WILL HEAD SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

NTRA release

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced Thursday that Barkley N. Porter has been named Vice President, Sales and Business Development of the NTRA. Porter will be responsible for building strategic business relationships, sponsorships and business development opportunities across the NTRA’s various platforms. He succeeds Fritz Widaman, who recently left the organization to take a job with Daily Racing Form.

Porter comes to the NTRA from Stevenson & Associates, Inc., where he was a frequent consultant to the National Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). Prior to that, Porter worked as the Simulcast Director at Hollywood Park and as the Simulcast Coordinator for the 1997 Breeders’ Cup at Hollywood. Porter also counts his time spent as editor of Arizona Thoroughbred Magazine as one of several highlights in his Thoroughbred industry career.
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Benoit & Associates, Inc.
Barkley Porter
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“Barkley is a proven and passionate leader with a rich background in our industry,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “He is as comfortable walking from stall to stall as he is traveling from boardroom to boardroom, and the countless relationships he has created and cultivated will serve him well in his vital new role with us.”

“The NTRA’s initiative to target business development as a key component of its proactive strategy signals to me the organization’s commitment to revitalizing Thoroughbred racing on a national level,” said Porter. “I am proud and humbled to be assigned this challenge.”

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.