UofL’s Equine Industry Program Gaining National Attention

“When it comes to horses, we mean business,” so the saying goes for the University of Louisville (UofL) Equine Industry Program. And it’s the business end of horses attracting students from California to China to study at the university, located just a mile and a quarter from famed Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, KY.

UofL’s equine degree is unique. Not only do students gain an understanding of the business side of the equine industry, but they earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the world’s only equine program accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

“It is a serious business degree that is going to end up giving people options that they might not have otherwise,” said Tim Capps, director of the Equine Industry Program.

Increased online marketing efforts by the university have students from coast to coast taking notice. About 65% of UofL’s equine students are out of state and the percentage is climbing. Application numbers have shot up from 30 to 300 within the last year.

According to Capps, EIP students are not just geographically diverse. This new breed of equine business students come in with diverse backgrounds as well, including racing, eventing, dressage, hunter/jumper, western, saddle seat, and recreational riding. While their backgrounds may be diverse, certainly their common interest in business and love of horses binds them in this world-class collegiate experience.

“I chose UofL's Equine Industry Program because of its unique location,” said student Leah Vasquez. “It's only an hour and fifteen minutes away from Lexington, and Churchill Downs is literally in our backyard. I also chose this particular program because of the opportunities it could, and eventually did, present. Because of the connections I've made, I have worked with some of the top trainers in the country, such as Doug O'Neill and Dale Romans, photographing their horses for website and social media use. In 2016 I got to work my first Kentucky Oaks and Derby, even winning the Derby (with Nyquist).” 

Along with taking core business classes in Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing, EIP students also take specialized classes in Equine Current Issues, Equine Finance, Equine Management, Equine Marketing, Equine Operations and Organizations, Equine Regulatory Law, Equine Taxation, and a Horse Industry Overview course. Students also have the advantage of working hands-on with horses and interning in areas such as accounting, bloodstock, communications, customer service, management, marketing, and sales within equine operations. Many students also take advantage of having Churchill Downs just a few minutes from campus, working on both the front and backside of the track.

Graduates of the program can be found across the country working in a variety of equine related fields. Many of the program’s alumni give back to the program by participating in UofL’s Equine Industry Speakers course, which provides a semester’s worth of networking opportunities with industry insiders.

Still for many young students, the lure of the bluegrass state is the thought of being surrounded by equine activities. “People get a chance to be exposed to all that,” said Capps, “but also in the classroom they’re going to get a degree in business administration, and I think the two together make it really unique.”

For more information, visit UofLEquine.com.

By Christine Oser