Why Should You Be a Team Horse Owner?
The United States Equestrian Teams need you! At one time in history, all international teams were produced from national armies, and so horses and riders were chosen and paired by command authority. Until about 30 years ago, our United States Equestrian Team continued that tradition of centralized matching on a voluntary basis. Today, athletes are responsible for choosing, owning, and supporting their mounts. Costs have risen to the point where single ownership by an athlete or sponsor has become largely prohibitive, making it virtually impossible for a top-level athlete to compete in international games without unprecedented third-party support. We have the athletes we need to win in the international arena, but do not have the depth of high-performance horses to match other countries contesting for gold at Games and Major Championships. Through the utilization of ownership structures such as syndicates and partnerships, this only increases opportunity to source horses with podium potential but offers invitation into the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to become a gold medal team.
What Does US Equestrian do for Horse Owners?
Each discipline at US Equestrian manages their own individual owners program that offers a variety of of recognition initiatives for owners, which may includebut is not limited to: team horse owner pins, special awards for competition, recognition letters, commemorative gifts, Team USA apparel, webinars, meetings, hospitality events, leaderboards, features in newsletters and press releases, and discipline specific resources.
Commitments & Connection of Ownership
The commitments of ownership are not only discipline-specific, but specific to the relationship between owner(s) and athlete. Owners experience the ups and downs of the sport firsthand. Before getting involved, you should work with athletes to gain understanding of a financial commitments including development and maintenance, travel, veterinary, etc. Each owner and athlete relationship is established and built on trust, honesty, and transparent communication with a mutual understanding of goals, expectations, and financial commitments.
How do I Get Involved?
The ownership journey is normally a personal one that often begins through pre-existing connections with athletes or certain horses. Ownership opportunities are often flexible to best fit the athlete and owner’s goals, and it may be more within reach than one might think! There are different types of ownerships such as syndicates, or full ownership as outlined below. If you are unsure of where to start, information on how to get involved in an athlete’s program can often be found on their business webpages or by reaching out to their team directly.
Why Own Through a Syndicate?
Chances are you are a horse lover and a fan of equestrian sport. All of us talk about helping our top athletes (and those who are nearly there), but mostly we have limited ourselves to making donations to the USET Foundation. Although the Foundation remains important to the future of our sport, it does not bring with it the phenomenal excitement of being directly connected to the top levels of sport through horse ownership. Past and current owners can relate once-in-a-lifetime thrills at national championships, international events, and world games. The satisfaction of being an integral part of a top athlete’s success, one that helps the U.S. Team win a medal, is unlike anything else. Syndication allows one horse to take a group of people on a ride, while managing the cost risk for each participant
Types of Ownership
Sole or full ownership is when an owner is responsible for all costs associated with the horse. This could be an athlete owning for themselves, or an individual owning a horse for an athlete. This is the most involved type of ownership as the ultimate decision-making and financial responsibility lies with one person.
A group of two or three individuals who invest in a horse (or multiple horses). A partnership often has fewer members than a syndicate. Decision-making can be shared between owners and the athlete. Owner partners pay their share of the cost of maintenance and training.
A group of several owners sharing a common goal of investing in a horse for a particular athlete. Percentage shares can range, with each syndicate owner bearing their pro rate share of the initial investment as well as ongoing costs. This allows new and continuing owners the opportunity to experience ownership at a lower cost than sole ownership or a partnership. A syndicate is typically governed by a syndicate agreement. Athletes are typically the decision makers for the syndicated horse.