LONDON, (Reuters) – Jockeys and trainers will be  offered training in dealing with the media and paid appearance  money as part of a campaign by British horse racing to widen the  appeal of the sport.

Ten trial initiatives are to be introduced by Racing for  Change, a project tasked with modernising horse racing in  Britain.

Racing for Change chairman Chris McFadden said there was a  “current reluctance by some of racing’s stars” to work more  closely with the media which was having a detrimental effect on  positive publicity for the sport.

Jockeys and trainers, McFadden said, would be offered  appearance fees for interviews with non-racing media.

“British horse racing is the envy of the racing world with  our abundance of outstanding horses, trainers and jockeys as  well as a host of first class racetracks,” McFadden said in a  statement.

“Yet, despite the likes of Sea The Stars and Kauto Star, the  sport needs to work harder to connect, as it did in the past,  with the wider public. This is, no doubt, a result of a  significantly more competitive betting and leisure environment  — so we have to raise our game.”

Other proposals include a free membership club for “younger  adults” that will offer discounted admission to many racecourses  and shares in several racehorses and a central PR campaign to  promote racing more effectively to a wider audience.

“What has encouraged us during the research and consultation  stages of the project is that, fundamentally, there is little  wrong with the racing as an entertainment, leisure and betting  medium,” added McFadden.

“What it requires is a clearer structure and better  presentation of its strengths – it’s drama, spectacle and  heritage as well as its equine and human stars.”

The proposals will be implemented by the end of June 2010.