Distaff Division

Equidaily brings up the gender issue as well this week (and the TBA's own Jen Morrison was invited to weigh in) -- they ask whether the horse racing fan-base is male-dominated and what should be done about it. While it may be true that there are more male racing fans than female ones in the US in sheer numbers, almost all the fans I know are women. Granted, I am no fan of anecdotal evidence, but I have never been to the track on a day when there were not large numbers of women (and, dare I say, families). I've been a racing fan my entire life - I recall going to the track (scenic Fairmount Park, where every 18 minutes, the place goes crazy) as a six year old girl and being told (nicely, I might add) by the woman at the window that it was easier for her to take 'my' wager if I told her the horse's number, rather than name. My dad would take me to see our neighbors' horses run - they would be led to the paddock by their teenage daughter who was very much involved in the sport, so it never occurred to me that it was anything 'for men only' -- quite the contrary. As a teenager all my closest friends were other horse-crazy girls; indeed, we managed to drive a frenemy away by disparaging her lack of opinion as to whether Sunday Silence or Easy Goer was going to win the Belmont that year. Even now, as adults, the majority of those women continue to enjoy horse-related activities, whether it is rehabbing ex-racehorses or competing in high-level dressage. We all still follow racing to a greater or lesser extent, and I can guarantee that the emergence of a filly superstar like Ruffian (hopefully without the tragedy) would bring many of those sometime female fans back. I'm certainly rooting for Dreaming of Anna this weekend. Perhaps the best mechanism for hooking female fans for life is the one that worked for just about everyone I know -- the children's book. I would suggest that there are few female horse racing fans under 50 who did not first stumble across the finer points of the sport thanks to Marguerite Henry or Walter Farley; they are the ultimate gateway drug to the betting window. If the NTRA wants to increase the female fanbase, here are some easy steps to take: 1) Even if the track needs slots, make it clear that horses are the priority. We don't want to go to the track and find it difficult to get to the paddock or get stuck watching the race on a tiny screen. We're there because we want to see the horses in person. 2) Increase the visibility of female owners, breeders, jockeys, commentators and trainers. There are plenty of them out there (and if you want to include international interests, why not throw in the Queen?), but how many people beyond hardcore fans know that Maggi Moss was the country's winningest owner in 2006? 3) Make tracks family-friendly. Back in the 1980s, going to the Derby was not so simple if you were a girl. There were hardly any women's bathrooms at Churchill Downs and I cannot imagine what you would have done had you brought a small child with you. Some tracks are better now, but it's not an infrastructure piece to skimp on. Play areas and decent food that are still within sight of the track itself are ideal for keeping families there for the day -- and for getting boys and girls alike into the sport. 4) Create something akin to Ladies' Day at Ascot -- don't leave the pomp up to d-list celebrities at the Derby. If the Breeders' Cup is going to continue to add races, why not make it an occasion? I would gladly take a Friday off work and would even invest in a hat for that purpose. 5) Finally, my offer still stands -- if someone wants to put together a pre-fab, Spice Girls style all-female ownership group of articulate women with a passion for the sport, I am happy to become a part of it. I'd even consider wearing a skirt for big days. Tags: Horse Racing