Ohio State ATI connects hands-on equine learning with racetrack success
WOOSTER, Ohio — Emma Petrus knew him as Jack.
Petrus, a second-year animal production and management – horse specialization student at Ohio State ATI, was nervous when she was assigned to prepare the standardbred yearling, named Booze Cruisin, for sale.
It didn’t last long.
“He was a very well-mannered colt who took to corrections well and learned quickly,” Petrus said. “What I remember most about preparing him for the sale was how far he came along in such a short time.”
Now, during the 2026 Ohio harness racing season, Petrus gets to watch the horse compete at fairs and racetracks across the state, where he has earned more than $31,000 and advanced to the Buckeye Stallion Series final.
Booze Cruisin is among several horses bred and raised through the equine program at ATI. The horses provide students with hands-on learning from breeding and foaling through young-horse management and sale preparation.
ATI, located on the Wooster campus of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), offers two-year associate degree programs with an emphasis on experiential learning. Its horse specialization in the animal production and management program is an associate of applied science degree that prepares students for careers in the equine industry through the study of horse nutrition, reproduction, health, training and management.
“It’s not just theoretical; students apply what they are learning in real-world situations and have real-world impact,” said Sara Mastellar, ATI associate professor and equine programs coordinator.
Students help handle stallions, collect and ship semen, breed mares, foal out mares and work with young horses. Later, they might prepare yearlings for sale, developing marketing materials and interacting with prospective buyers.
For Petrus, preparing Booze Cruisin meant working with him nearly every day. Students groom and handle the yearlings and introduce them to situations they might encounter at a sale, including walking through obstacles in an indoor arena.
By sale day, Petrus saw a different horse.
“He was remarkably put together and controlled,” she said. “I recall being so proud of him and our partnership.”
That sense of ownership is an important part of the experience, said Aspen Adams, horse herd manager at the ATI Equine Center.
By sale day, Adams said, students who have participated throughout the process are invested in the outcome.
“They aren’t just showing up to lab for a grade,” Adams said. “They are invested and excited.”
ATI graduate Sam Liggett experienced that connection from the beginning. She was on foal watch the night Booze Cruisin was born and continued working with him as he grew.
Liggett entered ATI with limited horse experience, discovered an interest in equine reproduction and now works in the standardbred industry.
“Being able to work with horses of many different breeds and temperaments helped me gain the experience I needed to step into the standardbred industry with confidence,” Liggett said.
Booze Cruisin sold for $14,000 at the 2025 Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale.
Other recent ATI-bred standardbreds have also found success on the track. CPF Predi had six wins in 12 starts and $19,613 in earnings as of Sept. 9, while Kiss My Hocks had earned $41,579 over 21 starts.
The success of ATI-bred horses comes as Ohio prepares to host one of harness racing’s premier events. The Breeders Crown championships will take place Oct. 23-24 at Eldorado Scioto Downs in Columbus, marking the first time the track has hosted the full championship event and bringing national attention to Ohio’s Standardbred racing industry.
For students, however, the payoff extends beyond a horse’s racing record.
Petrus now cares for six standardbred yearlings and said she uses what she learned preparing Booze Cruisin in her work with young horses.
“The hands-on experience is truly unmatched in its ability to get a student to care about and be invested in what they are learning,” she said.
Liggett has followed Booze Cruisin throughout the 2026 racing season and has met him in the winner’s circle several times.
“Watching him race is so exciting, especially because you can see that this colt wants to win,” Liggett said. “I know he has a great team behind him, and I am excited to see what he does next.”
Mastellar said seeing horses succeed after leaving ATI affirms the value of that real-world learning.
“It’s validating to see our four-footed alumni go on to be successful in addition to our two-footed alumni,” she said. “The success of the horses underscores the real-world environment that the students are learning in.”
