Hitting the Trifecta

The Haggin family is a familiar name with three of Lexington’s greats; Keeneland, UK Athletics and Sayre School. It is from the third one that we tell our story. Cabot Haggin attended Sayre for 13 years before graduating in 2011. As a student, Cabot was always viewed as a leader and a friend. He was someone that not only the younger kids looked up to, but was also respected by his peers. With a consummate smile on his face, Cabot embraced Sayre, and established himself as a great student-athlete. He was the last student to receive both the Optima Award and the Headmasters’ Award at Commencement. On the athletic field, as a two sport star, Cabot displayed a level of leadership and sportsmanship that serves as a model for all future Spartans. Cabot was an invaluable member of his teams. The fact that he is one of the all-time assist leaders for Sayre Men’s basketball is a testament to his unselfish style of play.

Upon graduating from Sayre, Cabot entered the University of Kentucky, where he earned a degree in Business Administration. After UK, Cabot took an internship with the PGA, rubbing elbows with the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson while helping run the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. He has since turned his attention back to horses, coming full circle. He now works with AmTote International as an Account Representative.

If you attend a Sayre athletic event, there is a good chance you will see Cabot. His unwavering support of the school is what helps make Sayre the place it is today.

An Interview with Cabot

What brought you and your family to Sayre School?

It’s no secret that Sayre has played a special role in my family’s life. Dating back to my great grandmother, almost every family member has been a part of the Sayre community in some way.

It’s tough to narrow down one reason why Sayre is so special to us, but when talking to various family members about Sayre, the sense of community seems to be a reoccurring highlight of everyone’s memories about Sayre. There is a special bond that comes from being a member of the Sayre community. A bond that is so strong that Sayre has stayed in our family for over three generations now. This is a testament to every individual involved with Sayre and the time and effort that everyone puts into Sayre to make it so special.

How many years were you here?

I was at Sayre for a total of 13 years; started out in Kindergarten and never looked back.

Where did you attend college?

University of Kentucky

What is your favorite memory of Sayre?

My favorite memory of Sayre came my freshman year of high school. My brother Lee, class of ’08, was a senior at the time and we were fortunate enough to compete on the same basketball team for one season. This may sound simple, but as a younger brother, you always look up to your older brother and his friends and want to be a part of everything that they do. After being the annoying little brother who tried to tag along for so many years, it was humbling to finally feel like I was a part of their group. Although we had plenty of memories in the backyard playing ball, being able to play one season together side by side with him and all of his friends that I looked up to throughout my childhood was a year long memory I’ll never forget.

How did Sayre prepare you for your life today?

Sayre has prepared me in more ways than I can count. After graduating from Sayre, I went in to UK having confidence in every facet of daily college life, academics, social, time management, etc. From my experiences during athletics and time in the classrooms, I truly credit Sayre for the communication and leadership skills I’ve been able to develop. The lessons and advice I was given from teachers and coaches during my time at Sayre made the switch into college and professional life seem like a seamless transition. I can truly say that anytime something new is thrown at me, I can look back at my time at Sayre and use one of the many tools I learned during my time to assist in that situation.

You recently worked with the PGA, tell us about that experience.

Working with the PGA of America was one of those experiences that I wish everyone could have. Right after graduation in May of 2015, I drove up to Sheboygan, Wisconsin to spend the summer working as an Operations Assistant for the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

To say I had no idea what to expect is an understatement. Many people see these types of tournaments on TV and don’t realize the set up and preparation it takes to organize such an event. To put it in perspective, the PGA of America sets up shop at a site two years in advance before the tournament starts. As an individual on a 12-man team, our job was to make sure that every task that needed to be done on property was done perfectly before the first patron stepped on site.

To say our role did a wide variety of things would be an understatement. We did everything from touch up paint on the fences to stand behind Tiger Woods during an interview to make sure no one touched the coveted Wannamaker Trophy. While the months leading up to the tournament are definitely grueling, the sense of satisfaction knowing that you were a part of arguably one of the biggest sporting events in the world is a feeling you can’t replace.

What is your current occupation?

Currently, I serve as Account Representative for AmTote International. AmTote is a leading technology provider for pari-mutuel services. In simple terms, we make the technology and software that allows individuals to place wagers on all types of horse racing. Along with our standard betting services for pari-mutuel wagering, we also make the historical horseracing product; a slot-machine type game that incorporates historical horse races and displays the results in a graphically enhanced slot-like format.

As an Account Representative, I’m responsible for overseeing properties that use our historical horseracing product in Kentucky, Wyoming, Oregon and Arkansas.

If asked, what are the most important things you would tell parents and/or perspective students about Sayre?

Sayre’s a place where you can create your own path. Sayre is so unique in the fact that there is a place for everyone. While small in size, it’s rich in diversity. No matter what your niche might be, Sayre has someone who can not only supply the tools you need to succeed, but help guide you to be the best you can at your craft.