Barry Irwin - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Team Valor International

Barry Irwin, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Team Valor International, was the featured guest on the “Talkin’ Horses with The Blood-Horse” live podcast Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012.

A Turf writer who later found success as a bloodstock agent and horse owner, Irwin and then-partner Jeff Siegel began syndicating horses in 1987. Since that time, the 455 horses syndicated under partnerships formed by Irwin over the years have won more than 255 stakes races. Team Valor reached the pinnacle of racing success in 2011 when one of its syndicated horses, Animal Kingdom, won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) before going on to finish second in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

Irwin has also taken a public role in the current effort to reform medication rules in North American racing. He has appeared before Congressional hearings on the subject and is among a group of owners who have pledged not to run their 2-year-olds in 2012 on the anti-bleeder medication furosemide.

The podcast was moderated by Ron Mitchell, online managing editor at BloodHorse.com, and Esther Marr, a staff writer for The Blood-Horse magazine. Also included in the podcast is a handicapping segment with Tom LaMarra, news editor for The Blood-Horse magazine and BloodHorse.com and co-host of “That Handicapping Show.”