Among them are: social media coordinator for and , U.S. assistant racing manager at AMO Racing, graduate and all-female camel racing winner.

It’s easy to wonder what led Leslie from the Bluegrass State’s horse tracks to camel racing in Dubai. This week, she’s back in Louisville providing professional social media coverage of the Run for the Roses. ��

UofL News caught up with the accomplished alumna to hear more about her journey and the influence of the university.����

UofL News: What initially sparked your interest in the Equine Industry Business Program at UofL?��

Leslie: I was intrigued by the program because there isn’t anything else like it. Being able to get a business degree while specializing in the equine field was something that really drew me in. I also liked that it was a very close-knit program and the class sizes were small.��

UofL News: Can you share with us the journey that led you from studying equine business at the University of Louisville to becoming involved in camel racing and eventually winning the C1 Championship in Dubai?��

Leslie: I worked in the Thoroughbred industry throughout college and took every opportunity to meet new people. Working for Thoroughbred racehorse trainer Mark Casse, I met a lot of connected people who had an influence on where I am today. In 2022, I went to Dubai for America’s Best Racing and it was then that I was first introduced to camel racing. I went out to film a segment on unique things to do in Dubai at the only camel riding school in the UAE, and that is where I met Linda Krockenberger, who co-founded the school and started the C1 Championships. We joked that it would be cool for me to one day compete in a race, and little did we know it would lead to this. Two years later the dream became a reality, and it turned out better than we both could have imagined.��

UofL News: Do you have any memorable experiences or lessons from your time as a student at the University of Louisville that have stuck with you since graduating?��

Leslie: I enjoyed meeting students with similar passions, even if we weren’t focused on the same discipline – we all shared the love for the horse. I really enjoyed my time on the UofL Saddleseat Team, in which we took home the national title. I have had a passion for horses since I can remember, but being surrounded by like-minded people on a daily basis certainly helped ignite my dream of working in the Thoroughbred industry. Terri Burch welcomed me into the program with open arms and for that, I’m forever grateful.��

UofL News: Have you ever participated in any Kentucky Derby events or festivities? Did the university’s proximity and ties to Churchill Downs help your career?��

Leslie: Yes, I was very lucky to work for Mark Casse when we had several horses competing in the Derby. War of Will in 2019 (who went on to win the Preakness Stakes), Enforceable in 2020 and Soup and Sandwich and Helium in 2021.��

I was at the track every morning before heading to school, so being nearby was ideal, especially when my alarm went off at 4:30 each morning. I had to have a nap every day in between classes, but the hard work definitely paid off.��

UofL News: What advice would you offer to prospective or current students in the Equine Industry Business Program at UofL who may be considering various career paths within the industry?��

Leslie: Take every opportunity. Even if you feel as though the event, person or whatever it may be might not benefit you, you never know who you’ll meet. I exhausted myself, but it was the best thing I could have done for my career. If I hadn’t jumped at every opportunity, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. I never gave up, and I knew that going to college while working and traveling wouldn’t be easy, but I was lucky to have a support system that helped me follow my dreams.��

The offers the only equine industry degree from an accredited college of business in the world, giving students the opportunity to turn their love of horses into a viable career. The program provides a uniquely qualified workforce to Kentucky’s horse racing industry, as well as equine businesses across the globe.

For 37 years, the UofL College of Business has been delivering equine degrees with a rigorous business focus and dedication to the combination of horse commerce, business enterprise and academics. The goal of the Equine Industry Program is to produce graduates with sound business and management skills and equipped with an industry-specific, multidisciplinary education who can innovate and contribute to the industry as employees or business owners in any breed or discipline.

The 362 program alumni include Gary Palmisano, executive director of racing for Churchill Downs Incorporated; K. Amy Lawyer, who now directs the UofL Equine Industry Program; Thoroughbred trainers Lindsay Schultz and Jason Barkley; Corey Barberito, assistant trainer for Dallas Stewart; Hannah Boyle, social media director at Churchill Downs; Sean Collins, assistant tour manager at the Kentucky Derby Museum; Paige Thompson, who recently opened White Tail Eventing in Cincinnati and Ali Sturtevant, who will graduate from veterinary school this spring.

In recognition of his innovations to improve the safety of horse racing, the����has named Dickinson the 33^rd��recipient of the John W. Galbreath Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship in the Equine Industry.

“The safety of the horse has always been a long-term goal of mine ever since I was a child when on small ponies I had to keep up with my mother who was on a Grade A International Showjumper. We used to jump post and rail fences, some with ditches and drops, and stone walls. Since then, I’ve always felt very grateful and indebted to all the horses I rode,” Dickinson said.��“I am honored and flattered to receive the Galbreath Award.”

A native of Yorkshire, England, Dickinson was a champion steeplechase jockey and trainer prior to becoming a successful Thoroughbred trainer in the United Kingdom. Since coming to the U.S. in 1987, he has won more than 80 stakes races in the U.S. and Canada. In 2000, he led all New York-based trainers with a win percentage of 35% from starters. One of his greatest achievements in training was conditioning 1996 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Da Hoss to a repeat win in that race’s 1998 renewal at Churchill Downs after a two-year layoff.

Dickinson is a member of the Steeplechasing Hall of Fame and has four listings in the Guinness Book of World Records, including the record for the most racing wins in one day – 12.

In 1996, Dickinson began building his own Thoroughbred training facility, , in Maryland, employing the most innovative technology in equine care and horse husbandry. Unsatisfied with available track footings, he began developing , now recognized as a safe, consistent all-weather synthetic surface for racing and training Thoroughbred horses.

“The focus on safety for its equine and human athletes is paramount in horse racing today,” said Michele Fischer, president of horse racing and gaming consulting firm Darting Star LLC in his nomination. “Michael has demonstrated a willingness to take personal and career risks in the development of a new racing surface. In the beginning, he was met with great reluctance by an industry resistant to change. He has continued to refine the science and today the Tapeta surface has been installed at racetracks and training centers across the world.”

Tapeta 10, the latest version of Tapeta Footings, has substantially reduced equine fatalities and outperformed conventional dirt and turf surfaces. Tapeta surface has been installed at Turfway Park in Kentucky and at Gulfstream Park in Florida, Golden Gate Fields in California and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania as well as facilities in Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

“We are excited to present the 2022 Galbreath Award to Michael Dickinson for his contribution to the sport of racing through the creation of Tapeta and synthetic track surfaces,” said K. Amy Lawyer, assistant professor and chair of UofL’s Department of Equine Administration. “The nature of the Galbreath Award is to recognize innovation and business efforts that move the equine industry forward. Mr. Dickinson’s business achievements added a new element to a sport that had been largely unchanged for centuries.”

Recipients of the��Galbreath Award��are selected by a committee of faculty in the in the UofL College of Business.

The award is named for the late John W. Galbreath, a self-made man who distinguished himself in both business and as a horseman. The 32^nd Galbreath Award recipient was Tom Aronson,��an original business architect of two of the most successful companies the history of horse racing, the Television Games Network (TVG) and Exacta Systems, both of which became billion-dollar wagering companies. A list of all Galbreath Award laureates and nomination information is available at the website.

For information on the award presentation dinner to honor Dickinson to be held March 30, contact Kimberly Spear at kimberly.spear@louisville.edu or 502-852-7727. A video of the presentation of the Galbreath Award will be available on the�� after the event.