#64 - Horse Racing: Pierce Dargan, Building and Selling Software for the Horse Industry

Gideon sits down with Pierce Dargan, CEO of Equine MediRecord, local Irish councillor, and deputy mayor, to talk about what it takes to digitize equine welfare compliance in a pen and paper world, how COVID flipped adoption overnight, and where AI can actually make horses safer.Key topics discussed: Why Pierce ran for local politics, and what it means to shape real decisions like roads, schools, and community life.The early grind of building Equine MediRecord, including two years of approvals and stakeholder buy in before anyone could ditch the paper book.The unsexy truth of software: bugs, doubt, product fit anxiety, and the first moment someone actually paid.How COVID forced even the biggest holdouts online, and why that timing helped push equine compliance tech into new countries fast.Where AI can help next, from early lameness detection to colic alerts, plus why better data helps racing earn trust.Bonus: Pierce’s first syndicate horse, Arthurian Fame, won the Microsoft Cup, then went on to run at Royal Ascot, which is the kind of sentence that only a few get to say aloud.Social media links for the guest:LinkedIn: Pierce DarganInstagram: @equine.medirecordSubscribe to Horse People Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you do not miss the next conversation. If you work anywhere near a barn office or a racing office, send this episode to the person still guarding the paper binder like it is a family heirloom.