Get To Know the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance’s James Hastie

James Hastie with the Red Jacket Pony Club after a successful horse show (Photos courtesy of James Hastie).

As a child, James Hastie spent the majority of time watching Thoroughbred jumping greats such as Gem Twist and Touch Of Class. Today, Hastie is trying to help the newest generation of Thoroughbreds transition from the racetrack to new careers by heading the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) as the program’s executive director.

The youngest of eight children, James Hastie has been around horses since childhood.

“I became involved [with horses] because mom loved horses, and dad loved keeping mom happy – especially since she paid his way through med school by working at the DMV,” Hastie said. “I started out in pony club, fox hunting, a little bit of eventing and dressage [through pony club, then turned my first children’s hunter into a junior jumper when Jack Frohm of Pittsford, N.Y. asked me to fill a junior jumper class. I won the jump-off by about four seconds, and after that it was all jumpers all the time,” Hastie said. 

Hastie’s firs ride at the Grand Prix level came on a Thoroughbred named James Bond when the rider was 16 years old. His success at the higher level led to a season on the show-jumping circuit with legendary trainer Rodney Jenkins. Hastie was crowned the 1987 Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival Amateur-Owner Circuit Champion.

While Hastie stepped away from showing at the high levels to pursue a college education, he always stayed close to horses by volunteering with the United States Pony Clubs (USPC), announcing at shows and judging. From 1996 to 2000, Hastie served as the director of communications for the United States Equestrian Team (USET), which he says was almost as good as his childhood dream of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Hastie spent time working for the State University of New York at Morrisville and the American Red Cross after his time with the USET, including organizing the 2012 American Express Ride for the Red Cross. Late last year, Hastie found his way back to working with Thoroughbreds on a different level when he was named executive director of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

America’s Best Racing caught up with Hastie before the Eclipse Awards so fans can learn a little bit more about the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's new executive director.

What have you been involved with horse-wise since being introduced to the sport?

I’ve announced at selection trials, the world hunter championships, and even judged a lot of unrated shows — anything to be around horses. About 11 years ago, I was vice regional supervisor for the Western New York Pony Club Region, and have been a volunteer show jumping coach for USPC off and on since I organized my first Pony Club camp in 1991. One of the pony clubbers I coached along the way was third overall in the equitation finals at USPC Championships. I am still really proud of Alex, she runs her own lesson and training business in Central New York now. 

Do you have any personal experience with Thoroughbreds?

James Bond was a Thoroughbred and the first horse I ever rode in a Grand Prix. He won everything in the junior jumper division. He could jump the moon and was one of the greatest horses I’ve ever known. My sister Beth also adopted Fancy Lane from the track. He had a chipped sesamoid when we took him in and ended up being used for pleasure riding; there was Sticky Lugar, who we also took in from the track and then sold to a dressage rider. There may have been others that my sister and I had, that was many years ago. Bottom line, when I was a kid, there were a lot of famous Thoroughbreds like Gem Twist, Touch Of Class, Jet Run, Albany, and they were winning everything in international show jumping, so I became a fan very early on!

How did you first get involved with horses professionally?  
I fell in love with one of Missy Clark’s junior riders in 1985 and moved to Fox Run Farm in East Aurora, N.Y. right after I got out of high school. Missy had me riding 10 horses a day, cleaning stalls, teaching lessons, driving one of those extended gooseneck trailers from show to show, and since I was living in her mother Doris’s farm house, I was even in charge of putting on extra blankets at 4 a.m. during Buffalo’s cold winter! That girl is now married to someone else and is a cardio surgeon in Philadelphia, Pa.

Did you see yourself working in the industry in a professional capacity when you were younger? 
What kid growing up with horses doesn’t? I was convinced, as many young riders are, that I would be standing on the Olympic podium one day while a gold medal was draped around my neck. Working for the USET was almost as good as fulfilling that childhood dream; almost.

What attracted you to Thoroughbred aftercare and the TAA? 
I helped build a rehab center in New York. While doing the due diligence on the industry need, my eyes were really opened to the need for an aftercare facility and I knew this would be the best position I could be in to affect some positive changes, on a scale I could never have imagined.

Where is the TAA in terms of progress?
The TAA is off to a really good start, thanks to The Jockey Club, Keeneland Association, Breeders’ Cup and the team Jack [Wolf] and Madeline [Auerbach] have put in place.  

What kind of reaction have you received from the industry since you started a few months ago? 
I am really impressed by all of the industry personalities and leading organizations behind us, the reaction is very positive. Everyone wants us to succeed and understands what we’re trying to do. Most of the feedback I’m getting is that people are waiting to be asked to help. I am hoping that by doing interviews like this, that your readers are compelled to support us right now, today.

I will keep asking, but it’s important for people to know that the leaders who stepped up to make it possible for TAA to become an accrediting and funding mechanism for the industry seek to obtain small gifts of financial support from every sector of the industry – so anyone benefiting from or enjoying the sport of Thoroughbred racing, I feel, shouldn’t have to wait to be asked. I hope they’ll pick up the phone, visit our website, or send a check – and at a minimum, when they’re deciding which charities to support, if they’re involved with Thoroughbred racing at all, TAA will be one of the top three charities they support every year.

What are your long-term goals for the organization? 
To move us from the start-up phase to the growth phase by engaging every sector of the Thoroughbred racing industry. I’ve just reached out to the top 100 trainers and jockeys, and I’m looking forward to meeting with the consignors [at the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association’s Symposium] the first week of February, an invitation extended to TAA by Martha Jane Mulholland.

There are a lot of funding sources that I believe should join The Jockey Club, Breeders’ Cup, Keeneland, a dozen of the largest stallion owners, sales companies and others who have built the TAA’s mission into their annual charitable giving. Ideally, I would like to see our annual grant awards grow from $1 million to $5 million, but I need everyone’s help to get us there. The more applications we receive for accreditation, the more money we’re going to need. 

I realize my goals may seem ambitious, but I’ve seen the Red Cross raise $34 million via text messaging after a big disaster in four or five days. A lot of that is made possible because of journalists sharing the need on the internet, and through TDN, Blood Horse, HRTV, NTRA Communications, etc., the TAA has a really good group of media partners. Another goal of mine is to see us continue to leverage our media partners and become much better at sharing our story, and asking for financial support.

How do you think your background at the Red Cross and other non-equine organizations will help you in the TAA?
Well, the Red Cross was always faced with big challenges, too. There was never enough money to help communities that had been literally destroyed and families that lost everything. It’s an organization that is very good, if not the best, at setting the same strategic goals TAA has established for me: utilize other resources, minimize overhead, and maintain the highest standards. The Red Cross and Disney, where I had my first job out of college, are two of the companies most committed to excellence in the world. 

I hope to do my part to build TAA into one of the strongest brands in the Thoroughbred industry. One look at our board and our accredited partners, and the outstanding work they’re all doing to provide Thoroughbreds with the opportunity to have a fulfilling life after racing, and I know all the pieces are in place. I just need to focus on broadening the base of financial support. 
 
How do you think your role at the United States Equestrian Team will help you? 
My experience at the USET has already helped. Former USET president D.D. Matz was quite literally the first person to provide me with any introductions as soon as I unpacked in Kentucky. She’s one of the most generous people I have ever met.  I met a lot of wonderful people at USET, and several USET athletes showed up for, and sponsored, the American Express Ride for the Red Cross in honor of the Red Rider (Rodney Jenkins). Hopefully, once I’ve engaged more of the Thoroughbred industry, I can call on more of my USET friends to help support Thoroughbred aftercare.
How do you think the program earning an Eclipse Award will affect the TAA? 

Well, this award in my mind is really all about the outstanding work TAA’s accredited aftercare facilities are doing to care for retired racehorses, and of course the work our board and volunteers are doing to support their efforts. It is an extremely special honor that puts the TAA in the spotlight, and speaking with my fundraising hat on, I hope the effect is that I am presented with more opportunities like the one you’re giving me today – to tell our story and ask for additional financial support. 

What has been your biggest challenge since starting at the TAA? 
My biggest challenge for some, has been communicating how important the 0.05 percent contribution is that the sales companies are offering to collect for TAA. Just like the $10 text donation to the Red Cross, when you add up enough $50 contributions per each $100,000 transaction; well, collective sale participation is really making a tremendous impact on our ability to fund TAA's accredited facilities.  

Why do you think racehorse aftercare is so important? 
I can’t answer that without thinking of the Thoroughbreds that I knew and loved growing up. It’s important to provide an opportunity for every horse to have a fulfilling second career or the chance at a comfortable retirement, and it’s an honor and a privilege for me to support those out there making that happen. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 
Only that a lot of really hard working people and wonderful Thoroughbreds are counting on me right now; so I sincerely hope anyone reading this article will send a check, or please drop by our website and make one donation that will support 23 accredited aftercare facilities. 

What are some of your hobbies outside of the horse industry? 
Life outside of work is all about Buster, my adopted pit bull-mix. I love the Wellington dog park, and Buster does, too. 

What was the last non-equine related book you read?
I spent a summer at Harvard once, and I’m hooked on the Harvard Business Review – especially the articles on growing business. 

What about the last equine related book? 
You have to ask? “Beyond the Track” [by Anna Ford] of course.

What advice would you give someone straight out of college? 
Keep in touch with everyone you meet. You never know when your paths will cross again, and in any business, it’s all about relationships.

What is your favorite quote? 
"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." - Socrates

Who is your equestrian idol? 
Rodney Jenkins

Who is your favorite band? 
U2
What is your favorite horse-related memory? 
As a kid in the Limestone Hunt Club, it was my job to lay the drag on my pony Sargent Pepper, with my old buddy Ted Ferguson and his pony Yankee Doodle Dandee. One Saturday we slept in, and the hounds were quite literally on our heels. Most of the members in the field congratulated us for one of the best hunts of the season, and until now, Ted and I were the only ones to ever know that was really a live hunt.

To find out more about the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, visit www.thoroughbredaftercare.org.