years on this earth. My first horse was a super-green off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) that today would probably be too much horse for a regular 10-year-old. But what did I know? He was super-sweet on the ground, loved attention, and was an absolutely gorgeous dark bay. Under saddle, he was completely different: a hot ball of nerves. But boy, was he talented despite his quirks. He really taught me how to RIDE. We developed an incredible bond and did everything together. This solidified my love of Thoroughbreds.