Q&A: Equestricon 2018 founder on why you should attend

Equestricon and its co-founders, including Dan Tordjman, gathered last week in Louisville to preview the second edition of the only international horse racing convention, which premiered last year at Saratoga. The 2018 version is set for Oct. 28-29 at the Kentucky International Convention Center, with the Breeders’ Cup later that week at Churchill Downs.

Tickets are available now at Equestricon.org. 

Horse Racing Nation spoke with Tordjman about the event, its growth and why you should check it out.

What have been the benefits of pairing this event with the Breeders’ Cup?

“The founders of Equestricon — me, Kathryn Sharp and Justin Nicholson — we’re just regular people. We didn’t come into this with any agenda except for wanting to strengthen the sport. I think that’s something Breeders’ Cup picked up on right away. They’re one of these organizations where their whole model is bringing in the best of the best. They independently realized these are three people committed to doing the same thing for a different purpose — giving fans more access, and to allow them to engage in ways they’ve never been able to do before. There’s added credibility to our event that comes out of that relationship. We expect a surge of attention and attendance given it’s situated on the calendar right next to Breeders’ Cup.”

If somebody’s coming to the Breeders’ Cup, what’s your pitch for arriving a few days early for Equestricon, too?

“On our website, we have hotel rooms starting at $119 for our exclusive block. The hotel room rates are reasonable — in fact, significantly lower than last year at Saratoga. Come in early. You’re going to have access to everything in racing. Whether you’re a horse player, whether you’re interested in ownership, or want to know more about horses, aftercare, or breeding, it’s all there in one place. You’re going to have opportunities to directly connect with personalities in the sport. For a $65 all-access pass, you get to experience the very best in horse racing in the most up close and personal way possible.”

You’ve obviously announced the Justify tie-in. Are there other panels or attractions you’re especially excited about at this point?

“I will say we have at least two more big announcements coming. We’re kind of holding those in our back pocket for now. Aside from that, all day Monday at Equestricon, Breeders’ Cup-winning trainers will be there signing autographs and doing meet and greets. We’ll have the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky’s career mentorship and networking events — very much geared toward getting people a foot in the door in racing. We’ll also have discussions and TED Talk-style presentations from industry leaders. We have a former NFL player (Jeff Tow-Arnett) coming to do a talk about aftercare. He owns a retired racehorse. Then moving to Tuesday, there will be jockey signings all day, panels with winning connections of Breeders’ Cup winners over the years, and people can expect all the big names there.”

Why do you think the industry needed this, and then going into the second year, do you feel like you’re filling the right void?

“There was an article written last year after Equestricon, and the writer wrote something to the effect of, ‘I left Equestricon with a strange optimism.’ It’s something you don’t usually feel when you come away from a racing/industry type of event. I think it needed this, because from our perspective — three young people in the sport — we could see where that disconnect was in between industry insider and the person interest in getting involved but who is intimidated. We wanted to break those walls down. We think by creating a space that’s fun, lively, entertaining and non-threatening, we’re giving people more incentive to get involved in racing. That’s as a bettor, potentially as an owner, or giving the opportunity to educate themselves about various aspects of the sport. Those opportunities are out there selectively, but we didn’t feel there was a one-stop shop for every possible interest in racing. We wanted to increase access, increase engagement and do it at a setting that’s not at the racetrack.”