Page 12 - 12 October 2012

QUESTIONS...
and the importance of our answers.
...their excitement to experience this unfamiliar sector of the equine industry was palpable.
by Stacy Pigott
Over the past few weeks, I have had the oppor- tunity to share Quarter Horse racing with some folks who had never experienced it
before. The first outing was to Lone Star Park, where my neighbors joined me to watch the Dash For Cash Futurity trials. The second was at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale, where a friend from north Texas hap- pened to be in Oklahoma City for the State Fair and stopped by to say hi.
In each instance, the people were horse people. My neighbors have campaigned world-class show horses their entire lives; my friend is a well-traveled trail rider who never misses an opportunity to hook up the trailer and explore new territory. But in the realm of Quarter Horse racing, they were newbies...rookies...amateurs. Yet their excitement to experience this unfamiliar sec- tor of the equine industry was palpable.
My neighbor’s son, who is at the age where he pre- fers video games over showing horses, could barely sit still through dinner as we talked about racehorses and looked over the evening’s program, picking horses to bet based on their names alone. And I have to admit, their excitement was contagious. I have never been so happy to see someone cash a $2 show bet as I was that night. At the horse sale, it was fun to watch my friend walk around with her camera, taking pictures of the well-groomed yearlings and the beautiful booths that showcased each farm and ranch.
I was surprised, however. Not by their reactions, but by the response I got from industry insiders. Before that night at Lone Star Park, I mentioned to
a few people that I was taking my neighbors to the Quarter Horse races for the first time. One person groaned in sympathy. Another said, “I’m sorry.” The general consensus was that taking amateurs to the races was a chore to be suffered through, not an expe- rience to be enjoyed. At the races that night, when people asked me to join them in the Silks restaurant, I declined, explaining that my neighbors were new to the racetrack and wanted to watch the races outside, at the finish line. There it was again...that knowing nod, that look of pity.
Now I’ll admit, taking neophytes to the racetrack isn’t all fun and games. They ask questions...A LOT of questions. They ask questions you and I haven’t thought about in years, because, well, we already know the answers. Because these were all knowledge- able horse people, they asked questions not only about betting, but also about racehorse training and race
conditions and trials and finals and speed indexes and jockeys and trainers and more! At the sale, I got to explain about sales prepping and how racehorses are broke and trained, and give a lesson on how to read a catalog page. No doubt, there were a lot of ques- tions...questions many people would consider annoy- ing to hear and burdensome to answer. Our industry can be confusing and difficult to explain at times, and the task of training amateurs, it seems, is just too tiresome and inconvenient for some to want to tackle.
But I have to tell you, those two trips to Lone Star Park and Heritage Place were two of my most reward- ing, most fun, and most exciting trips of the summer. Why? Because by answering those questions—those incessant questions—I got to see Quarter Horse rac- ing through a rookie’s eyes. It reminded me of what
it was like when I first got started in this sport so many years ago, and made me even more grateful for the people who had the patience and took the time to answer my questions. Now, decades later, I am able to return the favor, or pay it forward, if you will.
I don’t know if my friends will ever become involved in the Quarter Horse racing industry
more than as casual observers. But I do know their introduction to the sport was fun and informative, and I know they have told their friends and coworkers about how exciting Quarter Horse racing is. They are spreading the good word, which is what our industry needs. We need people who are excited to come to the races and to the sales, whether they are amateurs or veterans. We need people to have a good time and tell their friends, and we need people who want to come back and do it all over again.
But to get those people, we have to do our part. We have to spread the word. We have to go out of our way to invite someone new to the racetrack or to a sale, and we have to be willing to offer ourselves—our time and our knowledge—to make the experience a good one. We have to answer their questions.
As we left Lone Star Park a few weeks ago, every- one had smiles on their faces and a little money in their pockets. Ten-year-old Ty and his mom Jenny had picked a winner in nearly every race they bet— mostly because they didn’t rely on my poor handicap- ping skills—and their $2 show bets bought ice cream for everyone on the way home. As we sat at that Dairy Queen table, the evening’s excitement just beginning to fade, I couldn’t help but smile at my friends— Quarter Horse racing’s newest fans.
10 SPEEDHORSE, October 12, 2012
UNDER WRAPS