From Australian Bloodhorse Review (24/12/03)

Breeders asked to fund marketing campaign

AUSTRALIAN broodmare and stallion owners will be asked to fund a national and international marketing program to promote the thoroughbred industry following the recently announced merger of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse.

Under the proposal, funds will be directed to the state breeders’ associations and the national marketing arm, Aushorse, to give support to all breeders in Australia. Sales companies will work with state bodies and Aushorse to promote the success of the Australian thoroughbred. I

t is proposed that funding will come by a series of levies which have been designed to have as little financial impact as possible on the contributors. The proposal is that mare owners will contribute $25 per mare annually, there will be a $100 levy on local stallions and a levy of between $1000 and $5000 (depending on fee) on shuttle stallions. There will be a 0.25% levy on sales of yearlings, mares and weanlings sold at major auctions and also on breeze-up sales. There will be a five year moratorium on all rates of contribution.

It is anticipated that more than 60% of the funds raised ($1.6m to $2m annually) will come from the commercial breeders and studs, but it has been agreed the funds will be divided equally between the TBA and the state associations on the one hand and the marketing arm, Aushorse, on the other.

The funding should allow the Australian breeding industry to put itself in a position to rival other international organisations, allowing for national and international marketing, as well as professional management. The proposed marketing plan is based on the successful models which exist in New Zealand, Ireland and the UK in which the breeders, stud books and auction companies contribute to an organised national marketing campaign, and to the administration of the industry, and to equine research. The need for a unified marketing image has been highlighted with the ongoing success of the Australian horses in South East Asia, particularly the lucrative Hong Kong market. However, the Australian product is coming under increasing pressure with the strong marketing of horses from Europe, the United States and New Zealand in the rapidly expanding markets of China and Korea.