Marketing Horse Racing: Still Must Start with One Horse, One (Human) Heart

Speaking with a friend yesterday and others during the past 15 days, my experience is not uncommon. Apparently only those people who are clear-headed enough to hold jobs in which they must write on-demand for deadlines have had the wherewithal to pen reports and observations about the events that unfolded on June 6, 2015 at Belmont Park.

But the topic about which I am ready to write–once again–is the marketing of horse racing. How not to do it, and yes, to whom and how it should be done.

Based on what I witnessed that day, two things were confirmed for me:

1) The attempt to market horse racing to young people (late teens, and 20-somethings) via electronic devices and video games is the same as trying to ride a horse, facing the tail.

2) Arrogance of youth and “progress” notwithstanding–just being at a race track does not make one a race fan, any more than a cat having kittens in an oven makes them, biscuits. It’s still necessary to teach them why they should be there–and that WHY is and always will be–The Horse…

I worked first on computers in 1980, in the fledgling Computer Graphics department of a major technological university. In 1984, I was one of the clerical-types forced to use a “brand new” Mac (with a mouse!) at that same university. (The engineers wanted to see how user-friendly was this new Mac-thing, so I was given a 300-page paper to enter.)

So I’ve worked on virtually every computer that’s evolved in 35 years, from a gigantic Lanier word processor, hooked up to a $5 million Prime computer that took an entire, frozen room to hold–to the teeny-ish BlackBerry that I use because I need a real QWERTY keyboard. And everything in-between.

But the last computer game that held my interest for more than three seconds was Pong, at those aforementioned university jobs.

The key reason why I don’t play computer games is the same reason why I don’t take pictures often with my phone: I’m more interested in living in the moment–in having actual, flesh-and-blood experiences and the memories that stay with me, than in allowing a tool to stand in-between me and the experience.

Why would I–or you, or anyone else–prefer to fiddle with a computer game about horse racing when the option exists to be at a real, live horse race and experience real horses in all their glory? Sure, I understand playing racing games if you can’t get to the track–or it’s the dead of winter–or myriad other reasons that may prevent in-person track visits.

But to be at a race track, within mere feet of God’s most magnificent creatures–and still be attached to your iPhone–and playing a racing video game!–is an addiction, folks. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but it’s true. If you can’t put down the phone and the racing game long enough to look UP and see an actual HORSE–you are addicted.

A friend who’s a racing analyst, former jockey and trainer tells the tale of speaking to a group of young people in a corporate suite at Saratoga. To his dismay, after he spoke, he saw the majority of those young people texting and playing computer games on their phones almost immediately.

Even computer games about horse racing—even as huge, 1,200-pound horses throbbed past them, not 20 feet away.

Dismaying–yes. Astounding, as well. The problem as I see it is that, like many annoying 21st Century parents (and we all know parents like this), horse racing is more interested in being the “friend” of youths, rather than taking responsibility and leading the way. (More parents in 21st Century America are afraid of hurting their little darlings’ feelings, or making their kids angry with them–instead of sucking it up and saying “NO” when it’s necessary.)

Not dissimilarly, horse racing allows the computer companies that are run by 12-year-olds to tell us that they want digital–when the reality is that they’ll never–EVER–become lifelong race fans and bettors unless/until they meet a horse, face-to-face, eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart.

So the conclusion to Part 1 of this article is that horse racing must take The Hard Route: don’t emulate the lazy parents who find it easier to stick their kids in front of the TV, than to engage them in one-on-one play. Horse racing’s authorities must think of ways to introduce young people to horses. Real, live horses.

We all know that this is true, because every single one of us who works in the sport (whatever our gig)–somewhere along the line was introduced to a horse. And probably at an early age, when surrendering wholeheartedly to love wasn’t prevented by cynicism.

It may be that horse racing organizations must start working with Pony Club–with 4H–with local breeding farms and civic organizations. Race tracks may have to hire someone for the marketing department who’s dedicated to creating a grassroots campaign. One club–one horse–one child. It may cost some money and energy to get the campaign rolling, bt I can guarantee that, if you create the space and the environment–those children will respond.

Virtual reality never will replace the smell–the soft nickers and primal neighing–the touch–the musculature–the otherworldly eye–the snorting, pawing, powerhouse that we know as The Horse.

No hologram, video game or other piece of technology ever can replace the first moment of meeting a horse in the flesh. To continue to push the concept of growing the sport virtually instead of really is an exercise in both idiocy and short-sightedness.