How do we make Harness Racing Significant again!

[Messenger]

Completely agree with Rick and David. As a point of difference what our sport offers is a totally inclusive sport in that we don't have a women's comp or men's comp. The fact that women have excelled in both training and driving is a feature of our sport. We don't have separate tribunals or rules and all can enjoy the love and competiveness of equine performance without prejudice. I can't see how that could be a negative in any way.

A current example of how highly regarded women are. With Maori Time being invited to compete in the Elitloppet there's been some social speculation over who will drive her. One name that's come up is Kerryn Manning.

As for popularity of stand alone women's sport you've only got to look at the national netball comp. If only harness racing could emulate the commercial, free to air television, exposure netball has achieved in the last couple of years.

I remember asking the question whether we shouldn't be paying for exposure too - 3 years ago

http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...hlight=Netball

As some of us have already stated - Sky is not showcasing our sport

[aussiebreno]

I remember asking the question whether we shouldn't be paying for exposure too - 3 years ago

http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...hlight=Netball

As some of us have already stated - Sky is not showcasing our sport

Don't worry Kev, HRNSW were totally disinterested at the suggestion of getting on board Netflix before it first came to Aust.

[Danno]

"Market to new people outside existing industry"

A better main showpiece / showplace than the existing Sky

Couldn't agree more Kev,

In my humble opinion there are a couple of things we seem to have lost sight of over the last couple of decades...probably longer... the Harness game was started by people actively involved in the racing of horses, not by people who wanted to go to the races to have a bet and not by people souly interested in breeding a product for the sale ring. We need punters to be engaged and having a bet, it helps, we will always need breeders in some shape or form, but if we take a reasonably free market approach to supply and demand it should sort it self out

In my experiences in life and in a life of work, if you lose your grasp on who you are, you lose direction and subsequently run around firing aimlessly at anything that moves rather than directing your efforts where you can make a difference. And that is pretty much what our game has been doing for too long, yes we have many programs to entice breeders and punters to participate, we have on-line stuff aimed at ourselves, but it's aimed at ourselves and not our potential new blood.

New blood doesn't just walk in the door, we need to broaden our reach and we need experts to facilitate that, and I mean experts in engaging the GENERAL public. That will cost money and need the faith of all concerned because just like that shampoo add, it won't happen overnight but it will happen. We don't need Bob and Mary's popular son or daughter to fill these roles we need people who have done it before and will do it again.


cheers,

Dan

[Messenger]

Dan, it was not only the Showgrounds trips that lured me to the trots - it was the Penthouse Club on Ch7!

[arlington]

Completely agree with Rick and David. As a point of difference what our sport offers is a totally inclusive sport in that we don't have a women's comp or men's comp. The fact that women have excelled in both training and driving is a feature of our sport. We don't have separate tribunals or rules and all can enjoy the love and competiveness of equine performance without prejudice. I can't see how that could be a negative in any way.

A current example of how highly regarded women are. With Maori Time being invited to compete in the Elitloppet there's been some social speculation over who will drive her. One name that's come up is Kerryn Manning.

As for popularity of stand alone women's sport you've only got to look at the national netball comp. If only harness racing could emulate the commercial, free to air television, exposure netball has achieved in the last couple of years.

I remember asking the question whether we shouldn't be paying for exposure too - 3 years ago

http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...hlight=Netball

As some of us have already stated - Sky is not showcasing our sport

Netball had $ sponsors backing the free to air.
My post #42 in http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...s-Racing/page5 suggests we have a sponsor in Tabcorp.
Hard to grow your 12% if your joint venture partner is sponsoring, through Sky, more free to air thoroughbreds.
So the next round of sky/harness racing talks goes like this - your turnover's still down, you can't (even) get more sky time and we say but but but but you've shafted us by sponsoring free to air gallops.

No question Tabcorp would be happy if we funded free to air ourselves but (if) we can't you'd have to ask why they'd be happy with harness racing languishing on Sky.

[Richard prior]

That makes complete sense Wayne

[Danno]

Netball had $ sponsors backing the free to air.
My post #42 in http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...s-Racing/page5 suggests we have a sponsor in Tabcorp.
Hard to grow your 12% if your joint venture partner is sponsoring, through Sky, more free to air thoroughbreds.
So the next round of sky/harness racing talks goes like this - your turnover's still down, you can't (even) get more sky time and we say but but but but you've shafted us by sponsoring free to air gallops.

No question Tabcorp would be happy if we funded free to air ourselves but (if) we can't you'd have to ask why they'd be happy with harness racing languishing on Sky.

I agree 100% with your observations and sentiments Wayne....no in fact 10000%....and the answer to the problem is a harness dedicated channel, if we do not use the established SKY services because they have been "shafting" us for donkey's ages then we need to come up with pretty big bucks ( I have no idea how many $$) to install an independent line/ channel and all the associated that needs to go with that. Personally, I'd love to see that but I'm pretty sure its not going to stack up....having said that, I would love to be proven wrong.

there is no doubt whatsoever we are getting a raw deal in a few departments and we do need to challenge those that claim to be our "partners" on the quality of their allegience.

cheers,

Danno

[Messenger]

And if we are going to attract people back to the track, we have to be more competitive there too. I have the choice of gallops or trots in my region today. If I go to Stawell Harness, I have up to 42 minutes between races with an average of 37 minutes, if I go to Hamilton gallops it is only 30 minutes between all races

[KTQ]

We should advertise horses to the general public , with their breeding, quirks, what they like to eat, their stable name, how they race best then they become minor celebrities. Then you could have Follow this Horse games where people look up when they're next racing. Almost like people could unofficially adopt them

[Amlin]

https://t.co/gDvA238PLO?amp=1

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