Save harness racing

[smokey1701d]

Over the last 20 years I have visited a bunch of the harness tracks in ontario but never really got the bug . The gambling was fun but would not interest me enough to visit again tommorrow or anytime soon . I had been to Woodbine , Mohawk , Flamboro. A few years ago on a whim I went to Grandriver and to be honest I had no use for going to one of the small tracks . I had been to orangeville many years ago and let me just say it was a very good example of how not to run a track. Apon arriving at Grandriver , I was greeted at the door and given a rundown of how things worked there , the contests available , and where to find help if i needed it . The contests were fun , but what supprised me the most was the number of family groups that were there , ages 1 to 100. They did a live fun show outside including trivia and interviews , giving away meal prizes and betting vochers . Everyone was friendly , both patrons and staff and all had a good time .
Not only did I go back , but brought my wife and 4 year old daughter with me . This is something I would not have imagined . We go regularly now . There special event days are great . Industry day , there are kids games , face painting , staff making baloon animals for the kids , barbequed hot dogs and burgers. There is also a maskot all dressed up to entertain the kids , At halloween , they also put on a big show .
Answer me this ... Is this not the way to promote harness racing to future generations?

The big tracks should pay attention . Also at there website you get free programs , live video of the races and entries into even more contests.

I have the bug for horse racing thanks to Grandriver .

Kevin

[46zilzal]

There is an association in Ontario which brings children and entire families into the sport with Summer harness racing camps. The association has been very successful in spreading the sport at a family level.

My friend, Greg Unger's sister is involved in this. When we visited him in December he showed us the van they use in the Summer.
http://www.ohha.ca/pdf/survey_june_06.pdf

[smokey1701d]

this is exactly the point . The sport needs proper marketing from both sides of the fence. Fan and Horseman.
Thanks for sharing

Kevin

[wilderness]

smokey,
Many thanks for the insight to GRR.

The industry needs a couple of dozen agendas in their promotions and PR, which are all part of a focused plan to convert visitors to wagering.

It's takes a delicate balance to allow the "morality influence" on young children WITHOUT actually allowing them to wager and even sub-consciously suggesting that they might wager in the future (what responibile parent would permit such a thing?)
Most tracks are without the requirements to see beyond the end of their own noses, let alone guide others towards a long term transition.

Motivating youngsters on the surroundings of harness racing seems to have generated some infusion of additional participants into the ranks of horsemen.
This may be viewed as both good and bad (depending upon what side of the fence your on).

Over many years and due to the values of land and equipment rising, many families of former farmers have converted their focus on horse racing. The result being that too many horsemen and horses exist for a very over-saturated and very limited market share. More dates and more exotics are not the answer.

Too many tracks are saturated with excessive dates that the horsemen fight tooth and nail to retain, because. . .they realize that if they dates are given up. . .no matter how much the industry and/or market increases, the dates would never return.
Thus much of the dilema is self-imposed.

The theory seems to, "build a show where horsemen, breeders and tracks make money" and the fans will appear!
Rather than building a successful pari-mutuel fan base and lining the aforementioned three's pockets later.

It's simply impossible to grasp that the current generation needs to lose the possibility of profit to insure the longterm viability of the industry.

[smokey1701d]

I missed one important point about GRR . Gary Guy is ont the best track announcers I have heard and also joins in the track level show with host Kelly Spencer(she also does the marketing).

Kevin

[wilderness]

If I don't have my tracks confused?

Last year when watching some off distance races there?
Out of sheer boredom for lack of any changing of postions!
He was calling cars on the road that adjoins the backstrtech ;)

[smokey1701d]

That was likely hanover...or clinton?