WOMEN IN AMERICAN HORSE RACING

has been named a finalist for a 2008 Billie Award.

The Billies “honor media excellence in the portrayal of girls and women in sports.” They are named in honor of women's sports pioneer Billie Jean King, and are presented by the Women’s Sports Foundation.

The third annual Billie Awards will be April 15 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. It’s a $1,000/plate black tie affair; the previous two ceremonies have featured luminaries from the world of entertainment and sports. Sir Elton John will perform a live one-hour concert at the conclusion of the dinner.

Women in American Horse Racing

premiered June 16, 2007 at Suffolk Downs Racetrack!

DVD's are available through the Daily Racing Form, Amazon, and other outlets at $14.95.

American Storyboard American Storyboard, Inc., is a non-profit, 501c3 charitable corporation dedicated to producing educational documentaries of the highest quality. American Storyboard is the producer of an important sports documentary titled Women in American Horse Racing.  Preproduction of High Horse will begin in late 2009. A previous feature, Gloucester's Adventure: An American Story, won national awards, including a TELLY and GOLD AURORA, and was aired on PBS outlets. Tax deductible donations may be made to American Storyboard, Inc.  Marketing suggestions for Women in American Horse Racing, as well as other offers of assistance in reaching our educational goals, are welcome.  We also invite queries from the press and from sales representatives and outlet managers.

Mission American Storyboard seeks to improve civic understanding of environmental and social issues by producing video documentaries to be used as educational and historical resources. Productions improve understanding of how technology, in specific regions or communities, affects resource management, ecology, preservation, family-based and other small businesses, new industries, tourism, and attitudes toward technology itself. American Storyboard seeks to help American communities face difficult decisions by deepening an awareness of historical context.

Women in American Horse Racing

 Sponsored in part by  and  

                                                               and

This documentary, co-produced by John and Sandy Ronan, explores women's careers in racing, from trainers to vets, and from grooms to jockeys to owners. It outlines the struggle women have had - and continue to have - in their rise to prominence in the thoroughbred racing industry.

Pre-production began in spring 2005, with principal photography taking place in 2005 and 2006 in Massachusetts. Women in American Horse Racing premiered June 16, 2007.

Women in American Horse Racing was supported by private sponsorship and corporate underwriting, by institutional grants, and by dedicated fundraising.  Active sponsors include the Autotote Corporation, a subsidiary of Scientific Games, and The Daily Racing Form.

WATCH A VIDEO CLIP on Women in American Horse Racing (Windows Media format).  And listen to EQUINE FORUM, hosted by Mike Penna and Pete Kules, as they interviewed John and Sandy Ronan on September 1, 2007, live from Saratoga Race Course.  Mike and Pete are the track-savvy operators of the Horse Racing Radio Network, based in Lexington, KY.

On August 3, 2007, John Hernandez and Dick Harbin on The Friday Night Touch program of the Thoroughbred Connection interviewed John about the documentary.  On September 2, 2006, an article about the documentary appeared in Joe and Sean Clancy's fine, benchmark newspaper, The Saratoga Special.  

Women in American Horse Racing has also been featured on PBS stations throughout Kentucky (KET) and Arkansas (AETN).

For up-to-date, knowledgeable information about racing, try Jessica Chapel's Railbird and watch for her her new launch of Raceday360.  And for John Ronan's latest piece of horse fiction, a short story titled Am I Missing Something?, go to the College of Southern Maryland's literary magazine Connections.

High Horse

High Horse will examine the transition between horsepower and the automobile at the turn of the twentieth century.  The advantages of speed and power presented by the internal combustion engine created 'progress' in American and throughout the world, but at a great price - to the horse and to human sensibilities.  High Horse plans to explored the gains and losses of this historic period.  Pre-production will begin in late 2009.

Adventure