By Bloodhorse.com
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 17, 2015) — The Jockey Club announced Aug. 17 the election of four new members: W. B. Rogers Beasley, John Magnier, Rosendo (Ro) Parra, and Thomas S. Robbins.
Beasley has served as Keeneland director of racing since 2001 and was the track’s sales director for 19 years prior to his current post. He serves on the boards of the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, the Kentucky Horse Park, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, and the Racing Officials Accreditation Program and previously served on the American Graded Stakes Committee and the Thoroughbred Club of America board of directors.
Magnier presides over Coolmore Stud, which has branches in Ireland, Kentucky (Ashford Stud), and the Hunter Valley (Coolmore Australia). His family has been associated with a long list of champion horses and major stallions since the 1850s, originally in Co. Cork, Ireland, where stallions still stand as part of Coolmore today. Magnier has co-owned or -bred four of the last five Epsom Derby (Eng.- I) winners.
Parra, owner of Millennium Farms in Lexington, first became involved in racing as a fan in South America. He bought his first horse in 1995 and has campaigned approximately 40 stakes winners, including multiple grade I winner Student Council. He bred Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Wilko. Parra retired from Dell Inc. in 2007 where he served as senior vice president and general manager of Dell Americas. Today, Parra serves on several boards and is involved in venture capital.
Robbins is Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s executive vice president for racing and industry relations and previously was that tarck’s racing secretary, director of racing, and executive vice president from 1981 until 2014. He is chairman of the North American Ratings Committee and the Racing Secretaries/Directors Breeders’ Cup Selection Panel and is a member of the American Graded Stakes Committee, as well as an advisor to the North American International Catalogue Standards Committee and the U. S. representative to the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee.