by Kim MacMillan
The Money Game: Show Mileage for Less
Sport horse breeding and marketing in North America face several chal- lenges right now. Key among these are the availability of qualified young horse trainers, the enormous size of our conti- nent as compared to Europe and the cost of getting show ring experience. A large percentage of potential buyers are demanding show ring experience, or at the very least a well-schooled, well- behaved youngster already under saddle, in order to spark their interest. However, North American breeders
also have many assets working in their favor, including lots of space to raise youngsters, access to a large base of Thor- oughbred breeding stock as well as top sport horse bloodlines imported from Europe, an ingrained pioneer “can-do” spirit and a strong commitment to breed- ing great horses. Still, for breeders it all boils down to the bottom line: how to get their young horses the show ring experi- ence needed to make them more market- able and do it without breaking the bank. While there is still much to be done on this front, there are resources avail- able now, and a few more in develop- ment, that have the potential to help with these cost concerns. Here are three places to look for more information and opportunity.
AT THE USEF LEVEL The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF, also known as US Equestrian for marketing purposes) has a standing Breeders’ Commit- tee which was recently instrumental in the planning for the new USEF/ USHJA microchipping program. Starting on December first of this year, all hunters, jumpers, hunter breeding and hunter equitation horses competing for year-end points have to be microchipped. Next year every horse competing in these categories must be microchipped, whether trying for points or not. And microchipping is likely not far down the road for the other disciplines. The Breeders’ Committee also has several other projects in the
works, including a directory of breeders and young horse trainers; putting together educational videos about breeding horses to go on the USEF/US Equestrian Learning Center web site; developing national passports for competing horses (similar to FEI passports); and devel- oping and sending a team of young horse breeders from the U.S. to compete in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses’ (WBFSH) Young Breeders’ Championships. For more information on the USEF Breeders Committee, contact Ken Ball in the USEF Horse Registration and Services Department at (859) 225-2035 or
kball@usef.org. A developing USEF program of
potential worth to horse breeders is the concept of “Competition Lite.” This idea has been in development for about three years, but is not quite launched yet. Bill Moroney, US Eques- trian’s CEO, explains the idea behind this concept: “The purpose of Compe- tition Lite is to provide an affordable and introductory access point for all breeds and disciplines, across all levels of equestrians, to experience competitions held in accordance with standards established by US Eques- trian and each recognized affiliate, at a reduced cost. The focus of the standards are safety and welfare for horses and humans, coupled with fairness in competition and enjoy- ment of equestrian sport.”
USEF Chief Executive Officer Bill Moroney says the U.S. Equestrian’s “Competition Lite” concept, currently in development, will serve as a good avenue for the training and development of those horses at a lower cost, as well as an affordable avenue for the progression of up-and- coming riders.
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Kim MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
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