18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

The purpose of the .HORSE gTLD is to offer horse owners, service providers, horse industry employees and volunteers the opportunity to clearly define their presence on the Internet and to help potential customers gain access to content about horses.

As horse owners begin to take advantage of ecommerce and other Internet technologies, horse enthusiasts are looking for easier ways to find equine information and products online. The .HORSE domain will serve as the definitive home of horse-related content online.

There are 9.2 million horses in the United States alone, or roughly 3 horses per hundred people. 4.6 million Americans are involved directly in the industry as service providers or owners--tens of millions more participate as spectators. The horse industry directly provides more than 416,000 jobs and represents an overall market of $39 Billion. (Source: http:⁄⁄www.theequestrianchannel.com⁄id3.html)

In the United Kingdom, 43 percent of households have at least one member with some form of interest in equestrianism. This interest is also growing. In 1999, only 2.4 million UK residents had ridden in the last 12 months. In 2011, that number had almost doubled to 4.2 million. According to the British Horse Industry Confederation, the equestrian sector is the single largest sporting employer in the UK.

The .HORSE top level domain is backed by the Lexington, Virginia Convention and Business Bureau. According to the bureau: “Lexington, and the Bluegrass Region, truly is the horse capital of the world. From thoroughbred racing to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010, Lexington has a culture and an economy that is defined by the horse. It is only appropriate, then, that the .horse domain is secured for our region’s use in years to come.” (source: http:⁄⁄www.dothorseproject.com⁄lexington-convention-and-visitors-bureau⁄)

Further backing is provided by the Kentucky Equine Humane Center. As documented on the Dot Horse Project website, “Securing this top-level domain, as conceived and proposed by the Dot Horse Project, LLC, represents the best interest of Kentucky’s signature horse industry. The Kentucky Equine Humane Center is an all-breed shelter that never turns away a horse in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in need of shelter and human treatment. We have served more than 400 horse in the two years our doors have been open. The Kentucky Equine Human Center is the first-of-its-kind shelter in the country. Our no-cost, no-question, open door policy for the surrender of all equines, including miniatures, donkey, and mules, gives equine owners a humane solution when they can no longer care for their animals. Equines that are physically and mentally capable are then adopted out to loving homes.” (source: http:⁄⁄www.dothorseproject.com⁄kentucky-equine-humane-center⁄)

Finally, the Mayor of Lexington Kentucky supports the project as follows: “I am writing to express my support as Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky for the application of the Dot Horse Project, LLC. As I understand it, this project will secure, create and operate the .horse top-level domain (TLD).
The horse industry is a very significant industry for Lexington-Fayette County. With the exception of Woodford County, there is no other county in the state of Kentucky where this industry plays such an important role. My economic development vision is based on horses, healthcare and high-tech, and when the economic impact on the entire region is studied, one can quickly see why we place such importance on the equine industry in Central Kentucky.”

MISSION AND PURPOSE
This company aims to offer horse owners, breeders, dressage enthusiasts, horse veterinarians, professional riders, and all other participants in the equine eco-system the opportunity to brand themselves or their services with a clearly identifiable .HORSE top-level domain.

Similar gTLD applications: (0)