Founded in 2015, The Legacy Equine Academy, Inc. (LEA) is focused on educating and supporting the youth in our community by facilitating opportunities to learn, participate and pursue a career path in Equine and Agriculture. The LEA mission is to connect with African American and racially diverse youth providing access & exposure to the vast opportunities in the Equine & Agriculture Industries. The LEA goal is to bridge the historical contributions of African American trailblazers such as, Isaac Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield, to the modern traditions and future opportunities in the horse racing industry. The Legacy Equine Academy introduces and expands the excitement of the Equine Industry to a wider audience who have not yet had that opportunity. We champion diversity, equity, inclusion and opportunity to celebrate our great heritage here in the “Horse Capital of the World”.
LEA community members identify students interested in the Equine industry. Legacy Equine Academy works with various community partners, including the Keeneland, Kentucky Horse Park, All-Tech Education Outreach, Life Adventure Center, Churchill Downs, Equestrian Organizations, among other industry organizations to build a pipeline of students interested in pursuing an Equine related career.
LEA also manages the “Legacy Leader” standard to ensure a productive student experience along the pathway. Ultimately, we evaluate the impact of the program as it relates to developing future equine and racing industry professionals. We work with key partners as the program is focused on establishing standards of behavior, building trust and team camaraderie. LEA welcomes students from racially diverse ethnic groups to participate in the equine industry. We also aim to promote agriculture literacy and awareness in their respective communities. We encourage students to participate in service learning, science fairs, and educational programs to help them understand how they can apply their skills in agriculture, natural resources, or related science disciplines.
We encourage students in grades 6 – 12 to attend college and pursue equine, agriculture, natural resources, and environmental science degrees. This program provides activities to help students discover, firsthand, how equine and agriculture technology relate to the world around them and the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development, and teamwork. We endeavor to provide a service that offers employment opportunities to qualified African American and other minorities. The Academy fosters a commitment to young people that promotes the Horse industry and career related opportunities it offers. We will Manage – Document – Measure employee abilities for students interested in the equine trade. Each student will gain resume worthy experience, as well as employment skills confirmation via equine studies certification.
