Rankin Sponsors Youth Contests

The Bill Galvin Racing Alliance (BGRA) is pleased to announce that prominent Standardbred breeder and owner Tom Rankin will again be supporting the Alliance’s Youth Contests in 2024.

This year the Alliance will offer a Youth Literary Derby and a Youth Art Derby.

For the  Youth Literary Derby,  Ontario elementary school children in grades 3 to 8 will submit either a poem or a short story about something Standardbred related. There will be  junior (Grades 3-5) and intermediate divisions (Grades 6-8) for this contest. 

For the Youth Art Derby, as well as the junior and intermediate divisions, a senior division has been added for Ontario students in grades 9-12. Drawings or sketches must have a Standardbred theme.

Thanks to Rankin’s support, cash prizes will be awarded to the top three in each of the contest divisions. The deadline to enter is midnight on Saturday, August 31st.

In 2023, Rankin sponsored the Youth Contests and welcomed the general public to an Open House event at his Standardbred breeding operation in St. Catharines.  Over 300 people attended the event to meet the broodmares and foals, and some of the Youth contest entrants were inspired by their interactions with the horses.

“Tom has again generously offered to sponsor the prize money for these Youth Contests,” said Karen Hauver, a volunteer director of the BGRA. “We sincerely appreciate Tom’s commitment and involvement and we’re extremely excited that he’s willing to host another Open House.”

Again in 2024, Equine Guelph will be offering their Youth Horse Behavior and Safety online courses to winners that are 13 years of age or older.

For any educators or youth group leaders who would like more details or promotional items on these two contests, please email info@bgracingalliance.ca

Complete rules and details for these contests can be found on this website.