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Kim Standeford Selected As QHRAI Youth Racing Experience Winner
Kim Standeford will represent Indiana at the 2017 edition of the Youth Racing Experience to be held during the Bank of America Challenge at Prairie Meadows.

© Courtesy Kim Standeford
Kim Standeford Selected As QHRAI Youth Racing Experience Winner

SHELBYVILLE, IN—JULY 22, 2017—The Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) has a history of having a strong presence in the national American Quarter Horse Association’s (AQHA) Youth Racing Experience program.

The national winner in 2015 was Holly Kiess of Fort Wayne, Ind. Last year’s Hunter Duncan of Terre Haute, Ind. finished second in the national program. Indiana will be represented by Kim Standeford for the 2017 edition of the Youth Racing Experience to be held during the Bank of America Challenge at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Iowa in mid-October.

Standeford was one of 13 students age 16-18 that competed in this year’s event at Indiana Grand, held in mid-June. The students spent the day at the track, learning about the care and training of Quarter Horses.

At the conclusion of the event, students were tasked to take an exam which solidified the winner of the contest. As a result, Standeford earned a $1,000 scholarship courtesy of QHRAI and a trip to the national contest where she will have the opportunity to earn an additional scholarship from AQHA as programs from across the nation come together for the national competition.

Participants in the 2017 Youth Racing Experience program at Indiana Grand. © Linscott Photography
Standeford, a 2017 graduate of Hamilton Heights High School located just north of Indianapolis, is headed to Purdue University this fall. The Atlanta, Ind. native hopes to earn a degree in marketing and would love to tie that into horses in some way.

Standeford is no stranger to Quarter Horses. She started out showing locally on the 4-H circuit which led her into the barrel racing ranks. She and her horse, CDF Queensville King, won the 1D Indiana Barrel Racing Association (IBRA) State Youth title in 2014. Standeford also earned a scholarship from the Business Professionals of America this past year. She served as president of her school’s chapter and received an Indiana State Officer Leadership Team Scholarship.

Cassandra Trumbower of Fort Wayne, Ind. was the runner up in the QHRAI Youth Racing Experience event at Indiana Grand. Trumbower has been active in 4-H with showing and judging horses for the past eight years. She won first place in the 4-H Horse and Pony Show at the Indiana State Fair in 2016 with her Pinto mare, Flashy Black Beauty. Trumbower attended the Indiana Grand event with her aunts, who have recently bred a Quarter Horse mare to an Indiana sired stallion in the Indiana Quarter Horse racing industry program. The family hopes to get involved in racing in the next few years.

"We had 13 students spend the day with us this year, 11 of which were girls, and they were a great group of kids,"said Vickie Duke, secretary for QHRAI and coordinator of the local Youth Racing Experience event. "In fact, two of the girls were from Illinois as that state does not offer a Youth Racing Experience program. It was really hard to judge the students this year. They were chosen by their test scores, their interaction during the day and their interviews. It was really close this year as several of the students really stood out."

The 15th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, Oct. 28. Racing is held Tuesday through Friday at 2:05 p.m. EST with Saturday racing beginning at 6:05 p.m.

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About Indiana Grand Racing & Casino: Indiana Grand Racing & Casino holds multiple awards from industry publications for customer service, entertainment, gaming and dining. Located in Shelbyville, Ind., Indiana Grand features 2,200 of the latest slots and electronic table games in addition to a one-mile dirt race course and a seven-eighths mile turf course offering live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing each year. Simulcast wagering is also offered year-round at Winner’s Circle Brewpub & OTB located on the casino floor as well as an off-track betting facility located in Clarksville, Ind. For more information, please visit  www.IndianaGrand.com.