Page 120 - August 2019

JENNIFER PERKINS
by John Moorehouse
“I am proud to be part of a sport where I truly believe in the breed and its versatility.”
Quarter Horse racing in the state of Minnesota is on the upswing.
As the Executive Director of the Minnesota Quarter Horse Racing Association, that’s music to Jennifer Perkins’ ears.
“Our state-bred program has grown with increases in Breeders’ Fund money and new stakes; now there are multiple restricted stakes for every age,” said Perkins, who became Executive
Director in February of 2017. “We see more interest every year as people realize how easy and lucrative it is to have a registered Minnesota-bred Quarter Horse.”
Perkins’ ties in the horse industry run deep – all the way to when she was three years old and went to a track for the first time to watch a horse compete who was owned by her grandparents. She spent her formative years going to flat racing at Wyoming Downs in the summer, and chariot races at Davis and Weber Downs during
the winter.
Perkins obtained her Master’s from the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona, going on to receive her Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She also has completed the Racing Officials Accreditation Program, and serves on the Leg Up Fund, which supports injured Canterbury Park jockeys. She also spent a year’s term as AQHA Director of Racing.
Now that you know more about Perkins’ exten- sive career in racing, let’s learn more about her personality, likes, and dislikes in the latest install- ment of our Lighter Side.
Q: Where were you born?
A: I was born near Salt Lake City; I grew up in northern Utah, but have since lived in Portland, Tucson, Houston, Amarillo, and now Minneapolis.
Q: What are your hobbies outside of horse racing?
A: Traveling, hiking, genealogy, finding new breweries, and following the NFL and NBA. I am an avid Thoroughbred horseplayer and I love to visit tracks whenever I travel.
Q: What is your favorite movie, and why?
A: One of my all-time favorites is “Seabiscuit.”
In racing, as in all sports, people love to cheer for the underdog and have an emotional connection to the game, and that movie captures it perfectly.
Q: What’s an interesting fact about
your family?
A: My family has been involved with horses for at least six generations. My great-great-great grand- father was a Mormon pioneer who settled the farmland that I grew up on, and local historians noted that he was always known for his horses. My grandfather, great-grandfather and cousins also ran chariot teams for many years.
Q: Do you have a nickname and,
if so, what is it and how did it
come about?
A: I don’t have a nickname; at least, not that I am aware of ... !
John Moorehouse
118 SPEEDHORSE, August 2019
THE LIGHTER SIDE