This is the fifth and final installment in our interview series speaking to the next generation of leaders in horse racing. Read the first installment, as well as an introduction to the series here, the second installment here, the third installment here, and the fourth installment here.
22, Stable Employee
-What made you pursue a career in racing?
I've been connected for years, which started at a private racing facility I kept my retired Thoroughbred at. I got a view of how a smaller operation runs, and how much their horses mean to them. I spent time doing hunter/jumper showing but it became too costly, and I always found myself drawn to the track and tagging along with my friends in the industry. I've always wanted the best for the horses and want to make an impact.
-Have your feelings about your choice changed over time and if so, what prompted that change?
I am happy I chose the path I have, but I've had doubts on many days. Only a few people will believe in you; many will tell you “no” or brush you off. From the outside, the industry seems welcoming, but once you're in, it's harder to find people to teach you or give you the patience you need. I didn't realize how much I had to advocate for myself if I wanted to pursue this, but it has made me more determined to succeed.
-Do you feel any kind of ceiling to your career due to age/race/gender/lack of family in the business (and if so, where does that idea come from)?
Yes. When you don't have a prominent background, it's hard to convince people you want to be the real deal and take this seriously. Being a young girl, I've gotten brushed off plenty of times. I know many young girls have had to push hard to get where they want to be, and get respect. But I also see how successful a determined woman can be, and we seem to be growing in that area of the sport.
-How do you feel about the direction of the industry long-term?
Currently, I'm unsure. There is so much we need to do and I still don't see it being done soon. The public's view of us is continuously on the rocks, and the current situations make it easier for them to stand against the industry. There's no one to blame but us when the negatives start to outweigh the positives. We need to pull back and make major adjustments, the public owes us nothing. We owe them the proof that this industry deserves to continue to be funded and supported.
-What do you think racing's single biggest Achilles' heel is right now?
Not having a universal, governing body or set of standards. Every track and state operates differently, which has created a ton of mismatched punishments regarding violations. We need to implement the same penalties across the board. It's embarrassing that trainers with multiple license suspensions or violations in certain states can operate and run at another track, in another state because suspensions don't always carry over to other tracks. This only trickles down the state of affairs to the public and makes us seem unorganized, and confusing.
-What about its greatest potential asset?
Horses themselves bring people together in a way you wouldn't believe. We should create more hands-on opportunities for the public, and learning seminars. Many people simply aren't educated about the horses or racing, and a little bit of knowledge goes a long way. Interacting with horses, hearing about how operations work, and petting the outrider ponies brings a lot of simple joy to patrons.
-Do you think you'll still be working in racing in 20 years' time (and if not do you have a fallback plan)?
Racing has always captured my heart, I would hope to still be involved in some way. There are many smaller branches you can move into if the backside doesn't work out. I've been lucky enough to have obtained certifications and college education earlier in my life that I can use in the future. Having a back-up plan is extremely important.
32, Farm Manager
-What made you pursue a career in racing?
I've always been a rider and started getting into handicapping in high school. I ended up graduating college earlier than expected and didn't have a plan, so when I saw a job opening I gave it a shot.
-Have your feelings about your choice changed over time and if so, what prompted that change?
I have seen so many issues that go unnoticed or unchanged that it's difficult to not become bitter. You pour your heart and soul into breeding, foaling, and raising these horses — seven days a week, literal blood, sweat, and tears — and as soon as they're out of your care you have to worry about where they will end up. I shouldn't have to worry if a horse I cared for since birth is given meth, or snake venom, or starves to death in a kill pen. But I do, because no one is held accountable.
When trainers are caught, they lie right to us and it's accepted! I am tired of being told everything is a contamination issue. If you cannot keep track of what your horse is ingesting or which medications they are being given, you should not be training horses. It's really that simple.
There are plenty of owners who care more about having a Grade 1 winner than if their horse drops dead of a heart attack during a workout or having cheaper day rates even though the horses don't have shavings in their stalls. Having a license to own or run a horse is a privilege, not a right, and tracks should act accordingly.
-Do you feel any kind of ceiling to your career due to age/race/gender/lack of family in the business (and if so, where does that idea come from)?
I can only think of a handful of successful women in their 30s who weren't either born into it or have been given career opportunities and advantages based on their significant others. As someone who has gotten where I am on my own accord, that fact is both sobering and frustrating.
There are men who are well-known creeps who are given high profile jobs — sales company representatives, bloodstock agents, trainers, etc. It's a small industry, so in most cases pleading ignorance doesn't work. I know the lines can be blurred between our social and professional lives in this industry, but telling a woman to take her top off in a Keeneland conference room during a sale is blatant harassment. I don't think it's a stretch to say there is a prominent lack of respect towards women when people turn a blind eye to that behavior.
-How do you feel about the direction of the industry long-term?
If the industry doesn't start hiring qualified, intelligent people to positions of influence, it's a sinking ship.
-What do you think racing's single biggest Achilles' heel is right now?
Horse racing is not run like a serous sport. Human resources is virtually unheard of, there are no contracts, there are few worker guidelines. People who don't know about horses (the most important part of horse racing) are put into high-ranking jobs and make ill-informed decisions. It's an old boys club. The people who inherited their grandfather's farm and sit on ten different boards aren't affected by the lack of professionalism, but it sure effects workers farther down the totem pole.
If you ask for a written contract before taking a job, they act like you're Jimmy Hoffa. It's unprofessional and wildly unfair that workers can't have contracts guarding their rights as employees, especially since there's no HR. Attorneys are expensive and many workers don't have the money to take former employers to court for unfair dismissals. Working with horses is dangerous. Health insurance should be standard, but it sadly is not.
-What about its greatest potential asset?
Racing's greatest asset will always be the horses, which is why their care is paramount.
-Do you think you'll still be working in racing in 20 years' time (and if not do you have a fallback plan)?
Most jobs in racing are too much work for too little pay, long days, and virtually no vacation time. How is that a viable lifestyle? If racing wants to retain and attract motivated, intelligent people who will improve the sport, that needs to change soon.
I love my job and I love what I do, but I'm currently exploring other options.
24, Racing and bloodstock
-What made you pursue a career in racing?
I was born with an innate passion for horses despite no family connection to them. Luckily, I grew up in area with a relatively high concentration of sport horses as well as three racetracks. My parents supported my passion the best they could and for most of my childhood had one foot on both sides of the “fence.” Once I started working in a serious capacity in the industry and realized the countless different options in terms of careers, I was fully hooked. I love that I am never done learning, the international aspect of the sport, the history, people, and storylines, and ultimately, the horse is the biggest driver behind my choice to call this a career.
-Have your feelings about your choice changed over time and if so, what prompted that change?
My feelings have changed both positively and negatively. I have been very fortunate to do a bit of everything the industry has to offer, and I love it more than ever in some regards. I have made many of my closest friends and been given unbelievable experiences, such as international travel, thanks to racehorses. Looking at people I grew up with, I am beyond thankful that I get to have a passion I can make a career in.
That being said, the more you work in the industry, the more you see how self-sabotaging it can be and you are exposed to more and more people who do not have the overall well-being of the sport in mind. You also realize how off-kilter the work-life balance can be and how many sacrifices have to be made on that front. For example, many racetrack employers not offering health care, retirement plans, etc. Living away from family and friends means very limited time to see them, and one can't help but think sometimes, “Is it all worth it?” A frequent conversation I have with my friends is how we are all more than willing to put in hours and hard work, and have proven that, but have all been made to feel guilty, whether on purpose or not, for having priorities/desires outside of work (such as family, hobbies, etc).
-Do you feel any kind of ceiling to your career due to age/race/gender/lack of family in the business (and if so, where does that idea come from)?
Overall, I consider myself extremely lucky to have had relatively little experience with “ceilings.” That being said, I do believe part of this was because I had the privilege of platforms through education and have known people personally with very different experiences. However, I was employed by a large outfit who still has a culture that is severely behind the times in terms of females in certain roles and in management/upper-level positions, with a rare few exceptions, typically for women with a particular background. I was determined to not let this be a factor, and perhaps naively thought that through hard work and showing my passion/desire to learn I would be granted the learning/work experiences I desired. This proved to not be the case, and it was exceptionally frustrating to see young men with little time in the organization or even the industry in general be quickly allowed to do these things on a regular basis. Ultimately I decided it was in my best interest to seek other employment to gain the experiences I wanted.
-How do you feel about the direction of the industry long-term?
In terms of overall direction, I would say realistically the goal is stabilization/damage control. Deep down I think any person in the industry, regardless of age, is fooling themselves if they do not believe we are in survival mode with the decisions being made presently and in the immediate future having serious impact on the overall future of the sport. One can hope that “having our feet held to the fire” will get much needed change put in place, and in some cases it has with great benefit.
-What do you think racing's single biggest Achilles' heel is right now?
A (multi-)million dollar question. Keeping it short and sweet, the industry's inability to be proactive versus reactive.
-What about its greatest potential asset?
When our sport is at its best, there is nothing like it. And by best, I do not necessarily mean Breeders' Cup weekend. It can be a regular Sunday at a track with an “average” card. Some of my earliest memories were weekends at a “B” level track for average cards, but nonetheless, I got hooked. There are so many different facets to our sport and there can be something appealing to everyone.
I also always stick by the quote of the late Alice Chandler that to get someone interested in the industry you need to let the horse breathe on them. They are our best ambassadors and the more exposure we can give people to them the better.
-Do you think you'll still be working in racing in 20 years' time (and if not do you have a fallback plan)?
I certainly hope so. However, like many of my friends in the industry, I would be lying if I said I have not had doubts (that have increased in frequency as of late). I do not have a fallback plan as of right now because whenever I think of it, despite the countless challenges this industry has thrown at me and faces as a whole going into the future, I cannot think of doing anything else. When you have a “good” day in this game, there is absolutely nothing that can replace that for me. However, I have had multiple talented, hard-working, passionate friends decide to leave the sport for various reasons, many of which should not come as a surprise to anyone in the sport (i.e. work-life balance, job security, etc.). I have had many people ask me why someone like me is “wasting their time/talent in an industry like this when I could do anything else.” When you see and hear things like this, combined with seeing how certain topics are being handled within the sport, and think about the countless sacrifices you have made, it certainly makes you think long and hard.
I have the utmost faith in my generation and that above me to right the ship, but there are many days where I am left wondering how much of a ship will be left when it is handed to us.
34, Breeder/owner
-What made you pursue a career in racing?
The horses. My admiration of their athleticism, the absolute awe I still feel watching them run, and the peace I experience working with them. My oldest memory about horses is my dad telling me the (child-friendly) story of Calumet Farm's origin. I also think this was his way of telling me to make a career in something lucrative and spend fun money on the horses. While I grew up riding and showing in 4-H, racing was always it for me.
-Have your feelings about your choice changed over time and if so, what prompted that change?
In many ways yes. I'm not sad that my career path was rerouted in the recession of 2008. I used to be, but I see a lot more opportunity the route I've taken. I am happier personally and professionally than 24-year-old me ever imagined I could be not working with horses. I'd aspired to be a bloodstock adviser, I can achieve some of that solely based on my own standards, but on a much slimmer bankroll than I'd hoped.
-Do you feel any kind of ceiling to your career due to age/race/gender/lack of family in the business (and if so, where does that idea come from)?
My experience was more positive than many women; I never felt disrespected, unsafe, exploited, or ignored (I worked outside racing and experienced many of these working conditions). I wasn't ignorant enough to believe it would always be that smooth. Nor will I downplay how incredibly hard I worked to establish respect and to make connections by cold-calling strangers with the career I wanted.
-How do you feel about the direction of the industry long-term?
In short, not good. As things stand now, we're on a faster track to go the way of greyhound racing than any of us would like to admit, myself included. The federal indictments were embarrassing, but the hope that someone was addressing the most depraved cheaters with promises of more, and it wouldn't be easy to slip out of punishment…that hope was powerful. I could use some of that right now. We're so stagnated and lenient, it's painful. If we start actionably addressing our issues, I think we could revitalize the industry.
-What do you think racing's single biggest Achilles' heel is right now?
The infighting, the resistance to change, scoffing at public opinion, and the lack of spine amongst recognized leaders.
Infighting: how long have we been bickering about Lasix? Regardless of where you stand, we've been arguing to keep or revoke it for more than a decade. That's unacceptable. Insert almost anything controversial in place of Lasix: wash, rinse, repeat. It's a novel thought, but we can address more than one issue at a time! Shocking, I know.
The resistance to change: take your pick. Everyone says we need to grow the sport, but it feels like at every turn we do the opposite. When something novel is introduced, it's half-hearted or nitpicked to death: Pegasus World Cup and MyRacehorse are prime examples of sometimes harsh critiques. Again, regardless of your feelings on PWC and MR, they've withstood the criticism and adjusted their business models to improve.
Ignoring public opinion: we rely on public opinion to operate. Complain about the majority of horses are treated well, “too much” negative news, common people don't know anything about horses. At the end of the day, perception is reality. The average person's opinion is what will vote to keep/ban racing. Ask yourself the hard question: if polled today, how do you think your family, friends, neighbors would vote?
Lack of spine: accountability, consistency, reciprocity around rule-breaking is abysmal. We need to stick with policies, especially when regarding better treatment and longevity of the horses. It feels like everyone is running scared from lawyers, challenges, and criticism.
-What about its greatest potential asset?
Racing's greatest asset is and will always be the horses.
Our greatest potential asset is data. We capture so much but more is disregarded or left on the table. Bettors use formulas for their picks, breeders use nicks for matings, owners use data for selections, trainers use stats for entries, track superintendents use weather and moisture to maintain track conditions. Transparency can be a double-edged sword, but sticking our heads in the sand gets us nowhere. All tracks should report injuries and deaths to the EID. In the age of information, electing to not record this is irresponsible.
-Do you think you'll still be working in racing in 20 years' time (and if not do you have a fall-back plan)?
I am working my fallback plan. I hope in 20 years I'm still able to have my own horses running nearby, breeding them if they are quality enough, and providing a safe after-racing home for them. It's an expensive endeavor and I don't want to do it if I can't do it right by my horses. I'm glad I can afford it, I have a partner who has similar ethical and philosophical beliefs, and a spouse who supports it.
36, On hiatus from breeding industry/current owner
-What made you pursue a career in racing?
Interest in the sport led me to taking a weekend job on a farm while in high school. That created an insatiable love of horses and discovering I was naturally gifted at raising them.
-Have your feelings about your choice changed over time and if so, what prompted that change?
I'm on hiatus for a reason. When you're young, doing what you love makes up for the long hours and low pay. Fast forward 15 years to your late twenties and thinking about buying a home, getting married, starting a family, and the economic/time realities become very problematic. I also found living and working in Central Kentucky to not be for me and the industry at home was in shambles.
-Do you feel any kind of ceiling to your career due to age/race/gender/lack of family in the business (and if so, where does that idea come from)?
To my career, no, but to a lot of others, absolutely. Even though I do not have family in the business I was fortunate that when I made the move from home to Central Kentucky, my former employers set up interviews and helped me network with their connections. I do feel that a lot of people took time to talk with me simply because of those connections and I did land a job through meeting with one of them at the right time.
On two separate occasions I have had farm managers comment that it was nice to see a young white guy want to work with horses, which I made a point to take offense to.
-How do you feel about the direction of the industry long-term?
It's slowly contracting. While I don't think the industry is going to disappear, I certainly see it becoming more regionalized and looking closer to today's steeplechase industry than what it does today.
-What do you think racing's single biggest Achilles' heel is right now?
Who wants to own and run a racetrack without subsidies from other forms of gambling? Those subsidies are going to go away and nothing has been done to prepare for it.
-What about its greatest potential asset?
The easy answer is the horses. I also believe even with the issues of takeout and small field sizes it still presents a great gambling game at times.
-Do you think you'll still be working in racing in 20 years' time (and if not do you have a fallback plan)?
I don't foresee myself making a living in the industry again, but I do enjoy still being an active participant as an owner. I'm hopeful that continued success in my current career path can lead to getting back to involvement in breeding and raising horses in an early retirement.
The post ‘I Have The Utmost Faith In My Generation’: Next Generation Of Racing’s Leaders Look To The Future appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
