If you’ve ever thought of owning a racehorse, there is a conference coming up in Lexington, Kentucky from October 13-15, which promises to serve all a person would need to know to enter into ownership.
OwnerView is a national ownership conference developed by the Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) to assist current and prospective Thoroughbred owners.
The conference, jointly sponsored by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Keeneland Association, New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the Stronach Group, will feature prominent industry participants as well as an exhibit hall and several informative networking events with owners and industry representatives.
I think of all the people whose lives have been made better by a racehorse and it makes me wish I could get all their stories out there. It makes me wish that more people could know the experience. It is not by accident that horses are called noble creatures, and racing is still a wonderful sport.
What makes it so is engaging the right people: the honest, fair and just ones.
At OwnerView, you’ll have a chance to meet owners, breeders, syndicate managers, jockeys, sales agents, Thoroughbred Aftercare specialists and some of the finest people you’d ever like to meet.
They call Keeneland, Del Mar and Saratoga lifestyle tracks but actually all of racing is a lifestyle. And for me, I can’t imagine a better one.
It’s the horses that make it special. They connect us with ancient wisdom. We owe them everything.
The John Trotwood Moore quote which Charlotte Weber displays on her Live Oak Stud website says it best:
“Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization we find the hoofprint of the horse beside it.” If not for horses, where would we be? A racehorse can provide connections too vast to describe. The only way to know the feeling is to get involved. Don’t be afraid, it really isn’t so daunting as you might expect and today there are syndicates to serve every regional or economic boundary.
OwnerView will help to change the status quo of declining ownership, and another ace in the hole is a stellar group of emerging leaders in the Thoroughbred industry. I’ve gathered a few comments from some of them.
Conrad Bandoroff’s parents have worked hard and made a nice success of Denali Stud.
“The past couple years I have started to promote racing to my friends outside the industry,” said Conrad. “Last January I purchased a short yearling from the Keeneland January sale through a partnership with friends from high school and college. It was a great experience because it allowed me to show these guys what this business is all about and afforded me the opportunity to share my passion with them. We sold our yearling at Keeneland in September and made a little profit, so hopefully it won’t be these guys last pinhooking venture.”
Conrad has recently returned from furthering his equine education in Australia.
I asked Christophe and Valerie Clement’s daughter Charlotte what if was like to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup and she replied: “Extraordinary horses like Tonalist keep the dream alive. This horse serves as a tribute for Mr. Robert Evans and his family, who have been loyal supporters of this sport for so long, hoping one day for a champion. And of course, for our CC team for all their nonstop hard work and dedication.”
Charlotte is nearing a degree in economics at Vanderbilt University and hopes to make a career in racing.
Devin Wilmot’s parents, both veterinarians, own Stepwise Farm in Saratoga and have long been involved in breeding, selling and racing Thoroughbreds.
Devin sent me a doctorial on attracting young fans. I wish I could use it all. It represents how much young people care for the sport and how frustrated they are that it is so hard to market the experience.
Devin states, “I had to sell my friends on attending the races, because most young people think of racing as a thing of the past, a sketchy place for gamblers, or some lyrics in a song by The Band.”
“We need to change that,” he added.
Devin works in advertising in New York City and wants to be a part of the change.
Rebekah Hammond did not come from a racing family but became hooked on the sport when her father took her to the 2007 Belmont Stakes.
She recalled, “I saw Rags to Riches and made up my mind that day I would seek a career in racing.”
When asked how she expects to bring new and younger players into the game, she answered, “We need to introduce them to the sport, answer any questions they have about it and most of all show them the ropes. Many people see it as a very hard sport to get into when they come from outside the racing world.”
Rebekah is presently galloping horses for Darley in Aiken and working toward a degree online. She hopes one day to become a trainer.
Dale Romans’ daughter, Bailey has amazed me with her overview of the racing culture. She has literally grown up in the sport and watched her father become an elite trainer.
“I’m not sure yet where my career path will lead but one thing for sure, I want somehow to give back to racing the amazing gifts the sport has given me,” Bailey said. “Because of racing I’ve traveled the world and met so many amazing people, it all means so much to me.” Bailey is pursuing a degree in marketing at the University of Dayton.
This is just a small sampling of the well-educated, well-traveled and sophisticated population of young people who are very serious about forging careers in the Thoroughbred business. We have in our favor too, the fast-paced improvement in Thoroughbred aftercare and maybe strongest of all we have all the great work taking place in the therapeutic and spiritual fields with off-the-track Thoroughbreds.
Thoroughbreds have changed lives for many individuals on and off the track. The journey can be amazing and I’ll promise you’ll learn a lot more than how to wager. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get a horse and go places you’ve never dreamed of!
