Letter: “Give Them Back Their Brand”

To the USTA’s CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board; to other of the USTA’s Officers and Directors; to the USTA’s Board Members; and to the entirety of the USTA’s Membership:

I’d like to add my voice to the ongoing dialogue about the USTA’s recent policy position on the branding of Standardbreds. And at the outset, let me say that I’m hopeful you will not dismiss my voice as yet another naive bleeding heart, as was intimated in a USTA official’s published response (October 22, 2020) to others who chose to speak out on the issue of freeze branding.

The irony surrounding the issue of branding is this—the Standardbred horse IS the brand of the harness racing industry. The Standardbred horse IS the brand of the USTA. Without the Standardbred horse, there would be no harness racing industry, no harness racing economy, and no USTA. The Standardbred horse fuels them all. It’s that simple.

Trade organizations and business entities go to great lengths and expense to ensure their brands are not maligned, to support their brands’ public image, and to cultivate their brands’ good will in the marketplace. And they do so because it’s good for business and for public relations. It’s that simple.

So how could the USTA follow suit? First and foremost, it should do everything in its administrative power to implement practices to “protect” its brand—the Standardbred horse— and it should start by reinstituting the freeze brand requirement when registering a horse with the USTA. The neck freeze brand has become the traditional and unambiguous identifier of the Standardbred horse. No one is suggesting that the USTA suspend the requirement for microchip implantation. In fact, freeze brand and microchip practices should both be required to “protect” the Standardbred brand to the maximum extent possible. It’s that simple.

Second, the USTA should embark on a campaign to rigorously promote and expand its Full Circle program, perhaps making it a registration requirement to further “protect” the Standardbred brand. It’s not uncommon for a single Standardbred horse to have multiple race owners during the course of its racing career. And, while not every past owner may care about the welfare and well-being of that horse once it leaves their barn, there are many who do. It’s that simple.

And third, the USTA and its members should explore more ways to engage directly with Standardbred re-homing and pleasure horse organizations. These organizations, together with admirers of the breed, have created a very significant post-racing economy fueled by the Standardbred horse. There is so much these organizations could do, in turn, to promote good will for the harness racing industry and the USTA. What’s the cost / benefit you ask?

Minimum costs, maximum bragging rights. It’s that simple.

So, in closing, I reiterate — This is not a bleeding heart issue, it’s a business issue. The Standardbred horse gave you your brand. Give them back their brand. It’s that simple.

Sincerely,

Christine Vito

Parsonsfield, Maine