News Releases

Saturday, August 08, 2015Contact: Bob Curran Jr. (212) 521-5326
The Jockey Club Board of Stewards Elects New Chairman, Vice Chairman

The board of stewards of The Jockey Club announced today the election of Stuart S. Janney III as chairman and William M. Lear Jr. as vice chairman. Janney succeeds Ogden Mills Phipps, who served as chairman of The Jockey Club since February 10, 1983.

Phipps, who resigned that position today, will become chairman emeritus and will continue to serve on the board of stewards.

Ian D. Highet remains as secretary-treasurer.

Janney has been a member of The Jockey Club since 1992. He has been vice chairman since June 2010 and has served as chairman of The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee since its inception in 2008. He also serves on the boards of the New York Racing Association, the Keeneland Association, and King Ranch Inc.

Lear has been a member of The Jockey Club since 2010. He is the managing director of Stoll Keenon Ogden, a law firm based in Lexington, Ky. He is also a trustee for Keeneland Association and has represented numerous Thoroughbred industry organizations, farms and racing stables.

A nominating committee composed of Craig Fravel (chair), Peter Willmott, and D.G. Van Clief Jr. recommended the candidate for the chairman’s position and all three officers were subsequently elected by the board of stewards.
Also at Saturday’s meeting, William S. Farish Jr. was elected to the board of stewards of The Jockey Club, filling Fravel’s expired position.
Farish has been a member of The Jockey Club since 1996. He is currently chairman of the board of the Breeders’ Cup and of Horse PAC, the federal political action committee of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Farish is a member of the board of directors of Keeneland Association and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and he is a member of the board of trustees of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Foundation. His family owns Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Ky.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms, among others. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.