On Monday, Standardbred Canada's President & CEO Dan Gall was a guest speaker at the United States Trotting Association's Board of Directors Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In introducing himself to those in attendance, Gall noted that an important aspect of his role thus far has been to increase dialogue and open the lines of communication both to members and to stakeholders. His address also impressed upon the need for the two organizations to work together for the betterment of the harness racing industry, keying in on communication as a high priority both inside and outside the industry.
"Both USTA and Standardbred Canada have been fighting for providing a single voice for this industry, and I think it's very important that we have consistency in our messaging as an industry going forward to any of the stakeholders we're addressing -- whether they be political or our members."
Julie Broadway of the American Horse Council, Ed Martin of Racing Commissioners International and Tom Luchento of Harness Horsemen International listen as Standardbred Canada's Dan Gall addresses the USTA Board of Directors
Gall mentioned that in a recent focus group meeting held in Ottawa, the concept of adding value for members of the association came to light and he will be part of more groups across the country on a fact-finding mission in order to garner feedback from the participants on ways in which SC can provide more value-add to the members.
"Some of us might say membership fees is just the price of doing business," offered Gall. "Well, I'm going to tell you that it is very tough to do business with high-rising transportation costs, vet bills and the day-to-day costs just to be in the industry. Listen, if we can look ourselves in the mirror and say 'hey, we've done our due diligence and we've done the best that we can', great, I'm just not at all comfortable or confident that we're there at this stage in the changing landscape of the horse racing industry."
Gall also spoke to the importance of the Accountability Program currently being built and developed by Ontario Racing, referencing the need for key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks set out by Stanley Sadinsky in his report on the horse racing industry from 2008.
"As we move forward, I have been endorsing this program. And what our role is at Standardbred Canada I think is still to be defined, but we have an incredible amount of data that we can begin working with those that are interested in building a better model going forward"
With the amount of resources at the disposal of both organizations -- both intangible like data and tangible like people -- Gall stressed that SC is "open for business" with the USTA in hopes that the two parties can work together to drive the sport forward.
"I look forward to developing a strong and healthy relationship with the USTA."