With an estimated 25,000 newcomers reached by the new nationwide grassroots effort this summer, the Time to Ride 100 Day Horse Challenge has concluded on a successful note. Hundreds of stables, organizations and businesses signed up to host beginner-friendly events from May 31 to September 7, 2014.
Bringing new horse enthusiasts to Time to Ride
With an estimated 25,000 newcomers reached by the new nationwide grassroots effort this summer, the Time to Ride 100 Day Horse Challenge has concluded on a successful note.
© 2014 by Mark Sellers
They attracted nearly 25,000 new people to the horse community and experience. Hosts were divided into small, medium and large divisions with cash and prizes totaling $100,000 for those that connected the most newcomers to horses through at least a three-minute horse experience of petting, grooming, or riding.
The 100 Day Horse Challenge was produced by Time to Ride, a marketing initiative created by the American Horse Council’s Marketing Alliance.
Participating “Hosts” were required to collect newcomers’ contact information and email addresses to submit to the 100 Day Horse Challenge for verification. “Despite the barriers created by insurance requirements and work necessary to submit data, we are pleased with the outcome of the Challenge,” stated Jay Hickey, President of the American Horse Council. “On average, each participating Host produced four or five events and reached 130 or more newcomers - significantly exceeding our goal of 100 newcomers per host.”
After Challenge Hosts successfully identified local families interested in horses through their events, Time to Ride reached out to each newcomer to encourage further involvement in horse activities.
Follow-up efforts include providing each newcomer with a “Ready to Ride” e-book; information about local riding opportunities; and a link to a new website, www.Takemeriding.com, with educational and interactive content for young horse enthusiasts.
Winners of the 100 Day Horse Challenge will be announced on October 1, 2014, following verification of all data, along with the number of new people they reached. The winners of each division – large, medium, and small - will receive cash prizes of $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000 respectively; and additional prizes will be awarded through sixth place in each division.
Participating Hosts were also invited to enter a “Best Practices” contest, which judged written entries based on the creativity and effectiveness of strategies used to reach newcomers. Three winners will share cash awards.
For more information on Time to Ride and the 100 Day Horse Challenge, please visit www.timetoride.com and “like” Time to Ride on Facebook.
About “Time to Ride”
Time to Ride is an initiative of the American Horse Council’s marketing alliance, formed to connect people with horses. It is designed to encourage horse interested consumers to enjoy the benefits of horse activities. The AHC marketing alliance is made up of the following Alliance Members: the American Horse Council, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Active Interest Media, the American Quarter Horse Association, Dover Saddlery, Farnam, Merck, Merial, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Purina Animal Nutrition LLC, Platinum Performance, SmartPak, United States Equestrian Federation, and Zoetis; with support from Program Partners the National Reining Horse Association, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, and Morris Media Network Equine Group.
About the American Horse Council
The American Horse Council is a non-profit organization that includes all segments of the horse industry. While its primary mission is to represent the industry before Congress and the federal regulatory agencies in Washington, DC, it also undertakes national initiatives for the horse industry. Time to Ride, the AHC’s marketing alliance to connect horses and people, is such an effort. The American Horse Council hopes that Time to Ride will encourage people and businesses to participate in the industry, enjoy our horses, and support our equine activities and events. The AHC believes a healthy horse industry contributes to the health of Americans and America in many ways.