On the Road Again

After today, life around Hoof Beats ramps up in high gear, with our coverage of the Adios and Hambletonian, and continues pretty much non-stop through the Little Brown Jug in September.  At 6 a.m. tomorrow, I am heading east for fun first and then work (although truth be told, the work is pretty fun). We are having a Kraft family reunion first in Maryland, then stopping in Washington DC for two days to show Danny the nation’s capitol (and ideas on the best attractions for 8-year-olds, let me know!) and visit some friends. One of my goals is to stop at Arlington national Cemetery to see our Standardbred friends who serve in the caisson and as the riderless horse for funerals. Next we head to Philadelphia to see my grandmother and pick up TJ, who is flying in from Columbus. Then we head up to the Meadowlands for stories and racing (with a side trip or two into New York City). Whew, I get tired just writing it down! But it will all be worth it.

Getting to see far-flung friends during Hambo weekend is one of the great pleasures of the trip. I look forward to seeing fellow writers from north of the border Dave Briggs and Kim Fisher from Canadian Sportsman and Trot, respectively, as well as Kathy Parker and Gordon Waterstone from Horseman & Fair World. Photographer Dave Landry is one of the nicest—and most talented people—I know, and visiting with him is always a treat. The whole Meadowlands crew--Dave Brower, Sam McKee, Ken Warkentin, Bob Hayden, Amy Silver, Alex Dadoyan—is always great to be with. The many horsemen and owners I respect and admire—some of whom I have known since childhood—will be there, and I look forward to spending time with “Crazy Good” author Charlie Leerhsen and his wife, author Sarah Saffian, as well as my great friend Dan Plesac, who will all be at the track on Hambo day.

I spoke to another friend, Greg Schuler, today over at the Horseman & Fair World. He is working hard at home while his coworkers make the eastern trek. One of his projects is helping our new partnership, Write Stuff Stable, get a our first horse. We are aiming to make a claim soon with trainer Jim Arledge Jr., and I am so excited! I will keep you posted.

BTW, have you checked out our new e-newsletters? The Hoof Beats one, “On Track,” came out today, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the August issue—and it was terrific. There was stuff in there even I didn’t know. If you want to sign up for that one, or any of our other terrific e-newsletters, just visit http://news.ustrotting.com/usta_newsletters.cfm. They are all FREE!

Don’t forget, if you are at the Hambo, stop by and say hello during the autograph session, or flag me down as I run from front to back paddock about 400 times. It will be great to take a break to talk.  

Nicole

Keeping 'On Track'

The August issue is off to the printer and should be in your mailboxes next week. Today I finished the newest edition of “On Track,” the Hoof Beats online newsletter. It’ll come out Friday afternoon, and you’ve got to check it out.

Each month I ask those who worked so hard on these stories to share the “behind the scenes” moments they experienced. It’s also great to hear from the voices that don’t get heard in Hoof Beats. A regular contributor is photographer Mark Hall, who has a journalism degree from The Ohio State University, but found out his talent is best suited holding a camera, not a pen. Turns out he’s a great writer.

Sometimes I just include the personal stuff that could not be included in the story, either due to space issues or editorial reasons. For example, the piece titled “Spend Money to Make Money” by freelance writer Ralph Sucee was initially at the beginning of the story he sent in, but we just didn’t have enough space to run it. Ralph is one of the finest writers in harness racing, so I hated to lose such a great insight into his writing process—that’s why I knew it would be perfect for this month’s newsletter.

I also try to get an update on the horse featured in the horse profile or Equine Clinic. These stories may have been written 60 days or more before you see them, so much may have changed in the horse’s career in that time. This time we got some bad news, as writer Cait Barnett found out that trotting sensation Mya Tri is not currently racing due to knee problems. You may remember this filly won 21 straight starts in Indiana in 2007-2008.

To make sure you get this month’s newsletter, be sure to sign up here:

http://news.ustrotting.com/usta_newsletters.cfm

Cheers,

T.J.

Hambo Anyone?

It is hard to believe summer has flown by so quickly and the Hambletonian is just 1-1/2 weeks away. We have spent quite a bit of time planning for our coverage—especially now that we have added our video component with Media Manager Rich Johnston. Rich is an award-winning cameraman who has worked for several network affiliates around the country, most recently with Channel 10 here in Columbus. We are so lucky to have gotten him when he made a career change. He has done amazing work with our new “Eye on Harness Racing” and in the coverage of events already, so I know he will offer a great product from the Hambo as well.

In addition to Rich, photographer Mark Hall and managing editor T.J. Burkett will be making the trip with me, as well as one of our editorial interns, Jonathan Marsh, who is a member of the Clyde Hirt Media Workshop this year. Jonathan was a standout student of mine in the Magazine Writing class I teach every quarter at The Ohio State University, and he has been a great part of our staff for the past two quarters. I know it will be a great experience for him, and we are excited to have him there writing for Hoof Beats.

If you can’t be at the Hambo, I know our coverage will make you feel like you were there. But if you do want to attend, I have a special opportunity for you. We have two grandstand seats for the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day that I will make available to the first person who emails me at nkraft@ustrotting.com. But if you do take the tickets, you have to promise to stop by our 11:15-noon autograph session with the drivers in Paddock Park—I’d love to met you! In fact, I’d love to meet any and all of our readers and hope you will take a minute to stop by to say hello. It is for you that we come to work and do our best every day, and we thank you for sticking with us.

Have a great day,

Nicole

Drivers

I spent part of my day talking to some of my favorite people in the sport--the horsemen who share their time with the fans who admire them.
Every year the USTA sets up autograph sessions with horsemen at the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day. There is no denying Hambo day is a busy one for everyone involved, not the least of which are the drivers who are gearing up for what could be their biggest career victory. And they are even busier this year with a new Hambletonian parade, which starts at 11 a.m. at the track. But every horseman I called and asked if the would be part of an autograph session with the fans said "yes" first, and asked for the details later.
Keep in mind--I have been asking these horsemen for help for going on 14 years, and I continue to be amazed and honored at how many times they have come through. It is a testament to our sport and to its fans, and makes me feel incredibly proud every time to be part of this community.
If you are around the Meadowlands on Hambo day, I hope you will join us from 11:15-noon in Paddock Park, where we will be joined by John Campbell, Steve Elliott, Yannick Gingras, Jody Jamieson, Andy Miller, David Miller, Ron Pierce and maybe a few others. We will have a limited quantity of free photos to be signed, as well as posters commemorative Hambo T-shirts for sale.
And when you get your autograph, take a minute to give thanks for our wonderful sport. We are truly lucky to be part of it.

Around the World

Just got off the phone with a subscriber living in the Cayman Islands. My first thought was, 'I would like to visit these Cayman Islands sometime, like around February.' After that, I began to think about how Hoof Beats reaches so many different people all over the world.

I don't take all the calls from subscribers, but when circulation manager Kate Lockhart and publishing assistant Jason Turner are busy, I get the pleasure of speaking with folks with questions about their subscriptions. I've talked to people from Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Finland, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. I'm sure Kate could add about a dozen more countries to that list from her experience.

Getting a chance to talk to so many people makes me excited about how many people, from so many different backgrounds, are true fans and participants in harness racing. What's even better is when I get to help a reader with his or her problem, and we start chatting about our experiences in this great sport. Whether they are giving me feedback about the work we are doing here, telling me about a story that should appear in the magazine, or simply sharing their philosophy on the sport in general, it always serves to remind me that the scope of this magazine spreads so much wider than these cubicle walls, or the Ohio border, or even the boundless ocean.

Have a great weekend,
T.J.

Boil, Boil

Just finished with the cover for the August issue. Our feature story is about how some breeders have a formula for predicting yearling sales success, so art director Gena Gallagher really ran with the "formula" theme.

For the cover, she envisioned a scientist-looking character mixing chemicals to create the perfect horse. Inside the story, this scientist would be writing out the formula on a chalkboard.

That scientist-looking person turned out to be me.

This wasn't my first cover shoot, mind you. I'm sure you remember my foot and gloved hand on the cover of the December 2008 issue, right?

Gena secured a labcoat and some beakers from a friend who works as a chemist. Photographer Mark Hall picked up some dry ice from Graeter's Ice Cream. We were ready to go.

Mark colored some water in the beaker, and dropped a piece of dry ice in. Soon vapor was pouring out of the beaker, so it really looked like I was cookin' somethin' up. Unfortunately, there was too much vapor at times, so Gena had to keep fanning it away so Mark could get a good shot of what I was doing.

After two separate shoots (Gena and Mark wanted to change some lighting, and my beaker, after the first shoot) we got what we needed, and made it into the cover. I can show you the photo that we used, but you will have to wait for the cover to be released Aug. 1. Stay tuned next week for a video on how we put this all together.

Cheers, T.J. Burkett

Great Stories, Great Partnerships

Spent part of the morning talking about Arizona Helen with a writer from The Horse. It is easy to see why that story is compelling to a magazine that focuses on horse health, since it is one of the more fascinating “conditions” I have ever come across. Arizona Helen is, of course, the mare who became a stallion when genetic testing revealed he was a pseudo-hermaphrodite. Hope everybody got to see the story at http://www.hoofbeatsmagazine.com/pdf/july09/ArizonaHelen_july09.pdf.

We are racing around putting the finishing touches on August, our yearling issue—selecting a fun yearling shot for “Here They Come,” replacing Winner’s Circle with one that ties to a short profile we are running on a woman who recently discovered the joys of Standardbreds.

The best part of my day was talking with Greg Schuler of “The Horseman & Fair World,” with whom I hope to soon be partnering on a claimer! It was Greg’s idea and I appreciate him including me, along with a few others. We are working with trainer Jim Arledge Jr., and we have already picked a stable name—the appropriately titled “Write Stuff Stable.” It has been exactly 10 years since Best Of Dani died—and he did not race for the last nine years of his life—so I am excited to jump back in to the game. And I am excited to be partnering with Greg, who I respect immensely (along with everyone at The Horseman) for all he does for racing.

It was a very fun with dinner with Greg and Tom LaMarra of The Blood Horse in Lexington that led to the recent creation of the North American Standardbred Communicators Association (NASCA), an online social community for people who cover harness racing. I really hope the site helps everyone who needs it with photos, writers, subjects, topics—all the things writers need. Check it out on Facebook!

Have a great day,

Nicole

Going to Mt. Vernon

This Sunday (July 26), we will be at the Knox County Fair in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and I can’t wait.
Last year, Hoof Beats readers named Mt. Vernon as a USTA Blue Ribbon Fair for their hard work and dedication to promoting harness racing, and Sunday is the day they asked us to present them with the Blue Ribbon Fair Award.
Nicole Kraft, Mark Hall, Heather Dodds and I were lucky enough to visit the fair last year, which is about an hour northeast of Columbus. Nicole was there to sign copies of her book, 100 Years in Harness, but Mark, Heather and I were there to get to know all we could about that fair in one day. We watched turkey judging, saw a girl blow-drying a calf, and marveled at the crowds there to watch racing. What impressed me about the crowds was that more people were sitting on lawn chairs around the track than were in the grandstand! There truly is not a bad place to watch racing there, and the fans seemed to enjoying lounging under the trees as announcer Chris Patterson narrated the action.
A story about the fair ran in the July issue. I also shot some video footage.
This year, Mt. Vernon will again host a celebrity race. Last year, the publisher of the local newspaper beat out the county commissioner, fire chief, sheriff and fair board president. You can imagine the press that got! Check out the story and video.
This fair is extra-exciting for me as I will be picking up a catch-drive on the afternoon’s card. I will be driving 3-year-old filly pacer, Freedom Chase, in the Home Talent Colt Stakes for trainer Jamie Coffy. We’re hoping for a safe and successful start at such a beautiful fair.
I hope you can come out to the fair this year. If you see me, make sure to say hi. I’ll be the guy in the gold driving colors with the green and white diamonds.

The Blue Ribbon Fair winner will be chosen differently next year. A winner will be chosen from applicants for the USTA Matching Funds Grant. The most creative user of the grant money will be honored with a story in Hoof Beats magazine. Good luck, and start planning now for next year!

Exploring EPM at OSU

Spent part of the morning at The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital to shoot video for our next “Bays Anatomy”—this one on EPM. Dr. Catherine Kohn wrote the column, but Dr. Sam Hurcombe conducted a thorough neurological examination on a horse for our video purposes. Dr. Hurcombe, who has been at OSU since 2005, showed us what you look for physically in an EPM horse, an even explained the spinal tap and blood test procedures.

Hoof Beats has long had a relationship with Ohio State, but since Dr. Rustin Moore came on staff and spoke at our USTA board of directors meeting a few years ago, that relationship has grown a lot. They are always helping us with stories and photo shoots, and even tipping us off to great stories like Sharky Spur, who broke his leg in a way similar to Barbaro, but with a much happier ending. (I saw his surgeon, Dr. Yvonne Elce, at the clinic today, and she told me he is doing very well and breeding mares at his Pennsylvania home!)

In addition to our wonderful equine model, there was a whole host of calves and goats and other horses parading around the hospital—and it was great to see. I have my share of personal experiences at OSU—my horse, Best Of Dani, was treated for uveitis there by Dr. David Wilkie, and was, ultimately, euthanized there. My dogs Cody and Shana were treated for various injuries and ailments there, before they, too, breathed their last with OSU vets at their side. Right now I also run a foundation called Cody’s Club, where I provide funding and counseling for people who have pets needing radiation therapy, and through that program I work a lot with radiation oncologist Dr. Eric Green, who is terrific. All of my animals have received nothing but the best possible care at Ohio State, and I am grateful to have it in my “backyard,” should veterinary problems arise.

Back at the office I had a great conversation with Bill MacDonald of www.MeHarness.com, which is called “a statistical guide to Maine harness racing.” We quoted a blog from Bill’s site in the July Starting Lines, and Bill was absolutely right that we should have given him better attribution and mentioned his Web site address. If you’d like to learn more about Maine racing, check out Bill’s site—it is filled with great stuff. And we will soon be lucky to have Bill in our pages as he is authoring a story on a Maine personality for an upcoming issue. I’ll keep you posted!

Have a great day,

Nicole

One-man show

In each and every story that we write, we look to see if there is a multimedia element that we can add. While it has long been a plus for writers to take their own photos when they submit a story, now it is becoming almost imperative for the writer to shoot some video or produce an audio interview as well.

Thanks to an incredible staff, including photographer Mark Hall and videographer Rich Johnston, we are able to put out some pretty slick productions. Sure, the headaches are still there and posting videos for news stories still means staying up late, but it makes it all worthwhile to get up the next morning and see that 4,000 watched our video. Unfortunately, as a freelance writer you probably can’t rely on a team.

Even if it’s just you visiting a farm or covering an event, you can still do some amazing things with a small capital outlay. Ken Weingartner of Harness Racing Communications is a great example of a one-man show. For only a few hundred dollars invested in equipment, he can shoot high-quality photos with his camera and shoot a short video interview with his flip camera that can be uploaded directly to Youtube. He also will write a story that can run in Hoof Beats or on ustrotting.com.

It may seem daunting to learn all of these new techniques, but one year ago I set out to be a one-man show. The learning curve was steep, but the weekly improvement was dramatic.

Right now, Hoof Beats is looking for some new voices for its pages. If you would like to write for harness racing’s premier magazine, please send me a note at tj.burkett@ustrotting.com. Just remember—we are looking to bring more of our content to the Web. So if you can already shoot photos and video, or if you have any questions about how to get started as a “one-man show,” please send me a note.

T.J. Burkett
Managing editor

Ads, ads, ads

One of the great things about being in the USTA Comm Department is I am surrounded by really smart and talented people, and today we sat down for a two hour discussion on advertising, and how we can better serve the advertisers we have and, hopefully, entice more to our pages to benefit our readers.

Most magazines need advertising to survive, and Hoof Beats is no different. The challenges, though, grow greater every day, as advertisers seek to spend their money the best way possible.

When I first started in magazines—and before that, newspapers—advertising and editorial were completely separate. Sometimes they were even openly hostile. That is certainly not the case at Hoof Beats. We know editorial and advertising go hand in hand, and we greatly value story suggestions made by our advertisers (Art Zubrod of Brittany Farms, for example, pitched us on hyperbaric chambers after his dog was put in one).

Our meeting today was broad, wrapping our brains around the several different forms of advertising that we are fortunate to now offer come with our new multi-media push. We have video commercials, e-newsletters, blogs, marketing messages, etc. All our research shows that advertisers are best served by a multi-media approach—print, Web, visual electronics. That gets your message across to as many people as possible, since buyers receive messages in different ways. We are excited to be able to offer these new ad venues because we are sure they will really be a benefit to all our advertisers.

But we also appreciate everyone who has stayed with our beloved print and Web products for all these years, and we are looking for ways to thank them through additional exposure. To that end we are developing what the ad business calls “value-added advertising.” We call it free ads, which we will give away to our best and longtime customers as a way of saying, “thanks”.

If you have any story ideas, please contact me at nkraft@ustrotting.com. And if you have any advertising needs, Heather Dodds at heather.dodds@ustrotting.com is here to work for you. We’d love to hear from you!

Nicole

Welcome to the Staff!

One thing is always true about publishing a monthly magazine, running a Web site, coordinating ad sales, assigning photo shoots, creating a new video show, redesigning forms and any number of other things we do at the USTA Communications Department—there is never a dull day. Now I can’t guarantee that everyone out there will have as great an interest as we do on the inner workings of Hoof Beats and the Comm Department, but in case you do, we started this blog to keep you in touch with what we are doing and how we are doing it.

It is a pleasure to welcome all of you to the “staff”!

Summer around here is our busiest time, but we actually have a lot happening every week of every month of the year, and we are excited to share with you some of our plans, and we hope you will make your suggestions that we can include in this blog, as well. Got an idea for a new department, feature, column or photo—let me know! Is there a Web feature you have been hoping to see? I’ll see what we can do. Loved a story? Tell us. Hated a story? We want to hear that, too.

The big news so far this week have been all our launches of long-time projects—the new Fan Guide at fanguide.ustrotting.com; the new video show, “Eye on Harness Racing,” which debuts tomorrow at 3 p.m.; the new features at www.hoofbeatsmagazine.com (like this one!). I am always amazed at the staff here—often I come to them with an idea, sketch it with words into thin air, and they make it happen. They are simply the best.

Photographer Mark Hall and Art Director Gena Gallagher—recent winners for cover design at American Horse Publications--are hard at work at a cool cover image for our yearling issue, which comes out in August. Our cover story features breeders Adam Bowden, Senena Esty and Bob Marks on their yearling sale formulas—we’ll have it posted on the Hoof Beats site in as soon as the magazine comes off the printers.

And now, a gift to those of you who have taken the time to check out our blog—the first five people to email me at nkraft@ustrotting.com can get either a year subscription to Hoof Beats Direct (our digital edition) or a Hoof Beats T-shirt ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Nicole