Nick Larkin: Aftercare Advocacy Is Good For Business

Sport is entertainment. Fierce rivalries, tight contests and a winner decided in the final seconds of competition. The best sports are simple and clear cut - no scale, no thumb. Score more points than the opposition, or be first to the wire.

When everything coincides, it is magical. A soft brown muzzle stretched out, clinging to victory as two determined competitors charge to snatch it. A moment etched into memory. New fans fall in love. Old fans fall in love again. An audience captivated, connecting with the battle and admiring the virtuous integrity as much as the glory.

With horses, there is an extra dimension. The wonder of sharing a moment of total commitment to the competition with another being. Empathizing with a four legged animal that is giving every last ounce to the contest with no thought of lucrative contracts or endorsements. It is somehow purer.

Yet, it is also fragile. That part of horse sports can be a trip wire for the audience on which the sport depends. Ignoring or dismissing that transcendent connection can be explosive and destructive.

Sport is a business. Dollars and cents, profit and loss. The bottom line is powered by the fans. They come for entertainment, watching on screens or from grandstands and their numbers attract corporate brands wanting a moment of attention. Premier sports are inclusive and relatable to a huge audience of fans that care about the sport - it is part of who they are. In horse sports, the fans increasingly care about the star athlete with four legs. It’s good business to care about that athlete and clever business to be seen caring.

Though perhaps none of the horses seen on television last Saturday afternoon will be needing a different career anytime soon, the many horses at racetracks around the country will. Yet, the Thoroughbred options in traditional equestrian sports have been diminishing over the past several decades for two key reasons: these sports now heavily favor warmbloods, and pervasive exclusivity is making them unaffordable to participants and unappealing to the wider audience.

The need for a comprehensive solution to address these interrelated issues led to Cross Country Equestrian (CCE), a new sport ideal for Thoroughbreds and structured to remain affordable and maximize participation.

CCE is a competition that requires training and all-round athleticism, so there is no disadvantage for horses that have lost (or never had) speed on the track. CCE does need a sound horse, and a very sound horse for a long or high level career. 

I hope more owners will consider the opportunity for horses to have many years of CCE and the accompanying care, if they can leave the track relatively undamaged. Be their advocate. Everyone wins.

Learn more about CCE at : CrossCountryEquestrianAssociation.com

Join in and help us bring this sport to Thoroughbreds everywhere by becoming a Founding Sponsor at : CrossCountryEquestrianAssociation.com/Sponsorships