Five named HTA scholarship winners

Five outstanding young students from harness racing backgrounds have been named winners of $5,000 college grants by Harness Tracks of America’s College Scholarship Committee. The winners are:

Brittany A. Burns, 20, of Vernon Center, N.Y., a junior at Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, N.Y., majoring in equine business management. Ms. Burns, raised on a dairy farm, has been a groom in the Howard Okusko, Jr. and Nancy Cerio stables, and received strong endorsements from Okusko and Cazenovia faculty members, who praised her work ethic, enthusiasm and business acumen. She is a member of the Cazenovia College Intercollegiate Riding Team, and represented the school in both individual and team events in national competition this year. She is the daughter of Peter and Kathy Burns of Vernon Center.

Ryan O'Mara, 22, of Gainesville, Fla., a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida and son of trainer-driver Mark O’Mara and Debbie Garofalo, a respiratory therapist. O’Mara was critically injured as a child when kicked by a horse, but recovered fully and later became intrigued in public health and preventative medicine. Now completely on his own as a graduate student in the University of Florida Department of Health Education and Behavior, with a perfect 4.0 academic record in both undergraduate and graduate studies, he feels he may be destined, like the U.S. Surgeon general who inspired him, to be not an operating surgeon but “a surgeon of society.”

Brittany Nicole Schwartz, 20, of Strasburg, Pa., a groom in the Jim Groff Stable and a sophomore majoring in equine studies at Delaware Valley College who hopes to be a trainer and own a horse farm. In addition to maintaining a 3.69 grade average on a scale of 4, Brittany has been extremely active in extracurricular activities as a scholar-athlete. She is team captain in track and field and cross country running and possesses, according to Jim Groff, “a true passion for learning and an ability to instill confidence and a sense of trust in the horses under her care.” She is the daughter of Paul and Priscilla Schwartz of Strasburg.

Katrina Mary Shand, 20, of Penns Grove, N.J., a liberal arts graduate of Salem Community College now attending Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. Daughter of harness trainer Kenneth Shand and his wife, Shirley, Katrina plans to major in television and film production, with a focus in public relations and Spanish. She has been exposed to harness racing since babyhood, and her father, mother, two sisters and a brother are actively involved in the sport. Katrina hopes to narrow the divide between harness racing and the mainstream media, and has been an exemplary Dean’s List student, and also has been active in tennis and cross country.

Rachel Amanda Yohn, 24, of Columbus, Wis., daughter of trainers Robert and Carol Yohn. Rachel is a second year student in the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, who hopes to pursue an internship in equine sports medicine. Her family has been involved in harness racing for more than half a century -- her father is a USTA Director -- and Rachel says “I still sleep in the back of the truck on the way to every fair in the summer, and cheer as if each fair race was the biggest stakes of the year.” Even as a vet student, she says she still regards trotters and pacers with awe. A Dean’s List student at both Illinois and at Edgewood College, she won the Dominican Leadership Award there two years ago.

The HTA Scholarship Committee consists of co-chairmen Richard Moore of Hoosier Park and David Snyder of International Sound; Tom Aldrich and Tom Barry of Northfield Park; Joe Asher, a previous HTA scholarship winner and now a racing consultant; Warren DeSantis of Champion Communications; Yvon Giguere of  Attractions Hippiques; Hap Hansen of Dover Downs; Chris McErlean, a former winner, now with Penn National Gaming; John Marshall of the Meadows; Jason Settlemoir of Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs; and Harold Snyder of International Sound.

Harness Tracks of America thanks all for their conscientious hard work in evaluating the many worthy applicants. (HTA)

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