RAFAEL ZAMBRANO
Farm Manager
““There is no bigger thrill than knowing I am going to be part of something big. Knowing War Horse Place wants to grow; I can’t wait to be a part of that. Being able to share my knowledge and learn more in a place that shares a passion for horses with the same goals as me is exciting.” ”
Rafael is a finalist in the Dedication to Breeding award for the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.
My love for animals began at an early age growing up on a family farm in Mexico. We grew avocados and raised cattle and horses. I came to the United States determined to make a better life for myself and my family. I came to Kentucky with my brother to work on his farm in Versailles. My love for horses began and my yearning for knowledge started my journey to be the best horseman I could.
I was blessed with the opportunity to work with the renowned Podiatry Veterinarian Rick Redden when first coming to Kentucky. As I gained more experience, I knew I wanted to be a bigger part of the horse industry in Kentucky.
I started that journey as the yearling groom at Vinery. While in this position, I was fortunate to gain valuable experience in yearling prep, foaling, breeding and eventually, as a nightwatchman. I found a passion for foaling and decided to pursue a job in the field.
With my new passion for foaling, I took a position at Hopewell Farm as a Foaling Barn Foreman. I quickly felt deep enjoyment and excitement with each foaling. As the farm grew so did my responsibilities, including a new role on the yearling side of things as the Assistant Yearling Manager. I quickly learned that I had a knack for the yearlings which led me to the next chapter in my story.
That chapter began when I accepted a position as Yearling Manager at Summer Wind Farm. I had the chance to work with some amazing horses and found joy and satisfaction in watching each horse grow from gangly little kids to beautiful filled out yearlings ready for the sales. I found great satisfaction in knowing I was a small part of the horses’ development as I provided a program of proper nutrition, regular exercise, good grooming and, of course, a lot of love and care. As my success grew in that role, I was asked to take on greater responsibilities as their Assistant Farm Manager. The knowledge I obtained while during my time at Summer Wind was invaluable.
One part of my life that I am as passionate about as the horses is my love of running. I am as committed to my training as I am to my horses. I have had the privilege to run in several marathons such as Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. However, my ultimate goal was to run in the Boston Marathon. After years of training and hard work, I was successful in qualifying the event on four different occasions. Needless to say, it was an amazing experience to personally run the Boston Marathon…one that left me knowing that I could truly do anything with enough focus and passion.