Simulcast conference panel cites threats to sport
 

Status Quo, 'Welfare' Mentality Big Threats
By Tom LaMarra

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...ty-big-threats

If the horseracing industry fails to make voluntary changes it has resisted for decades, the only things that may save it from doom are involuntary changes brought on by forces in the gambling and entertainment marketplace, officials said Oct. 13.

For those with Pollyanna views of the racing industry or devotion to the status quo, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., wasn’t the place to be for the second day of the International Simulcast Conference. A midday panel discussion on the need for change indicated strong beliefs the industry doesn’t have the will to change.

“The prospects for voluntary change in the racing industry are slim to none,” said Eugene Christiansen, chairman of Christiansen Capital Advisors. “The racing industry is more resistant to change than any industry we’ve dealt with



Your turn...

I love this paragraph:
The horse industry doesn’t do anything to help itself,” he said. “It’s very content to be a welfare recipient. (Horsemen and breeders) believe it’s an entitlement. You’ve never seen any strikes over lousy food, lack of promotions, or dirty bathrooms at racetracks. All you hear them say is, ‘We should get more money for purses.’ They don’t do anything to help themselves.”

Hmmm....where have I heard this before?

Different navelgazers and beardstrokers, but same drama.