Page 18 - New Mexico Horse Breeder, Fall

Anna Fay Davis Retires from NMHBA
Anna Fay Davis retired as executive director of the New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association, effective June 22.
Ms. Davis served as executive director of the NMHBA since the early 1990s, shortly after she joined the association in ’91 as an administrative assistant to then-executive director Murph Palmer. A native of Roswell, New Mexico, and
a graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry program, she was a pioneer in the New Mexico racing industry. Her first job after graduation was as an office assistant to racing secretary Charlie Iles and general manager Bill Humphreys at The Downs at Santa Fe. She was eventually promoted to paymaster of purses at Santa Fe and The Downs at Albuquerque.
In 1989, New Mexico Gov. Garrey Carruthers appointed Ms. Davis deputy director of the state racing commission, making her
the first woman to ever hold that position. She eventually passed a stewards’ seminar sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association
and the University of Arizona, and in 1991
she became the first female steward at a New Mexico track when she accepted a post at The Downs at Albuquerque.
During her tenure as executive director of the NMHBA, the association became active in promoting the racing industry to the general public, including state legislators. She was instrumental in organizing, in conjunction with local 4-H groups, tours of several racetracks,
including The Downs at Albuquerque, Sunland Park, and Ruidoso Downs. The tours were modeled after the AQHA Racing Challenge’s successful Youth Racing Experience events.
Ms. Davis also managed the NMHBA’s magazine, the New Mexico Horse Breeder, which is distributed four times a year to the association’s membership, and under her leadership the association developed a presence on the popular social media platforms Facebook and Twitter
. She also served on the New Mexico Racing Commission’s Rules and Medication committees.
“The NMHBA board and the entire racing industry in our state appreciates Anna Fay’s many years of service to the industry,” said NMHBA president Ralph Vincent.
16 New Mexico Horse Breeder