What's Going On
November/December 1995

The original purpose of this Newsletter is to make racing more "user-Friendly" to the horse industry in general. I'd like to bring you up to date on my endeavors to have the race tracks work more with the Backyard trainers and owners. I am trying to present a program to the Thoroughbred Racing Association which will bring Pleasure horse owners and trainers into racing. There are many competent riders and trainers who are into endurance riding, rodeo, hunter jumping, Eventing and other horse related competitions. Their skills and horsemanship can easily be transferred into racing. They already own farms and are involved with horses. They are a huge untapped source of new owners. Racing has never marketed to this group. I am constantly receiving calls from such horse owners who want to get into racing. But there is no clear helpful way. It would be ideal for the tracks to have a person in the office as a Coordinator who could be the "bridge" for new owners. He would already have a racing office job-but be designated as the contact for the owner-trainer ship-ins. As the "bridge", his job would be two-fold. First to help management work with these ship-ins, by allotting enough stalls for them to work and race. Second to maintain a list of trainers at the track who are interested in participating in the program.

The trainers state their philosophies of training and how much owner input they are willing to accept. The key here is educating and sharing information with the owner...the one who pays the bills. Dialogue between owner and trainer is of paramount importance. Trainers with a big string of horses will probably be too busy to be interested in this program. Trainers with fewer horses will have time and interest in getting new clients. Remember...these owners come from the horse world. They have owned and cared for pleasure horses already. The track coordinator would maintain the list of interested trainers and their phone numbers. The owners may make their own contacts. One of the biggest problems in racing today is that interested future owners don't know how to initiate a relationship with the racing industry. An effectively coordinated program at each participating track could be easily developed with no cost, since the personnel and lines of communication already exist.

My main struggle has been trying to get to the coordinating group that represents and communicates to the overall racing industry. The TRA is in a bit of an upheaval but it is hoped that with a certain amount of reorganizing, it will continue to be a source of leadership within the industry. It is to this organization that I am trying to create a dialogue.

For now, the way you readers can help, is by keeping me abreast of what you're doing and sharing how the newsletter can be utilized in bringing together all interested horsemen. I am going to attend the Race Track Industry meeting in Arizona. I hope to make useful contacts that will encourage a rapport between the Race Tracks and the Racing breeds as well as a fresh interest in the Marketing of Racing to the pleasure horse owners.

If any of you readers belong to the American Horse Council, please let them know that I would like to speak at their next meeting. If I could have the opportunity to address the Breed Organization Representives and other Horse organization leaders, it would be an opportunity to talk to them about how they could participate in racing.

I will also be addressing the HPBA membership at their national meeting in Florida early nest year. The horsemen directly involved with racing should have a vested interest in the future of the industry. It is hoped that they will be receptive to these proposals.

If you are aware of state horse fairs or national breed association meetings that sponsor speakers, let them know that I would be happy to do a presentation on how they can be a part of racing. We really can make a difference in racing if we work together and encourage positive change! Let me know what you think!