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Bella Hodge could ride horses before she could walk. As a little girl living in Kentucky, she would be taken out to the barn by her dad, a member of the thoroughbred horse industry, or her grandfather, a saddlebred horse trainer, and she would ride. You could say a love of horses was in her blood.
By the time she was 5, she had started riding lessons. And by the time she was 8, she had started showing horses. At age 11, she began showing horses more competitively, and throughout high school, she rode fox hunters and saddlebreds.
Currently, Hodge is a junior at Washington and Lee University studying business and strategic communications, and she is a member of their equestrian team.
“It’s really fun,” Hodge said, referring to the equestrian team. The team usually has about 20 people, and they practice two to three times a week outside. If it ever happens to snow during their competition season, which runs from October to March, they practice in the Virginia Horse Center. During competition season, the team competes against different schools, mainly in Virginia. Their postseason competitions go through April.
And this past summer, Hodge was able to combine her love of horses and her interest in business when she did a marketing internship at Colonial Downs in New Kent.
Hodge learned about the internship at Colonial Downs, the only thoroughbred racing track in the state of Virginia, through Jill Byrne, a former employee of Colonial Downs and a current employee of the Virginia Equine Alliance.
Byrne suggested that Hodge look at a marketing internship at Colonial Downs because of its opportunities with not only horse racing but gaming. After some consideration, Hodge decided to go forward with the opportunity. She explained, “I felt like it was the best option for me for the summer.”
So Hodge joined the marketing team at Colonial Downs during July and August. Her responsibilities included social media work, ticketing, and getting ready for two of their big days: Arlington Million Day and Virginia Derby Day. It was the first year for Arlington Million Day, and they had a big turnout. Hodge helped with the run of events and took guests to the paddock for interviews and to the winner’s circle.
Byrne explained that Hodge was a wonderful addition to Colonial Downs this summer and that her excitement really showed her passion for the industry and showed her drive to be involved and to learn more.
And there is much to learn in such a large and influential industry in the state of Virginia. The horse industry in Virginia provides thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact through agribusiness and tourism, said Byrne. These jobs not only include horse racing, but taking care of the horses, feeding them, growing the feed, and taking care of the farms.
Byrne explained that any youth or young adults looking into the industry should understand that there are many ways to be involved.
“There’s nothing like a horse. Being able to be involved in any way is a great honor and passion for us all,” said Byrne.
Hodge echoed that sentiment. “I enjoy being around the horses, around that environment, so I think it would be a good fit for me.”
Although she isn’t completely sure if she will continue in the industry, if she can continue to find ways to combine marketing and horse racing, like at Colonial Downs, she is definitely interested.
