Anyone who has met Gary Contessa realizes quickly that the respected New York-based Thoroughbred Trainer is passionate about horses and the sport of racing them. His raw enthusiasm is infectious: to hear the man talk about horses is to become entranced.

Contessa loves horses and horse racing, but he has a drive for education, as well. He has observed rightly that one of the reasons why horse racing isn’t growing by leaps and bounds is that—the sport is very complicated. It’s complicated, and a uniform network of formal education for the public isn’t in place. Both long-time race fans and potential fans should have easy access to information about everything from the conformation of a horse to discussions of pedigree, wagering, care and how to buy at auction. And it should be fun.

This goal, of educating the public, was the driving force for the creation of Gary Contessa TeleVision—GCTV on YouTube. The YouTube channel was launched on June 19, 2015, and the reception so far has been tremendous.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ylV4I7qDGO8dxPJ2neuIA

To our knowledge, this is a first, that a Thoroughbred Trainer has created a YouTube channel as a means of educating the racing public, and helping them to grow both their range of knowledge and their passion for the horses and the sport.

“I’m ready to go: this is a great way to share this business and my experiences in it with everyone,” effused Contessa. “We’ll be creating videos all during the Saratoga meet, and into Belmont, fall.”