Jimmy Bell Q&A: ‘It’s All About the Horse’

Jimmy Bell (right) accepting a trophy for a Darley stakes win. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire unless otherwise noted) 
A lifelong horseman, Jimmy Bell grew up on his family’s Jonabell Farm and knew from an early age that he wanted a career in the racing industry.
“I was raised on the farm, never really left and never really thought of too many other things,” Bell said. “[My goal was] to have the opportunity to participate in such a great sport and like anybody and everybody, dream of having some connection with some important horses and important races.”
As part of his family’s farm, Bell’s goal has become a reality during a very successful career in the horse racing industry. Today, Bell works as Darley America’s president, a position he has held since the operation bought his family’s farm in 2001.
But Bell isn’t just interested in the racehorse side of the business, he is also a huge supporter of Thoroughbred aftercare, and in late 2014 was elected as the president of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) after serving on the TAA’s board of directors since the program was created in 2012.
“We bring these horses into the world, we care for them, we get to enjoy what they love doing, and that is racing, and that’s not the end of the road. They certainly deserve to continue to have the care they received from the time they were conceived to the time they finished racing,” he said. “There are so many opportunities for people and for the horses after that racing career is over, and a lot of that is based on [aftercare] education, which brings more awareness, which gets more strength in this whole aftercare concept.”
Bell believes that aftercare is also extremely important to the Thoroughbred industry, both because of the horses involved and the perception that fans and people not involved in the sport have about the racing.
“I think there is a major shift in awareness [from those in the racing industry] and this has become a very integral part to not only the overall life of the Thoroughbred but to the Thoroughbred business," Bell said. "It’d be very difficult to have an industry that does not make this an important part of its platform … this is probably the biggest point of appeal, it’s our obligation as an industry. They give us everything they have and in return it is up to us to look after them after their racing days are past.”
In 2014, the TAA awarded $2.4-million in grants to the 42 facilities accredited by the organization and has received support from many trainers, farms, and owners in the industry since it started. Bell credits the TAA’s success to those who work for the organization.
“A lot of this is about exposure and talking and expanding and building on what is going on here, but I would say also that the TAA has been blessed with a very, very energetic board and a young staff that shares the same passion and work ethic; it’s just an amazing job that they do,” he said. “It is that enthusiasm, it is that dedication, it is infectious. That’s really a reflection of that staff, of [operations consultant Stacie Clark] and her group. The accreditation process is so lengthy, so detailed, they just do it so cheerfully and get after it, and it’s a lot of work but just being around them you see that for reasons more than you know that they really care about [aftercare] and the board is that way, too. I feel we have an organization that has put together a solid foundation from which we hope great things can grow from.”
BELL AFTER ALPHA'S 2012 WITHERS WIN

Making sure that the facilities accredited by TAA are up to the high standards of the program is hard work, but Bell believes that the program’s thorough process helps build confidence in those looking to support TAA’s work.
“The fact that this is a growing organization … in 2014 TAA was able to grant $2.4-million and that’s a start. That’s nowhere near the finish line but that puts us out of the starting gate anyway,” he said. “I’d like to say [the growing support is] a good housekeeping deal because a lot of background and a lot of work goes into accrediting these organizations and that’s important, because again that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day is how to take care of these fine animals.”
Even though it has taken a while for the industry to really embrace aftercare, Bell sees more people getting involved as they learn more about it.
“I’m very encouraged because no one that we speak with is not interested in trying to do their part, and that’s one of the great things about the business and the great thing about the people who are in the business,” Bell said. “Folks want to get involved because it is all about the horse. It begins with the horse and ends with the horse and that’s the full picture, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they have a good scenario at every phase of their lives. You do what you do because you know how much pleasure and how fortunate we are to participate in this great sport.”
Bell sat down with America’s Best Racing to share more thoughts on aftercare for this article: 
What do you think the biggest challenge facing aftercare is?
I think the challenge is sort of a natural progression from [aftercare] being somewhat in the back of people’s minds to the front and becoming more of an awareness. I think there is really more of an education process just to make people more informed and more aware of the alternatives and the possibilities and the many things that these horses can do after a racing career. It takes a little while for this to become a part of the overall landscape but I think everyone who participates in the business is open to having a better understanding of what potential career paths there are for these horses past their racing. So the challenge is it is really an educational part of it. I think participation will come as we become more aware and more educated.
What does it mean to see so many industry names stepping it up and supporting aftercare?
I think everybody wants to do their part, everybody recognizes the significance of what these horses mean to us in all stages of their life and [TAA] is just a more organized, more formalized vehicle for people to participate in something that I think they are very willing and wanting to participate in. The TAA presents a vehicle whereby a very stringent accreditation program is in place and a very thorough funding program is being innovated and developed as we go. It’s a very, very young organization and with any organization in its infancy it takes a little while for all of these factors to come together. The education, the infrastructure and really at the end of the day what people really want to see is a good housekeeping seal, which the TAA does represent because of their thoroughness of the funding and accreditation process.
What advice would you give to someone looking to take a more active role in the TAA and aftercare?
Please call. That’s one of the rewarding aspects of the TAA is that it seems to bring in some very passionate people who want to take the extra time to make sure that this program finds its way into hopefully every aspect of our business. We’re very, very excited by the perception of the public and of the participants. This is a process, it’s not an overnight sensation but the TAA has been able to establish a very high level of credibility in a very short period of time and I think credibility is important for any organization and certainly that’s one of the major planks that we’ve built the TAA upon. There are so many ways to participate and just calling there are numerous opportunities and I think anyone at the TAA would be only too happy to direct people in those directions.
BELL AND OTHERS FROM THE TAA SHOWING HOW MUCH THE ORGANIZATION RAISED IN 2014

Photo courtesy of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
Where would you like to see aftercare go in the future?
I think [the growth of aftercare is] a normal process of which its becoming something that’s understood and more accepted as a responsibility, so as time progresses I think our industry as a whole will recognize the significance and importance of these aftercare programs. Again, there’s so many aspects of this and there are so many other routes and alternatives and disciplines that these horses can do, and as this matures and time goes on, you’ll see an abundance of these horses find second careers and more things to do. They give people great pleasure and for this we attempt to look after them in the best way we can.
Why should fans support aftercare?
I think we all derive various levels of pleasure from this and as such there becomes a responsibility. So I think either from an owner and their directive to a fan to the people who make a living from the business, everybody derives various tangible and intangible aspects of what the Thoroughbred and what the racehorse does for us.
What is one thing you’d like to tell racing connections about aftercare?
I feel we have an obligation to the horse. This whole thing is about the horse. It begins with the horse and it ends with the horse and we are fortunate to be a part of the great things they do. So I wish people would see that everything we do and the reason we’re together to begin with is because of the horse and not to forget the horse at any stage of its life. With that comes responsibility and obligations.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I think that we’re off to a remarkable start in such a short period of time and grants have already been awarded to 42 organizations that serve over 130 facilities. We all recognize our common thread really comes through the horse and that is what this is all about. [Aftercare is about] everybody working together and the good news is that it’s a problem but it’s a problem that everybody wants to participate in to find a solution. So we’re very fortunate to have everybody understanding and going the same direction. There are a lot of people that give a lot of their time to this cause because it is so important to everybody and when we go out to talk to folks, we get that good reception and it’s because it’s a great cause and you’ve got a lot of people who are really trying to do the right thing and give [aftercare] the place that it deserves.