Jockey Club elects four new members

The Jockey Club has elected four new members, the organization announced on Tuesday, including the new president of Claiborne Farm in Central Kentucky.

Walker Hancock, the fourth generation of the Hancock family to lead Claiborne, was elected along with Carlos Heller, the chairman of a racetrack in Chile; R. Alex Rankin, the president of Upson Downs Farm in Goshen, Ky.; and Stuart Brown, the former president of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky.

Hancock, 27, took over as president of Claiborne Farm in 2014, succeeding his father, Seth Hancock. He has filled a variety of roles in racing, breeding, and bloodstock management in preparation for taking the reins at the farm.

Heller is chairman of Club Hipico, the principal racetrack in Santiago, Chile, and he is overseeing the launch of Don Alberto Kentucky, a farm on the property that was previously known as Vinery. Heller’s family has been involved in breeding Thoroughbreds for three generations.

Alex Rankin has been a board member of a number of racing organizations and companies, including Churchill Downs Inc. and Breeders’ Cup Ltd. Rankin is the chairman of Sterling G. Thompson Company, an insurance company based in Louisville, Ky.

Stuart Brown, a member of Hagyard’s veterinary practice since 1991, was named the 2014 Veterinarian of the Year by the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association. Brown is also a member of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and serves on the boards of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association.