Riders are embracing fresh approaches to make being involved in competition horses more affordable.
Syndicates are nothing new in equestrianism, but what is noticeable is the growth and diversification in this area, particularly in the sport horse world.
Five-star event rider Imogen King (née Murray) is hoping to launch a package inspired by racing clubs, called “Pumba’s Pals”, for next season.
“We’re trying to hopefully do something a bit different to try to encourage people that wouldn’t ordinarily be able to be involved in ownership,” she told H&H.
The horse, Shannondale Vintage (“Pumba”), is a three- and four-star level contender who Imogen also team chases. The idea is it avoids a large buy-in cost and is instead a monthly subscription, of around £50. For that, people get to enjoy the fun of being connected with a horse and the team at events, along with yard visits and more.
The plan is that what the club offers can grow with its membership, and structuring it as a “club” rather than a one-horse syndicate, also gives Imogen the flexibility to add other horses.
Imogen added that she hopes it will support Pumba’s running costs, while also giving people enjoyment and getting more people involved in the sport.
Several riders H&H spoke to also mentioned the networking aspect – from helping to bring like-minded people together to get back out after the pandemic and enjoy the sport, and welcoming under-represented communities to eventing, to building relationships that could benefit all parties in future. For example, through teaching or investing in other horses.
Event rider Will Rawlin was approached by the Event Horse Owners Syndicate (EHOS) at the end of last year, and they ran a syndicate for his four-star horse The Partner for the 2022 season. There were 500 shares available, with a cost of around £95 for the year.
For that, they could come and watch at events and chat to Will for a debrief after his rounds. He would also send weekly voice-notes and pictures, with the EHOS taking on the full management side of the syndicate.
“It’s a really good way of getting people involved in the sport that can’t necessarily afford a whole horse,” he said. “The money they put in goes towards the running costs of the horse, which is a massive help. So many of the members are now friends.”
Will is also setting up a smaller syndicate next year, which will have two horses in it – one of his top rides VIP Vinnie and a younger one to follow – for a monthly subscription of around £100. It will include frequent updates, yard visits, course walks, competitions and chances to watch lessons with his trainers.
“The idea is they get the best of both worlds, a horse starting his career and a horse in his prime at the top of the sport,” he said. “We are at the stage where we need to think outside the box for different ideas to fund this sport.”
The lifetime responsibility for horses is a hot topic in the racing world. Claire Hart, who runs a thoroughbred pre-training, schooling and rehabilitation business, launched the “360 club” to take members through the entire journey of a horse’s life from foaling to life after racing for £35 a month.
“Kate Miller, who has a horse with me, came up with this as something very different and that ties in with everything we do here,” she said. “The idea is there are four parts: we have an under-Rules horse, a point-to-pointer, breeding and an ex-racer.”
Claire added that her ethos is on educating people on all the hows and whys behind the tailored approach that goes into the education and training of each individual horse.
“My biggest ethos is that I want people to understand and learn what goes into that day at the races,” she said.
Syndicate plans for US rider Hallie Coon’s Paris 2024 contender Cute Girl, who won the 2021 seven-year-old championships with Australia’s Kevin McNab, are in the formation stages.
It was announced when Hallie bought the mare last year that there would be a small number of “traditional” syndicate shares available, and one share split into “micro-syndicate” shares. The idea is to gift a number of these micro-shares to organisations that provide access and opportunities to marginalised people.
“We want to work closely with those organisations to ensure that the access their riders will get to Hallie’s system isn’t just a fun day out – it’s a chance to learn, to network and to lay roots within the industry while playing a crucial part in it,” agent and syndicate manager Tilly Berendt told H&H.
“Making space for ‘micro-shares’ on an annual subscription basis means that we’ll be able to create a fun, experience-based access point for enthusiasts without an ownership budget, but it also allows us to open the door to access groups.”
She added that the syndicate is still very much in the planning stages, owing in part to its need to serve two countries.
“Effectively the horse will be campaigned for the US, but as Hallie is rerouting to the UK, we needed to find a way to ensure all syndicate members felt truly involved, wherever they might be based,” said Tilly.
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