Markel associate John Egan first organized a freshman sire contest in the Spring of 2008, as a small competition amongst friends, family, colleagues and clients.  To keep everyone informed, John also began producing a newsletter called 'The Freshman' that provided regular updates on the competition and the two-year-old racing scene.  The competition gained great support from those who played, and many people who missed the chance to play commented that they would have liked to have been involved.

In 2009, John decided to open up the competition to the general public via our website, to give more and more people the chance to play.  By opening up this competition on a National level, it provides the horse racing enthusiast with a "fantasy" style game that revolves around the sport they hold dear.

In 2010, John was approached by the Thoroughbred Times and a partnership for this popular year-long contest was established. “The 2009 Markel Freshman Sire competition was a great success and a lot of fun to organize,” John said. “However, by teaming up with Thoroughbred Times in 2010, this will reach a wider audience and I am excited to see the response from horse racing fans from all over the country.”

This year's contest will launch with the publication of a feature in the March 6 issue of Thoroughbred Times that will provide a complete roster for the 2010 Freshman Sire Contest as well as pieces by four experts who make their selections. Entrants may register now through April 23rd - click on the logo below to be redirected to the contest site.