Own A Horse For A Day Horse Racing Ireland's Ownership Department has launched a new initiative to encourage people interested in the idea of racehorse ownership to get involved in a free trial. The campaign which is titled 'Experience It' will give individuals or small groups the opportunity to become a racehorse owner for a day. Amber Byrne, Owner Recruitment Manager, Horse Racing Ireland, explained how the concept works. “This is a taster experience for people curious about racehorse ownership. Very simply it allows people try out ownership. We have a number of groups ready to go as and when horses become available.” “The ultimate aim is to convert people into ownership but it is also about raising the profile of ownership and racing in general, promoting the syndicate model and allowing people to look behind the scenes. All parties will sign a day lease binding them by the rules of racing.” There is no cost associated with participating in the Experience It scheme. Once an Ownership group has been paired up with a horse they will be invited to the trainer's yard to meet the horse. They will also be provided with free entry at the races for the horse's next run and enjoy all the benefits of an owner on the day including access to the parade ring and Owners' Lounge. The 'Experience It' owners will not receive any of the prizemoney won by the horse on the day but will have their syndicate name published as the owner in the race card and can, for an extra charge, register their own unique set of colours for the day. Alternatively the horses will race in the default 'Experience It' silks. The launch of the scheme took place at Paul Deegan's stables near Athy in Co. Kildare when the first Experience It syndicate named the 'Sport for Business' syndicate met their horse Mystery Gal. Trainer Paul Deegan commented: “This initiative has lots of potential. Anything that gets new people involved in the sport and gets people talking about ownership is a positive step. I am delighted to welcome the first ‘Experience It’ owners to Boley. A winner would be the icing on the cake but either way this will allow members of the Sport for Business syndicate to look under the bonnet of racehorse ownership and have a bit of fun along the way.” If you are interested in becoming an Experience It owner you can contact abyrne@hri.ie for more details about the registration process.
