Page 132 - July 2016

“I feel like this job was made for me, so I don’t think that I would like to work anywhere else.”
by John Moorehouse
As the Nominations Secretary at Ruidoso Downs, Annelle Reynolds has been a fixture at one of Quarter Horse racing’s staple tracks for many years. Her career at the New Mexico track started from humble, and unexpected, beginnings.
Reynolds was originally hired in 2008 in the accounts payable department. Before she even started, Reynolds was summoned to meet with then-general manager Ann McGovern and the assistant general manager Jean Stoddard.
“They asked if I would be interested in being the Nominations Secretary as well as the accounts pay- able clerk,” Reynolds recalled. The reasoning for the double duty was that accounts payable work typically slowed in the winter time. That winter, however, was anything but typical. A huge flood hit Ruidoso in late July of 2008, causing significant damage at the track.
“There were a lot of repairs to make, which meant a whole lot of invoices to be posted and paid, so it wasn’t a slow winter in payables,” Reynolds said.
After a busy summer as Nominations Secretary, Reynolds told her bosses she wanted to work one job, not both. “I chose nominations and have never regret- ted my decision,” she stated.
Reynolds is sure to be plenty busy during the upcoming New Mexico Bred (Aug. 19-20) and Yearling (Sept. 2-4) sales at Ruidoso. Before all that hubbub, she responded to our questionnaire in this latest installment of our Lighter Side feature.
Q: Where were you born?
A: Ruidoso, New Mexico.
Q: What are your hobbies outside of horse racing?
A: Doing anything with my two granddaughters, reading, or playing cards and dominos.
Q: What is your favorite movie, and why?
A: Toss up between “50 to 1” and “Man From Snowy River.” On “50 to 1” I know some of the folks that the movie is about. “Man From Snowy River” because of the great horsemanship and beautiful country.
Q: Give an interesting fact about your family.
A: My parents are also lifetime residents of Lincoln County, as were both of their moth- ers. Both their grandfathers were involved in the Lincoln County War.
ANNELLE REYNOLDS
John Moorehouse
Q: What is the strangest personality quirk you have ever seen in a horse?
A: When I was a kid, I had a great cowhorse. He would try to buck off any man that got on him, but they all said he was one of the best cowhorses they ever rode. He only bucked with me once, when I was goofing around on him instead of paying attention, so that was my fault. He also loved to chew spearmint gum—no other kind, just spearmint.
Q: If you were not in the horse racing business, what job would you like to have? A: I feel like this job was made for me, so I don’t think that I would like to work anywhere else. I have the greatest owners and bosses!
Q: What is your favorite thing about living where you live?
A: The weather.
Q: If you could vacation anywhere on the planet, where would it be & what would you do there?
A: I would love to go to Australia.
130 SPEEDHORSE, July 2016
THE LIGHTER SIDE