Sunrise at Old Hilltop Meet This Year’s Pimlico Tour Guides!


Ever wonder which stall at Pimlico the Ken-


tucky Derby winner gets to stay in? Or why there is a separate winner’s circle for the Preak- ness winner? Would you like to get a chance to walk through the paddock before Preak- ness festivities begin, or get to peek inside the jockey’s room? All of this and more can be ex- perienced during the Sunrise Tours at Pimlico during Preakness week. And… it’s all free! Tours run 6 am to 9 am Tuesday (May 16)


through Friday (May 19). T ere is no prereg- istration needed for individuals but if you are looking to bring a group of 10 or more, contact Diana Harbaugh at diana.harbaugh@maryland- jockeyclub.com to set up a private group tour. Parking is in the Rogers Ave. lot at the in-


tersection of Northern Parkway and Woodcrest Ave. Parking is also free and entrance to the track is through the Rogers Ave. gate. Check in for the tours is below the grandstand, track side. For more information or to pre-register, go to


www.preaknenss.com/sunrise-tours. But before you go… read about this year’s Sunrise Tour Guides below!


Fran Burns Fran Burns is


the Head Tour Guide


for the


Sunrise Tours. She can be best described as a Thoroughbred advocate.


Fran


owns Boxwood Farm, a board- ing barn mostly for retired Off -T e-Track-T oroughbreds. T e average age of Boxwood’s equine residents is 20! Fran was one of the cofounders of the T or- oughbred Alliance Show Series and is on the Board of Directors of T e Maryland State Fair. She also hosts back stretch tours at Timonium Race Track during the Maryland State Fair. Growing up on her family farm in Cockeysville, she rode and showed in area horse shows. More recently, she assists with Canter for the Cause at Pimlico and volunteers with MidAtlantic Horse Rescue near Chesapeake City. Fran was the 2022 Winner of the Maryland Million’s Joe Kelly “Unsung Hero” Award given by the Board of Directors of Maryland Million Ltd. “T e best part of tours for me is the kids,” Fran said. “To see their faces light up when they get to touch a horse for the very fi rst time is magic.” Fran be- lieves kids are the future of horse racing.


Jenile Tapscott Jenile Tapscott inherited her love of hors-


es from her parents, Carylyne and Radcliff . www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580


Erika Taylor Crowl Erika Taylor Crowl


grew up riding with Elkridge-Harford Hunt Pony Club. When she was 15 years old, she started hot walking horses at Pimlico on the week- ends for one of her Pony Club instruc- tors. A year later, she started galloping for Kevin Boniface at Bonita Farm in the morn- ings before school. “Kevin was very instrumen- tal in my riding career,” Erika said. Later, after college, Erika began work-


ing for the late Tom Voss, which is when she started riding steeplechase races. T anks to FEGENTRI (the International Federation of Gentleman and Lady Riders), she has been able to travel the world riding fl at races while representing the U.S. Currently, Erika rides for various trainers in the mornings at Pimlico, all while working full-time for the University of Maryland Extension. “On my down time, I enjoy foxhunting and horse showing,” she said. Erika loves being able to share her passion for


horse racing with those who come to the Sun- rise Tours. “Especially sharing Maryland’s rich racing history with others who may know little


Both T orough- bred trainers, they passed their pas- sion for the sport to Jenile when she was still young. Je- nile trained horses with her dad un- til his death in the early 90s, and works with her


mom still, as her assistant trainer. Her work with horses is expansive, from grooming and training to owning. During her school years, Jenile worked week- ends and holidays at the track. After gradua- tion, she started rubbing horses for mentor, trainer Charlie Hadry. Her pride shows when she lists the accomplishments of the horses that have thrived under her care. Jenile’s love of animals is refl ected in all areas of her life. She recently retired from her full- time job as an animal caretaker at the USDA after 21 years and is thrilled that she now has more time to spend with the T oroughbreds in her mom’s stable. Jenile’s expertise and unique experiences enhance every tour she gives, and her passion makes them memorable.


about horses in general and watching their fac- es light up with excitement when they come to the backside,” she elaborated.


Yomar Ortiz, Jr. T ose who attended Sunrise Tours in 2022


may have run into pony jockey Yomar Ortiz, Jr. who was sta- tioned with Bobby lis


Lil- demon-


strating how jockeys ride racehorses. At just 14 years old and currently in eighth grade, Yomar is back this year assisting with the jockey demos. Yomar has an all-around love for horses and


ponies. “My dream is to become a jockey like my dad,” he said. Yomar currently horse shows, fox hunts, and competes in pony races.


Donna Sullivan Donna Sul-


livan’s love of horses takes her from foaling babies to horse showing and hauling horses for others. Don- na and her fam- ily own a horse farm in Jarrettsville where she has a few brood- mares and enjoys raising babies to train and show. Her horses have competed at many of the major horse shows up and down the east coast. Donna continues to assist with foaling for


some major T oroughbred breeding farms in Maryland. She loves children, and spends her free time raising Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Donna enjoys the Sunrise Tours as they allow her to meet people and educate them about racing and the history of Old Hilltop.


Julia Oughton Julia Ough-


ton is a native of Great Brit- ain and grew up around horses. She was a work- ing student for British Olympic medalists Jane Holderness Roddam and Jennie Lorriston Clarke. Julia took her British Horse Society and National Pony Society exams before tak-


continued... THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | MAY 2023 | 17


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