Teen Rider Ashton Brooks Sets Sights on Racing Career

Ashton Brooks of Kentucky is only 15 years old, and he is already creating a way for himself in Thoroughbred racing to become his future. Brooks, with the help of Amplify Horse Racing, a charity that links young people to training and mentoring programs in the field of horse racing, is making his personal passion his career.

Horses have been part of Ashton Brooks’s life from the very beginning. Ashton’s mother used to own off-track Thoroughbreds, and as a kid, she remembers being on one of those horses when I was only six months old. Being with these ex-racehorses was a big part of her life, and it made her love of riding grow, as well as a strong curiosity for the horse racing world. At present, she barrels rides all over Central Kentucky on her 15-year-old ex-racehorse, Cotton Chrome, a son of Zanjero that was gelded.

Ashton Brooks took the next step in her path last spring when her mother saw a Facebook post about the mentorship program of Amplify Horse Racing.

“They accepted me and I was over-the-moon excited,” Brooks said.

Amplify paired Ashton Brooks with Jen Roytz, a respected industry professional with a long history of supporting Thoroughbred aftercare. Roytz previously served as executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project and now operates Brownstead Farm in partnership with her husband, Dr. Stuart Brown. Their farm focuses on breeding, sales, and retraining retired racehorses.

Roytz has been a guide to several Amplify participants, helping them navigate the various aspects of the Thoroughbred world. With Ashton Brooks, she quickly recognized a shared dedication to both horses and horsemanship. “We clicked pretty quickly,” Ashton Brooks said. “Getting to know Jen and learning from her has been amazing.”

While the mentorship program emphasized retraining and aftercare, Ashton Brooks’s education extended far beyond the barn. Roytz introduced her to the early stages of a racehorse’s career, from handling foals to preparing yearlings for sales. Ashton Brooks also gained firsthand experience with the training environment by visiting Keeneland during morning workouts.

“We spent time going to Keeneland during morning training hours to watch horses exercise and talk about how they’re ridden,” Roytz explained. “Ashton even got to meet her favorite trainer, Jena Antonucci. She also learned how to handle foals and prep yearlings at our farm, and we visited the Keeneland sales. Each time we met, we also tried to do a lesson with an off-track Thoroughbred, learning how to teach them to lunge and how to introduce them to things like trotting poles and hacking out.”

Brooks was able to gain the practical knowledge and a deeper understanding of the industry that she needed to create a career in racing through these various opportunities. She not only gained `hands-on` experience with young horses, but also, through the observation of professional trainers, she is acquiring the skills that she will use in the future.

Amplify Horse Racing is a non-profit organization that is the main initiator of making these relationships happen. What the organization stands for is opening opportunities for the youth willing to pursue a career in the Thoroughbred industry by giving them access to education, a mentorship program, and career resources.

The program for Ashton Brooks has not just been an exposure; it has also served as a practical experience and an advisory support from a well-known professional.

Brooks’s time with Roytz has also strengthened her commitment to aftercare, an area she plans to stay involved with even as she pursues a future in racing. Retired racehorses like Cotton Chrome have shown her how much these animals can give beyond their time on the track. Her experiences in barrel racing and retraining highlight the versatility and value of Thoroughbreds after their racing days are over.

Ashton Brooks is going to continue her studies for several years; however, she has already set her mind to using her enthusiasm in her career. No matter if she decides to take a course in the field, change her direction, or work in sales, the basis that she is establishing at present will ensure her progress with certainty.

Ashton Brooks commented, “The whole program has been the best teacher.” “It opened doors for me that I didn’t even know existed while painting for me the most vivid of futures.”

Well, Ashton Brooks will get to where she is meant to go through the early starts, assistance, and constant commitment.