Member of the Month

Beverly Jaramillo

Beverly Jaramillo is what many Thoroughbred owners would call “the new kid on the block.” Although she said she grew up watching the Triple Crown on television with her father, she only became interested in becoming directly involved in the racing industry within the last year.

“They’re magnificent animals,” she said. “To watch them perform is to see the ultimate athlete, I think. We really enjoyed watching the races.”

She decided the next step in participating in the industry was to enroll in Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s education seminars. She attended a TOBA ownership seminar, a pedigree and conformation clinic, and a breeding clinic offered in 2011.

“I really liked the breeding part of it. Initially we thought we’d try to pick up a racehorse…I don’t know what we’re going to do, ultimately. We’ll try and look at multiple options and try to get to know the industry a little bit better,” she said.

Jaramillo does not own a Thoroughbred yet and is still debating between whether to start off with racing or breeding stock. As an obstetrician/gynecologist, she is especially fascinated with the advanced technologies used in the breeding industry, like the use of ultrasound, and the similarities to practices in human medicine. She attended her first auction at Keeneland November with Valkyre Stud owner Catherine Parke, whom she met at one of the TOBA seminars.

“If we hadn’t been with Catherine Parke, it would have been totally overwhelming,” said Jaramillo of her first sale experience. “She explained a lot to us, and I was fascinated to see how she approaches it. She mentioned to us that if you want high-end horses, you really have to look for good conformation. Luckily, we had done the course so we had some idea of what she was looking at.”

Jaramillo plans to visit at least one more auction to put her new skills to the test before choosing a type of horse to purchase.

She said she highly recommends the TOBA seminars to anyone interested in getting to know the racing industry the way she is.

“I thought the courses were absolutely outstanding,” Jaramillo said. “What impressed me was, a lot of people at the courses had actually been to them several times before, and they’ll come back every five years or so for a refresher. I think that really speaks highly of what TOBA is doing.”

Her time in Kentucky for the TOBA seminars also provided her the chance to visit a range of breeding farms—from a large operation like Lane’s End Farm to a smaller, “mom-and-pop operation” such as December Farm. Jaramillo said she was impressed with the strengths of both types of operations, and that the experience has given her more to think about as she learns how Thoroughbreds are managed.

“At my barn we have mixtures, and…Thoroughbreds that haven’t made it on the track. It was amazing to me to see the quality of these horses,” said Jaramillo.

She said she had an opportunity to watch during those tours as a vet performed several checks on mares, and a chiropractor adjusted some young horses, and as a medical professional she was impressed by the quality of care, especially veterinary services, available for Kentucky Thoroughbreds.

“She’s probably one of the best chiropractors I’ve seen, human or animal,” said Jaramillo. “I wish she were in my area, I would definitely have her work on my horse.”

Jaramillo is not new to horse management itself; she has been riding her spotted draft cross, “Annie”, for about eight years, foxhunting, trail riding, and recently, learning dressage. She is enjoying learning a new discipline in the off-season from foxhunting, and said she loves watching the exercise shape her horse’s fitness and gait.

Jaramillo and Annie live in Pittsburgh.

Congratulations to Beverly Jaramillo, TOBA’s January Member of the Month!