When it comes to the future, Jodie Vella-Gregory understands the assignment.

“If we’re not focusing on the next generation, then we’re not focusing on the industry,” said Vella-Gregory, vice president of industry relations of 1/ST RACING & GAMING. “We constantly are talking about how we need people to be involved in racing in the industry and what better way than to organically do that from the beginning?”

Vella-Gregory visiting horses with a Maryland student at Preakness (Courtesy of Jodie Vella-Gregory)

That focus on the next generation of leaders in the sport motivates this Canadian horsewoman and mentor to work with organizations like Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) focused on helping young people learn more about the broad spectrum of jobs within Thoroughbred racing; the Ed Brown Society, which focuses on connecting underrepresented populations with opportunities in the sport; and the Horse Racing Women’s Association (HRWA), a community that focuses on professional development for women in all areas of the sport, from backstretch workers to senior management at racetracks, farms, and more.

Vella-Gregory’s emphasis on the people who make racing go is a common thread that runs through her career, an idea she arrived at in her youth in Alberta and then her early years in Kentucky.

“Growing up, I was always very cognizant that people were helping me or supporting me in certain ways,” she said. “When I first got to Kentucky, the people who were opening doors and taking me places, I’ve always wanted to pay that forward. I think it’s really important if you can give back in some way, however that is for you, why wouldn’t you?”

A daughter of British and Maltese parents, she spent her formative years on the back of a horse as a three-day eventer, often riding off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs), and competed on Alberta’s Young Riders Team. Curious about the horses she rode, she would research their careers and became interested in learning more about horse racing. That led to an internship at KESMARC (Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center) and a job at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital as a clinician technician with Scott Hopper, DVM. From there, she has worked for Santa Anita Park, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., and now 1/ST RACING, her focus on innovation for the fan experience at all levels.

The common thread for all of these experiences? A chance to learn more about every aspect of the sport.

Jodie Vella-Gregory (Courtesy of Jodie Vella-Gregory)

“Everything is a learning experience. What I learned has carried over to the next job,” Vella-Gregory said. “Seeing how important the horse is at the center of everything is primary. So from job to job, that has been a focus of mine.”

Her advocacy for the horse sparked similar efforts to advocate for women and other underrepresented groups within racing. Cognizant of how others helped her along her journey, she wanted to pay that forward, which led her to be a part of the effort to start the HRWA in 2022. This community is built on authentic connection for women in the sport, elevated support to increase their visibility, and the strategic investment of tools and opportunities to ensure their long-term success. The group started organically via a lunch at Del Mar.

“Stephanie Hronis, Jordyn Egan, and myself, we’d actually just decided we were doing just a luncheon. We had it at Del Mar, offered tickets, and it sold out. We got stools and a mobile speaker and microphone. We had a few different speakers,” Vella-Gregory said.

“Obviously, there’s a need and a want for people to gather. There wasn’t really any professional development for women in racing. It was interesting to see this room full of people and wonder if we can do something a bit bigger than this.”

That led to expanded events in 2023 and 2024, and then the transition from the Horse Racing Women’s Summit, as they were originally known, to the Horse Racing Women’s Association, a chance to offer professional development for women in the sport year-round. That transition from a luncheon to a series of conferences offers even more opportunities for women in the sport not only to connect, but to cultivate their ambitions.

“Our goal is to get voices of people that are aspirational and representative of what people in that room might need, or of things that maybe they don’t even know they need. We look for different voices and different people that they can look up to no matter where they are in their career,” Vella-Gregory said.

The HRWA focuses on not just the women on the frontside, but also those on the backside, the ones who are part of the foundation of the sport as they care for the horses daily. “Without the backstretch employees dedicating their lives to these animals, we wouldn’t be able to operate. They are such an integral part of this industry, and they do so much to keep these horses safe, sound, healthy, happy. So we also have a backstretch event in conjunction with each event. We have a few speakers come and talk about the different services that are available to the backstretch community,” she said.

Seeing her work come to fruition at HRWA events fuels Vella-Gregory through the process of planning and executing these gatherings. “I usually get emotional on the day of. There’s so much work that goes into it from so many different people. When that room fills up and the first speaker kicks off, I just take a moment. I look around the room and this is hopefully going to impact some of these people,” she said. “To see the culmination of really hard work day in and day out, those are really special moments. It’s a really cool feeling.”

Her work with HRWA, the Ed Brown Society, and other organizations seeks to connect those already working in the sport with those who aspire to follow in their footsteps, to ensure the future of racing through advocacy. For Vella-Gregory, the best way to do that is to promote representation, for women, for people of color, and more.

Vella-Gregory at HRWA Conference (Courtesy of Jodie Vella-Gregory)

“Representation is huge, and I don’t think it’s really understood as deeply unless you are someone that needs to see that representation,” Vella-Gregory said. “I think that is so key. Whether it’s women, people of color, anyone that is trying to navigate anything in their life, it’s really important to have that representation.”

As racing contemplates what’s next and meeting the challenges of the country’s oldest sport in the 21^st century, Vella-Gregory continues to work for diversity as part of the solution.

“Everything is better with diverse thoughts, diverse input, people coming at it from different angles,” she said. “Listening to people that have differing understandings or coming in with fresh focus and fresh ideas, that’s amazing. Why wouldn’t we embrace that?”

At the heart of her work both on behalf of the horse and the people who work with them is mentorship and collaboration, giving of yourself to help others realize their hopes and dreams.

“I think paying it forward will always work out,” Vella-Gregory said. “What you put out there always will come back to you.”