Nicholson Elected AHC Chairman; Williams, Vice-Chairman

Washington, DC, April 10, 2006 -- At the recently completed American Horse Council National Issues Forum, Nick Nicholson, President and CEO of Keeneland Association, was elected Chairman of the AHC Board of Trustees.  Russell Williams, Vice Chairman of the United States Trotting Association Board of Directors, was elected Vice-Chairman.

“We are very pleased to have two gentlemen with the stature and background of Nick and Russell as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the AHC,” said Jay Hickey, AHC President.  “They are well-respected, not only in the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries, but the entire horse industry and bring a wealth of knowledge about the

industry to us.”

Nicholson, early in his career, was executive assistant to Kentucky Senator Wendell Ford in Washington, DC.  He left Washington and returned to Kentucky to become Executive Vice President of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.  In 1989, he joined The Jockey Club as Executive Vice President and Executive Director.  While at The Jockey Club, he took a leave of absence to help form the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, serving as its first Chief Operating Officer.  He left NTRA in 2000 to become Keeneland’s sixth President.  Mr. Nicholson serves on the board of several major industry organizations.  For his many contributions to the horse industry, he has received the Lifetime Service Award from the Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association, as well as The Jockey Club Gold Medal.

“I have been involved with and admired the work of the American Horse Council for 30 years,” said Mr. Nicholson.  “I particularly think it is important that the different breeds and uses of the horse have an organization where we can all meet and work together.  “As Rich Rolapp, the former president of AHC, always said, ‘the ties that bind us together are stronger than the differences that separate us.’”

Russell Williams is not only Vice Chairman of USTA’s Board of Directors, he also serves as Chairman of Standardbred Horse Sales Company, Vice President of Hanover Shoe Farms and Vice President of Garden State Horse Sales Company.  He is a fourth generation participant in Standardbred racing and breeding.  Mr. Williams is also a trustee of the Harness Racing Museum and the University of Richmond.

“The AHC is the one place where all the equine interests sit down and work together,” Mr. Williams said in response to his election.  “It’s both an honor and an education to serve on this board.”