Leading Women in Racing Set for 2026 HRWA Conference in Kentucky
The Horse Racing Women’s Association will bring women from across the Thoroughbred industry together in Lexington, Kentucky, for its 2026 Annual Conference from 12 to 14 October.
Presented by FanDuel TV and Keeneland, the three-day conference will take place at Harper Hall and Keeneland. The programme will feature panel discussions, keynote and guest speakers, networking opportunities and conversations with women working across racing, breeding, veterinary medicine, media, technology and business.
The main conference day will take place at Harper Hall on Tuesday, 13 October, with three panel discussions examining leadership, technological development and professional opportunities within racing.
The opening panel, “Ambition & Agency: Women Navigating and Shaping Racing”, will focus on personal leadership and career development.
Moderated by Hallie Hardy, Executive Director of Visit Horse Country, the panel will feature Shannon Arvin, President and CEO of Keeneland; retired multiple graded stakes-winning jockey and Thoroughbred retraining advocate Rosie Napravnik; Emily Bushnell, founder of Tranquility Lake Farms and Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship; and Jamie Eads, President and CEO of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation.
The second panel, “Future Proofing: Tech, AI & the Next Era of Racing”, will explore how technology can support the sport, create opportunities and modernise careers.
Liza Hendriks, founder of Wanamaker’s and a member of the Inglis Digital USA board, will moderate the discussion. She will be joined by Dr Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at 1/ST; Caroline Leach, Data Management Specialist at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied AI; Youmna Hakoum, Senior Data Analyst at Equibase; and Charlotte Clement de Bona, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at The Jockey Club.
Mentorship, sponsorship and professional networks will be the focus of the third panel, “The Power Network: Mentorship, Sponsorship & Opening Doors”.
The panel will include Dena Merson, founder of Simply Racing; Heather Higgins, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Breeders’ Cup Limited; Katie Taylor-Whalen, Director of Marketing at Taylor Made Sales Agency; and Deja Robinson, an Ed Brown Society Fellow and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine candidate.
Cathy Shircliff, Director of Equine Industry Relations and Experience at Churchill Downs Incorporated, will moderate the discussion.
The conference will also feature a conversation with trainer Cherie DeVaux and Daisy Phipps Pulito, owner, breeder and racing manager of Phipps Stable. The discussion will be moderated by Audrey Cassidy, VIP Director of Racing at FanDuel.
Five-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medallist Elana Meyers Taylor will deliver the keynote address. Her conversation with broadcaster Britney Eurton will cover leadership, resilience, high performance and the pursuit of ambitious goals.
The conference begins on Monday, 12 October with a welcome and networking reception at Harper Hall. Former jockey and broadcaster Donna Brothers will appear as guest speaker.
On Wednesday, 14 October, attendees will take part in a guided networking session at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion, followed by an afternoon of racing and continued networking at Keeneland.
The programme also includes a Backstretch Women’s Luncheon at Keeneland Pavilion on Monday, hosted by Keeneland, The Safety Net Foundation and HRWA. This event is reserved for members of the backstretch community and volunteers and is not included in the main conference ticket.
The Horse Racing Women’s Association was founded in 2022 to support the professional and personal development of women working in horse racing. Its work is centred on three core pillars: Engage, Elevate and Invest.
Through its Pay It Forward programme, businesses and individuals can also sponsor conference tickets for women who would like to attend but may be unable to meet the cost. Sponsors can nominate a particular recipient or contribute to a shared ticket pool managed by the HRWA committee.
Early-bird conference registration remains available until 1 September 2026. Member tickets are priced at $350, with non-member tickets priced at $395. Student registration and corporate table packages are also available.
Further information and tickets are available through the Horse Racing Women’s Association conference page.
