Page 18 - Speedhorse June 2019

AQHA RACING UPDATE
“. . . we can
support the
grass roots effort
with a bigger
movement to
reach someone
who has never
touched a horse,
filled a water
bucket, or even
been to the
races.”
Janet VanBebber
June 2019 • AQHA Racing Update
THE GOOD, THE
BAD AND THE UGLY
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer
Our beloved sport has been plagued with an abundance of bad press lately. Periodicals and me- dia with national and international audiences are spewing headlines that characterize our sport, and those of us in it, out to be animal killers. On May 21, HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel ran a story entitled ‘Raced to Death.’
Friends, this is a call to action. We need to take the reins and change the direction we are headed. More specifically, we must impart a better under- standing of how we care for our horses. We love our horses. We offer them the best care that rivals pam- pering offered in a high dollar spa. As horsemen, we often go without our
own necessities in order to
tend to our horses’ needs.
To quote Dr. Larry Bram-
lage, “Undeniable passion
for the well-being of horses
permeates throughout the
industry, as well as the public.”
It is imperative that we tell this
side of the story. Furthermore,
in doing a better job of chroni-
cling what we do that is right, we
need to reach beyond our own
industry media and websites, and
instead reach out to those who
need to hear this important mes-
sage. We’re good at preaching to the
choir . . . but it’s time to get out into
the mission field.
What can we do? I am open to your sugges- tions. My mind is already turning to our Racing Conference held in October in conjunction with
the Challenge Championships in Albuquerque. This would be a prime opportunity for key industry stake holders to have a round table discussion and develop a strategic plan to save the image of our industry,
16 SPEEDHORSE, June 2019