FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 29, 2017

Meredith Downey Joins TOBA as Director of Marketing and Education; Aly Kirchner Named Director of Membership/Owners Concierge

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has named Meredith Downey as Director of Marketing and Education and Aly Kirchner as Director of Membership/ Owners Concierge.

Downey is a University of Kentucky graduate who comes to TOBA after spending the past six years in the hospitality and tourism industry, most recently working as the marketing manager at The Woodford Inn.

“As a born-and-raised Kentuckian, the horse industry has played a backdrop to many experiences in my life,” Downey said. “I look forward to combining my background of event planning and marketing with TOBA’s ongoing mission to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of owners and breeders.”

Downey will be responsible for the continued development of the association’s marketing and communications, as well as planning and implementing the association’s seminars, clinics and special events. Her background and expertise includes long-term event planning, community development and marketing skills.

Kirchner, a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, joined the TOBA staff in 2015 as the director of marketing and membership after working at several leading central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms and sales agencies, as well as Top Marketing Group. In the new position, she will be responsible for the development and service of TOBA’s membership, as well as the daily management of the TOBA Owners Concierge.

About TOBA
TOBA, based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred breeders and owners. TOBA’s mission is to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Projects managed by TOBA include the American Graded Stakes Committee, Claiming Crown, Ownership Seminars, Breeding, Conformation & Pedigree Clinics, Owners Concierge and the Sales Integrity Program, as well as OwnerView and the Thoroughbred Owner Conference. TOBA provides international representation for U.S. owners and breeders on the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee, International Cataloguing Standards Committee and International Breeders Federation. Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA Media Properties, a subsidiary of TOBA, owns The Horse magazine, Eclipse Press and is co-owner of The Blood-Horse LLC. TOBA is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium as founding members.