As the third installment of the newly-launched Howard & Sondra Bender Educational Series (HSBES), a partnership with University of Maryland Extension, the Maryland Horse Foundation will host a seminar on equine sports turfgrass management on August 30th at the Maryland Horse Library & Education Center.
Geoffrey Rinehart (UMD Turfgrass Management) will speak about the five primary cultural practices of turfgrass as they pertain to equestrian surfaces. The five primary cultural practices include mowing, fertilizing, irrigation, cultivation (aerating and de-thatching), and pest management. Species and variety selection will also be covered.
Logan Freeman, Senior Sports Turf Consultant for Maryland Jockey Club, will speak about how he utilizes the five primary cultural practices within the turfgrass track maintenance programs at both Laurel Park and Pimlico, including some new science-based tools being implemented to help in the process.
Following the presentations there will be open discussion about turfgrass management in equine sports.
Attendance is free and light refreshments will be served. The seminar will be recorded and available at marylandhorse.com/bender.
For questions, contact Becky Remsberg at bremsberg@marylandthoroughbred.com.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Geoff Rinehart has 22 years’ experience in the turfgrass and landscape industry working in various parts of the country. He earned Bachelor’s degrees in Turfgrass Management and Landscape Contracting from Virginia Tech and a Master’s of Science in Turfgrass Science at Michigan State University. After graduating from Michigan State, Geoff spent 5 ½ years as a research technician conducting turfgrass science research at Washington State University and spent 4 years’ coordinating the Tacoma-Pierce County Natural Yard Care program conducting outreach and education for homeowners and professionals in Pierce County, WA. From 2013- 2018 Geoff served as coordinator of the Arboretum’s ‘Grass Roots’ Initiative, which includes a 1.3- acre interactive turfgrass exhibit, a website, and ongoing homeowner lawn maintenance workshops in the spring and fall. His experience has also included working on golf courses and in the landscape industry in Maryland, Colorado, Washington state, and Hawaii. Geoff joined the University of Maryland as a Lecturer in the Institute of Applied Agriculture in July, 2017 teaching courses in landscape and turfgrass management.
Logan Freeman has been the golf course superintendent at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, Maryland for the past thirteen years, and in turfgrass management for 23 years. Originally from Idaho, Logan received an undergraduate degree in Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health from Boise State University and once moving to Maryland, received a Master’s in Applied Turfgrass Management from Penn State University. Logan has taken his passion for all things turfgrass into the equine world, where he is the current Senior Sports Turf Consultant for the Maryland Jockey Club, helping oversee the turf tracks at Laurel Park and Pimlico.
ABOUT THE EQUINE SPORTS TURFGRASS ALLIANCE
The Equine Sports Turfgrass Alliance, (ESTA) is a recently formed group of university and industry turfgrass experts. ESTA as an organization is dedicated to conducting research and providing education about turfgrass surfaces for racetrack, eventing, polo and other-use equine surfaces. ESTA looks to take advantage of any educational opportunities available to communicate with horse owners, trainers and equine facility managers in order to provide information on how to better manage turfgrass systems. It is the goal of ESTA to bring science-backed maintenance practices to the forefront of equine turfgrass management.
