Horse racing suffers from a perception problem
Adam Himmelsbach, ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com 11:14 p.m. EDT April 29, 2014
Crisis management consultant Jonathan Bernstein lives near Santa Anita Park in California, where he has befriended some of the horse racing industry's key participants. One recent day a trainer approached him.
"He said, 'We desperately need someone who does what you do,' " Bernstein said. "He said they needed crisis management and that the stubborn longtime members of the industry just think they can manage it themselves."
As thousands of fans descend upon Louisville for the Kentucky Derby this weekend and millions more watch the race on TV, horse racing will once again take its two-minute turn in the spotlight.
But aside from this race — and the ensuing buzz surrounding a Triple Crown hopeful — the general public pays attention to the sport only when there is reason to raise an eyebrow. Sometimes it's a horse breaking down on the track. Sometimes it's allegations of abuse, doping or shady breeding practices.
"How (the sport is) perceived, that needs to be worked on," said Jimmy Jerkens, trainer of Derby contender Wicked Strong. "I don't know how to do it."
Most recently, an investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals led to accusations that trainer Steve Asmussen and assistant Scott Blasi had treated their horses cruelly, used electrical devices to shock them and given drugs to them for nontherapeutic reasons. The claims are being investigated by racing officials. Asmussen has yet to face any charges, but Blasi was relieved as an assistant.
Defenders of the sport say the unethical treatment practices Asmussen has been accused of are in the extreme minority, and that most horses receive excellent care. But many also acknowledge that there is a need for continued reform, and that the sport has a perception problem that needs to be fixed.
"I think the industry is open to change," said Alex Waldrop, CEO and president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. "This is not an industry that is digging in its heels saying 'No, our critics are wrong, we don't have a problem."
Added Robert Heleringer, a lawyer who is the executive director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project: "It's a sport that does need some work on its image on a national basis, and I think that's something everybody in the industry is aware of."
But awareness and action are not always in lockstep. The sport's critics say meaningful reform has progressed at a glacial pace, and with the lack of a national governing body, there are frustrations with the inability to create policies and procedures that are adopted nationwide.
In 2008, the filly Eight Belles broke down after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and had to be euthanized. The injury raised new concerns about whether horses were being put through more than their bodies can handle, with the headline of a Los Angeles Times editorial even positing the question: "Bred for Death?"
Kathy Guillermo, PETA's senior vice president, said Eight Belles' injury led her organization to intensify its scrutiny of the horse racing industry. Guillermo said to fix the negative perceptions that hover over the sport, uncomfortable realities must first be addressed.
"Serious reforms need to be made to stop serious problems that are occurring," Guillermo said. "…I think it's interesting that there's been so much discussion about how to make it better. I'm very hopeful that will result in something. That's what we want."
Among other initiatives, PETA has called for: the use of a central pharmacy at racetracks, the public release of veterinary records, monitoring by the U.S. anti-doping industry, and the ban on medications in the week preceding a race — if a horse requires drugs or medicine, PETA feels it should not run.
Furthermore, PETA would like better rules and enforcement regarding whips and buzzers, and another week in between Triple Crown events to give horses more time to recover. It would also like a percentage of all racing handles to go toward the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, for retired horses. Some tracks are already doing this.
Guillermo said these measures would improve the quality of life for horses while also bolstering the national perception of the industry. For example, streamlined national medication guidelines could result in fewer horses breaking down on the track, and an extra week between Triple Crown races could make a Triple Crown winner more likely.
"I will say we've been very measured in our approach to this," Guillermo said. "We've advocated for specific reforms that would have helped the horses and also would have helped the racing industry."
Other groups have pushed for initiatives similar to PETA's, and some have shown progress, but there has been a struggle for uniformity. Some say the sport needs a commissioner, much like major professional sports organizations.
The Jockey Club, an influential horse racing group, has called for more streamlined rules, drug testing and penalties. The club recently proposed that owners and trainers in graded stakes races make their veterinary records public, and numerous owners and trainers voluntarily pledged to do that.
"Greater transparency would certainly be one good method to change perception," said James Gagliano, the Jockey Club's president and chief operating officer.
To truly alter negative perceptions, though, changes must be noticeable and tangible to the general public. Bernstein, the crisis management expert, said the industry must do more than just defend itself against accusations and frustrations of outside groups.
"If you don't act, you're letting the critics take to the top of the hill and control the message, and the industry has been too slow to get very aggressively proactive on this subject," he said. "They tend to be defensive. Even when you have a good message, being defensive doesn't work.
"Usually it's a combination of arrogance and ignorance. [People within horse racing say] that the critics are wrong and they don't have to worry about them. So instead they'll have promotions and giveaways at tracks, but that's not going to fix reputations."
Bernstein said horse racing is woefully behind the times in areas like social media and technology, and that makes it difficult to send out a clear message or reach and audience that might not otherwise be listening. He suggested an aggressive campaign that could help casual fans feel attached to the participants.
"When you have determined activists who know how to use the internet trying to bring down the reputation of any organization or entity whose people don't, which is a lot of the horse racing industry, the industry loses," Bernstein said. "….They need to let people know who they are. Start curating great stories about the animals they work with and the people behind the scenes instead of being a faceless entity that runs horses around a circle."
Dr. Karen Freberg, an assistant professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville agrees that it is important for the horse racing industry to grab the reins.
continue to read here
"He said, 'We desperately need someone who does what you do,' " Bernstein said. "He said they needed crisis management and that the stubborn longtime members of the industry just think they can manage it themselves."
As thousands of fans descend upon Louisville for the Kentucky Derby this weekend and millions more watch the race on TV, horse racing will once again take its two-minute turn in the spotlight.
But aside from this race — and the ensuing buzz surrounding a Triple Crown hopeful — the general public pays attention to the sport only when there is reason to raise an eyebrow. Sometimes it's a horse breaking down on the track. Sometimes it's allegations of abuse, doping or shady breeding practices.
"How (the sport is) perceived, that needs to be worked on," said Jimmy Jerkens, trainer of Derby contender Wicked Strong. "I don't know how to do it."
Most recently, an investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals led to accusations that trainer Steve Asmussen and assistant Scott Blasi had treated their horses cruelly, used electrical devices to shock them and given drugs to them for nontherapeutic reasons. The claims are being investigated by racing officials. Asmussen has yet to face any charges, but Blasi was relieved as an assistant.
Defenders of the sport say the unethical treatment practices Asmussen has been accused of are in the extreme minority, and that most horses receive excellent care. But many also acknowledge that there is a need for continued reform, and that the sport has a perception problem that needs to be fixed.
"I think the industry is open to change," said Alex Waldrop, CEO and president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. "This is not an industry that is digging in its heels saying 'No, our critics are wrong, we don't have a problem."
Added Robert Heleringer, a lawyer who is the executive director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project: "It's a sport that does need some work on its image on a national basis, and I think that's something everybody in the industry is aware of."
But awareness and action are not always in lockstep. The sport's critics say meaningful reform has progressed at a glacial pace, and with the lack of a national governing body, there are frustrations with the inability to create policies and procedures that are adopted nationwide.
In 2008, the filly Eight Belles broke down after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and had to be euthanized. The injury raised new concerns about whether horses were being put through more than their bodies can handle, with the headline of a Los Angeles Times editorial even positing the question: "Bred for Death?"
Kathy Guillermo, PETA's senior vice president, said Eight Belles' injury led her organization to intensify its scrutiny of the horse racing industry. Guillermo said to fix the negative perceptions that hover over the sport, uncomfortable realities must first be addressed.
"Serious reforms need to be made to stop serious problems that are occurring," Guillermo said. "…I think it's interesting that there's been so much discussion about how to make it better. I'm very hopeful that will result in something. That's what we want."
Among other initiatives, PETA has called for: the use of a central pharmacy at racetracks, the public release of veterinary records, monitoring by the U.S. anti-doping industry, and the ban on medications in the week preceding a race — if a horse requires drugs or medicine, PETA feels it should not run.
Furthermore, PETA would like better rules and enforcement regarding whips and buzzers, and another week in between Triple Crown events to give horses more time to recover. It would also like a percentage of all racing handles to go toward the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, for retired horses. Some tracks are already doing this.
Guillermo said these measures would improve the quality of life for horses while also bolstering the national perception of the industry. For example, streamlined national medication guidelines could result in fewer horses breaking down on the track, and an extra week between Triple Crown races could make a Triple Crown winner more likely.
"I will say we've been very measured in our approach to this," Guillermo said. "We've advocated for specific reforms that would have helped the horses and also would have helped the racing industry."
Other groups have pushed for initiatives similar to PETA's, and some have shown progress, but there has been a struggle for uniformity. Some say the sport needs a commissioner, much like major professional sports organizations.
The Jockey Club, an influential horse racing group, has called for more streamlined rules, drug testing and penalties. The club recently proposed that owners and trainers in graded stakes races make their veterinary records public, and numerous owners and trainers voluntarily pledged to do that.
"Greater transparency would certainly be one good method to change perception," said James Gagliano, the Jockey Club's president and chief operating officer.
To truly alter negative perceptions, though, changes must be noticeable and tangible to the general public. Bernstein, the crisis management expert, said the industry must do more than just defend itself against accusations and frustrations of outside groups.
"If you don't act, you're letting the critics take to the top of the hill and control the message, and the industry has been too slow to get very aggressively proactive on this subject," he said. "They tend to be defensive. Even when you have a good message, being defensive doesn't work.
"Usually it's a combination of arrogance and ignorance. [People within horse racing say] that the critics are wrong and they don't have to worry about them. So instead they'll have promotions and giveaways at tracks, but that's not going to fix reputations."
Bernstein said horse racing is woefully behind the times in areas like social media and technology, and that makes it difficult to send out a clear message or reach and audience that might not otherwise be listening. He suggested an aggressive campaign that could help casual fans feel attached to the participants.
"When you have determined activists who know how to use the internet trying to bring down the reputation of any organization or entity whose people don't, which is a lot of the horse racing industry, the industry loses," Bernstein said. "….They need to let people know who they are. Start curating great stories about the animals they work with and the people behind the scenes instead of being a faceless entity that runs horses around a circle."
Dr. Karen Freberg, an assistant professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville agrees that it is important for the horse racing industry to grab the reins.
continue to read here
1 comment:
Horse racings are getting harder and harder to organize!
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