Staten Island Horseman
Harry Rice is a Senior telecommunication major at The Pennsylvania State University. Born into an Irish Catholic family in Staten Island, Rice found his love for the equine industry after his father took him to the race-track he worked at in New York. Since walking up to the most infamous “mean spirited,” horse in the barn - his love and strong work ethic has continued on for now over 20 years.
Rice is not only a horse-handler at several horse-barns back in New York but he is also contracted through NBC news-network to help with the communication/business side of major horse-sporting events. Through this - he combines his passion for the equine industry and his college major of Telecommunications.
Rice says that his identity is different from other people as he sees himself clash in two different worlds. He believes that it is important to do what you love but to also remember your roots. While he isn’t behind the camera at the Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes, he helps out with in the equine sciences department at Penn State as a Teacher’s Assistant for several different classes.
He says that by helping students to understand the equine industry is beneficial as many people do not know what it takes to breed, sell and race these animals. Many people believe that this industry is in-humane however Rice claims that “Horsemen treat their horses better than most humans. All the time and money spent into caring for these animals is priceless - this is not an inhumane industry.”
