Enck, Lindsey Recognized For Aftercare Contributions

Two individuals who have played key behind-the-scenes roles in assisting the Beyond The Wire aftercare program in Maryland will be recognized when the program’s namesake Beyond The Wire Stakes is held Saturday, March 21, at Laurel Park.

Jessica Hammond, who administers the program, said the awards will recognize “two people that go above and beyond out of their love of horses.” They are Michele Enck, who served as The Maryland Jockey Club Horse Identifier before taking over as Stakes Coordinator earlier this year, and Jessica Lindsey, the longtime assistant trainer for the John Robb barn.

The Beyond The Wire Board of Directors endorsed the selected candidates for the awards.

Enck was instrumental is getting papers and microchip numbers for all of the horses that have through the Beyond The Wire program since it began in 2017. If the papers were at another racetrack, Enck would call that office and have them transferred for Hammond. She also regularly attends fundraisers for Beyond The Wire partner facilities and adopted a horse herself from Foxie G., which is one of the facilities.

Enck also would alert Hammond and TMJC about welfare concerns when she had them.

Lindsey has rescued numerous horses after they have left Maryland if they were ever stabled in Robb’s barn and has paid to ship them back to Maryland so that she can find them a home. There was a welfare issue with a horse at Laurel that used to be in her barn; the horse had a significant injury and was not getting good care at the farm where it was located.

Lindsey took the horse to her barn and kept him at her own expense for almost six months until he could be re-homed as a pasture pet.

“We really want to recognize the selfless efforts of Michele and Jessica because both go above and beyond in regard to caring for Maryland’s retiring horses and they have done so for years,” Hammond said. “We need more people like them in the horse racing and breeding industry.”

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