Peggy Hendershot, who since 2006 has served as President of the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry’s most influential federal political action committee, Horse PAC®, will retire at the end of the year, the NTRA announced today.

Hendershot’s lengthy tenure with Horse PAC® began in 2002 when the bi-partisan PAC was activated to promote and facilitate the accumulation of voluntary contributions from members in support of political parties and candidates for federal elective office in the United States. Horse PAC® has since become one of the largest federal gaming PACs in the nation while protecting and promoting the industry’s interests on Capitol Hill.

As a multi-issue, bi-partisan PAC, Horse PAC® gives strategic support to federal political candidates who:

  • Serve on Congressional committees that oversee matters pertaining to livestock and agricultural issues, Internet gaming, immigration, taxation and the Interstate Horseracing Act
  • Are established Congressional leaders
  • Understand horse racing’s issues
  • Have racetracks, breeding farms, training centers and other equine venues in their district
  • Are members of the Congressional Horse Caucus
  • Are emerging leaders meriting “early support”

“I am honored to have served alongside members of the Horse PAC® Board, the NTRA’s legislative team and the many industry stakeholders who believe in the power of legislative advocacy,” said Hendershot.

Hendershot began her career in horse racing working part-time at Les Bois Park in Idaho. After attending the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program, Hendershot moved to New York where she became an original member of the staff of Thoroughbred Racing Communications, which merged into NTRA Communications in 1999. Over a nearly 20-year association with the NTRA, Hendershot served in several corporate communications roles at the NTRA and as Executive Director of NTRA Charities. In that position, she  led a campaign that raised $5 million for the NTRA Charities New York Heroes Fund after the September 11 attacks; she also aided in the development of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, on whose Board of Directors she continues to serve. In addition to her tenure as Horse PAC® President, Hendershot served in a variety of roles supporting the NTRA’s federal legislative programs and ultimately was named the NTRA’s Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs.

“Peggy is the unsung hero of Horse PAC®,” said Horse PAC® Chairman Bill Farish. “For many years, the PAC Board has relied upon her insights and the results of her leadership speak for themselves – unprecedented fundraising from all segments of the industry, with more than $4 million raised in support of federal political candidates and parties. She will be missed by me and many more. I wish her well.”

About the NTRA

The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, NTRA.com, the Eclipse Awards, the National Horseplayers Championship, NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program, and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).

 

##