Warmest Thanks

Wednesday I received a thick envelope while at work. I wasn't expecting anything so it came as quite a surprise. Things became clearer however when I read the return address: Merced, California. Immediately I thought of an Ambassador Program where two women drove over four hours just to come to the track so they could experience what the program offered. It just goes to show that if you make horse racing enticing enough that you will draw the crowds. I don't know how Ms. Price got the address, but she was paying enough attention during the day to make note of where I work at, and then go to all the trouble of finding the mailing address. If that's not a way of saying thanks, what is?

The envelope contained a thank you card. Inside was a very nice hand written letter which read as follows:

"I want to thank you for providing such an enjoyable Sunday participating in the NTRA Ambassador Program. The knowledge I gained adds to my appreciation of the sport. And it is a thrill to actually pet the horses; please extend a thank you to Frank for opening his barn to us. I told a single-mom co-worker about the experience and she is planning a first trip to Santa Anita this fall. I apologize for leaving early, but with a stop in Bakersfield for dinner, we didn't want to get back to Merced too late since we both had to be at work Monday morning. Thank you for making a great day even better."

Well there you have it, no clearer evidence that the NTRA Ambassador program accomplishes what it sets out to do, to give fans new appreciation for our sport. Even better it has a pyramid effect. Participants enjoy themselves so much that they come back again with friends and introduce them to the sport. The point of the program is to plant seeds; seeds which will eventually develop into new shoots of fan growth for our sport.

The ground of horse racing is densely packed. Between the fear of the unknown track, the Greek like Racing Form, or misconceived notions of its people (some see racing as only rich snobs, others as only degenerates), its impossible to get a seed to take root unless each one is personally touched. Yes, expensive shotgun mass marketing helps give a boost for a particular day of racing, but in order to get a long term return, racing needs to roll up its sleeves and get dirty. Is anyone interested in doing the heavy lifting?

Perseverance!