‘Light Up Racing’, an initiative aimed at promoting transparency, awareness, and accountability in horse racing, has been launched, inspired by the successful Australian initiative ‘Kick Up for Racing’, with a focus on using data and factual information to educate the public and industry participants about horse welfare.
‣ ‘Light Up Racing’ is a new initiative aiming to increase transparency, awareness, and accountability in horse racing, inspired by the Australian-based initiative ‘Kick Up for Racing’.
‣ The initiative is led by a group of industry participants and plans to use data and factual information to provide transparency and accessibility, with a focus on the best interest of the horse.
‣ ‘Light Up Racing’ is also committed to dismantling the secrecy often associated with the industry, empowering participants with knowledge and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations and make informed decisions that prioritize equine safety.
“Light Up Racing” is a new initiative. It’s led by a group of industry insiders who want to bring transparency, awareness, and accountability to horse racing. The news came via a press release.
The folks behind Light Up are industry heavyweights. We’re talking about people like Price Bell, Roderick Wachman, Jason Litt, and Dr. Jeff Berk. And the marketing muscle? That’s coming from Kick Collective, the same agency that powered the Australian initiative Kick Up for Racing.
Price Bell, one of Light Up’s founding directors, said, “We’ve seen the impact of Kick Up in Australia. It’s inspiring. We believe we can do something similar in the US.”
Kick Up’s been doing some great work Down Under. They’re shaping public conversation about horse racing through grassroots education and engagement. They’re big on using data and facts to provide transparency and accessibility. And it’s all about the horses. They’ve created a culture of accountability. Bell thinks they can do the same in the US, supporting and inspiring the industry’s collective voice.
Kick Up was established in 2022. In a short time, it’s become a valuable resource for the Australian racing industry. They’re addressing common concerns about horse racing with content that’s on point. They’ve got a digital presence, a website, social channels, and they’ve built a community. This community is empowered to address misinformation about horse racing and share positive stories.
Vin Cox, bigwig at Godolphin Australia and a Director of the Victorian Racing Club, said, “The anti-racing groups are well-funded and well-organized. They’ve been shaping the public narrative of our industry, unopposed. Kick Up stepped in. They’ve empowered racing supporters with fact-based articles that correct misinformation.”
Light Up has a similar goal. They want to empower the industry community with accurate knowledge. They’re all about providing transparent information and distilled research.
Every issue Light Up will tackle is guided by one question: “What is in the best interest of the horse?” Dr. JR Coffman, a past President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, summed it up. He wrote, “whenever a question is answered based on the welfare of the horse, the human principles involved are also best served in the long run. We are here for the horse; to the extent that we are responsive to that concept, we will prosper both as individuals and as an organization.”
Light Up is committed to breaking down the industry’s wall of secrecy. They want to empower participants with knowledge and confidence. They want to engage in meaningful conversations with the public and media. And most importantly, they want to provide the information needed to make informed decisions that prioritize equine safety.
