Cui said she has a personal goal to help build horse racing in her native China. | Photo: University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment

Name: Xiurui (Iris) Cui
From: Changchun, China
Degree and institute where received: Jilian University, majored in veterinary medicine with a minor in business management

Iris Cui came to Lexington in 2013 for a one-year Dubai International Thoroughbred Internship, provided by Darley America. During the program, Cui worked on the farm in the morning and attended lectures and visited other Thoroughbred farms and racetracks in the afternoon. She also worked night shifts during breeding season and flew to Dubai for a two-week visit.

During one of her visits, Cui met Jill Stowe, PhD, professor in agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky (UK), who was lecturing about the equine industry in Kentucky