Horse racing partnerships, clubs, and syndicates.
The costs associated with horse ownership, joining a horse racing partnership or club.
When you own a racehorse
you own a professional sports franchise. You and your "team" can
compete at the highest levels of the sport and race in the Kentucky
Derby or Breeders' Cup races. Part of the reason thoroughbred
horse racing is the "Greatest Game" is that the barriers to
entry are very small. While owning a racehorse is by no means
cheap, it certainly is when compared to the costs of participating in
other major sports. Have you priced a professional football team
or baseball team lately?
Consider the yearling prices of some recent Kentucky
Derby Winners: Funny Cide (2003) - $22,000, War Emblem (2002)- $20,000,
Real Quiet (1998) - $17,000, Silver Charm (1997) $16,500 and Thunder Gulch (1995)
- $40,000. For less than the price of a new car you could have owned a
Kentucky Derby Winner!
There are few things more thrilling than watching a horse you own come charging down the stretch. Whether its a $5,000 claimer or a horse racing in graded stakes company you will be jumping out of your skin rooting for your horse.
The initial cost of a horse can range from about $1,000 to 16 Million - find your comfort range! You can buy one at auction as a weanling, yearling, or 2 yr. old in training. You can claim a horse in a claiming race, buy one privately, or purchase a mare and breed her to a stallion. Once you have a horse you can expect to spend approximately $30,000 per year to keep it in training. Trainer fees can cost between $40-$150 per day, vet bills can reach $500 or more per month, blacksmith fees another $100, hay, feed, vitamins, shipping, etc. It certainly adds up. If your horse is not earning a check through winning races at the track you can certainly lose a small fortune in a short time.
In recent years several
racing partnerships have formed allowing people to get their feet wet
in the horse business by buying fractional shares of horse through syndicates
or Racing Clubs. Purchasing
as little as 1% of a horse and sharing the costs with your partners
is much more affordable and just as exciting as owning a horse by yourself.
The concept of buying a rachorse in a partnership was pioneered by Cot
Campbell and Dogwood Stable back in 1969. Dogwood's vision and
creativity have enabled hundreds of people to get into the sport without
having to take on all of the financial risk.
While owning a horse is a lifelong dream of many racing fans, it doesn't have to remain a dream. Find a reputable club or partnership and start learning about the different options you have as an owner. Read as much as you can about the sport, find a bloodstock agent you can trust and visit some horse auctions. You may find the next Derby Winner!
