WinStar Farm has announced the promotion of Liam O’Rourke as its new Director of Bloodstock Services. In conjunction with O’Rourke’s promotion, Olivia Desch joins Chris Knehr on the Stallion Season Sales team.
“We are fortunate to be in a position to promote from within,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “Our team is deep with talent and we pride ourselves on hiring people that our clients enjoy working with. Liam has been an integral part of our team for the last four years and I have complete confidence in him.”
Originally from Toronto, Ontario, O’Rourke joined the WinStar bloodstock team in 2016.
“Since joining WinStar I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most talented people in the industry,” O’Rourke said. “While my main focus will remain on our stallion roster, I will now have the flexibility to expand into more bloodstock opportunities. I look forward to the new challenge and achieving shared success with the WinStar team and our shareholders.”
Desch, born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been with WinStar since 2019 when she was hired as a bloodstock assistant. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BS in Equine Science and Management and prepped yearlings for Lane’s End prior to interning with WinStar in 2017.
“I am confident that our dedicated breeders will continue to have the best possible customer experience when they work with Chris Knehr and Olivia,” O’Rourke said. “Chris is a seasoned, knowledgeable team member and makes the breeding process easy for our customers. Olivia, through her hard work and dedication, has grown from an intern into a bloodstock and marketing assistant and now into a full-time bloodstock and sales role while gaining experience across a number of our divisions. Dedication to our clients will be the hallmark of this team.”
