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T H E I M P O RTA N T R O L E P L AY E D BY THE CBA
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hrilling. Challenging. Rewarding. Overwhelming. Ask anyone whose livelihood is tied to the world of Thoroughbred sales, and all of those adjectives apply, depending on the day. Or the moment. Because the whole sales process can also be intimidating at times, it’s reassuring to find there’s actually an organization that represents all players - large and small. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association (CBA) is comprised of a far-reaching group of people who make their living in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. The organisation was created to provide a unified voice of representation for the breeders and consignors who provide the horses that drive the industry. The CBA was launched in 2005 by a group of prominent consignors and breeders who believed the Thoroughbred industry could improve the way commerce
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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 50
Cynthia McFarland
was handled. They sought to do that by creating a nonprofit, dues-based organisation that would educate and promote unity. “If you look at the wine industry in California and Europe, the automotive industry and other trades, more often than not, unity brings about better trade. There is a cohesion of ideas and a progressive sharing of trade interests,” observes Joe Seitz, current CBA president. “There was a void where the people producing the product didn’t really have a voice. We wanted to have a seat at the table when issues came up regarding ethics and integrity, veterinary topics, sales company practices, regulatory entities, legislation, and even how sales companies design and lay out their sales and facilities,” explains Seitz. “This is a moving, fluid market, so we’re always needing to make things better for breeders, sellers and buyers.” The CBA has filled that void in a most productive manner. The organization’s mission statement says it all: “The CBA works democratically on behalf of every consignor and commercial breeder, large and small, to