James F. Miller
President
My main profession is the management of various global business interests. I hold a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts Degrees in Economics from West Virginia University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa. I own a small farm in Jefferson County and I am actively involved, with my wife Terry, in racing, breeding and sales. I believe I bring a thorough understanding of all aspects of the thoroughbred racing to the CTHBPA.
As a current member of the Board, I am proud to say that we have made positive changes and progress in dealing with issues which effect horseman and have im-proved the management of our responsibilities of the CTHBPA. However, there remains much for us to do in the coming years. Racing and breeding has been under attack which has undercut the foundation of the thoroughbred industry in West Virginia. The next legislative session will be key to returning the industry in West Virginia to a sustainable business which we can grow and invest in for the future.
Randy Funkhouser
Owner
Randy has owned, bred and/or trained horses for forty years. He operates O’Sullivan Farms with his wife, Clissy, and sons, John and Joe. A graduate of Stanford University, Randy has served as CTHBPA President for 16 years (1990-1997, 2006-2009, 2012-2018), as a CTHBPA Board Member for nine years (1984-1990, 2003-2005), and as Vice-President of the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association.
During my tenure with the CTHBPA, I have been actively involved in drafting, lobbying, and passing numerous legislative bills. I have fought to protect the rights and welfare of all horsemen, and worked hard to preserve and enhance our industry.
Richard Knapp
Owner
I have been a small-scale owner and breeder at Charles Town since 1978. While my primary residence is in Reston, Virginia, in 2001 I purchased a second home in Charles Town in order to spend more time at the races and with my horses.
In 2009, I was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the hospitals in Charles Town and Martinsburg and served until 2017. I understand how boards operate and can work…and how important they can be.
I ran for the HBPA Board in the last election and won an alternate position, and cur-rently serve as Finance Chair. I support fundamental fairness for all horsemen. In addition, we need to improve communication with all horsemen. The new improved website is a good start in that direction. Now we need to use the website to be sure all horsemen are fully informed and to provide a forum for communication and ideas from all horsemen.
Naomi Long
Owner
Randy has owned, bred and/or trained horses for forty years. He operates O’Sullivan Farms with his wife, Clissy, and sons, John and Joe. A graduate of Stanford University, Randy has served as CTHBPA President for 16 years (1990-1997, 2006-2009, 2012-2018), as a CTHBPA Board Member for nine years (1984-1990, 2003-2005), and as Vice-President of the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association.
During my tenure with the CTHBPA, I have been actively involved in drafting, lobbying, and passing numerous legislative bills. I have fought to protect the rights and welfare of all horsemen, and worked hard to preserve and enhance our industry.
Tony Stehr
Owner
I have lived in Jefferson County since 1970, and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1974. My parents Hank and Betty Stehr have had racehorses all my life, moving from track to track in the Midwest before buying a farm in Jefferson County in 1970, operating the farm, breeding and racing since then. I’ve been involved in Thoroughbred racing as an Owner or Trainer since 1976, having raced in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. My wife Linda and I cur-rently have six horses in training at Charles Town with her being the trainer.
I understand what it takes as far as time and money to run a small stable. I be-lieve that year round racing is needed for an operation like this to continue and would do what I could to see that we continue to have year round racing.
Cristina Vena-Mosby
Owner
Cristina became involved in the Thoroughbred racing industry in 2006, when she bought her first thoroughbred, in West Virginia. Throughout the years she has been involved in several partnerships as owner and breeder. She has recently pur-chased a farm in Shenandoah Junction, which includes a barn for her horses. Cristi-na has always utilized and supported local trainers, breeders, and owners. She holds owner licenses in seven different states, including West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. Stee-plechase is a favorite of Cristina’s. She is as passionate about the sport of horse racing as she is about the after-care of the horses. Ms. Vena has great interest in representing her fellow horse owners. Some of her main con-cerns are track condition and maintenance, sporting event attendance, purse allotment, and increased participa-tion in the creation of the condition book. Ultimately, she wants to strengthen the overall West Virginia Racing Program.
Joe Funkhouser
Owner Alternate
I am an attorney and have lived most of my life involved in horse racing in Jefferson County. I pledged in 2012 to work with all stakeholders and organizations to reach consensus on the problems and solu-tions for horsemen and women. Too often, I have witnessed a divide and con-quer strategy against horsemen and women succeed in stopping or delaying needed reforms. I helped to form and lobbied for West Virginia Racing United – trade association for CTHBPA, Mountaineer HBPA, WV Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the Jockey’s Guild, to work in unison to enhance the indus-try. We may not agree on every detail of every issue, but agree to make West Virginia racing not only survive, but thrive, and to work in unison on that agenda to enhance purse funds and educate legislators on the importance of the industry.
Leslie Condon
Owner/Trainer
I have been in the horse business my whole life. I moved from Maryland to Charles Town in 1996 and started operating a public racing stable. In 2001, I started a pony service and in 2008 started a breeding and resident broodmare operation in which I stand stallions and board mares and yearlings.
I have served on the board for the last three years, and as chair for the Marketing Committee. We have been able to promote the horsemen and get our voice heard. We have been successful at getting some of our lost monies back, and in regaining some ground, but it is imperative that we work very hard for the next few years to try and achieve the goal of making our purse fund whole again.
Victor Espinosa
Owner/Trainer
As many of you know, I have been involved in horseracing all of my life. I started out at the age of 16 in Mexico City as a jockey. I migrated with my wife Faye to Charles Town, WV in 1955 where I rode for 25 years until 1980 as well as a representative for the Jockey Guild. At that time, I went to New York and became assistant trainer for Mike Hernandez and then became a trainer on my own in 1981. I have been training now for 34 years and have seen a lot of changes here at the track. This track has raised my family and a lot of families in this town.
Tim Grams
Owner/Trainer
My wife and I own and operate a small breeding operation in the Charles Town area. We also run a public racing stable that consists of about 30 horses. I moved to Charles Town in the early 1990’s and invested in this community because I believe in the future of the Thoroughbred industry in Jefferson County.
My first experience in the Thoroughbred business began when I started working with two-year olds in Maryland.
I’ve worked on the starting gate for 3 years and as an outrider for 3 years. I trained for over 20 years at Charles Town, Laurel Park, Penn National and Delaware Park.
