"It's prudent to limit its use because, even inadvertently, it could cause a problem," he said. "We have to roll with the punches."
Jensen,jerseys from china, a 21-year-old criminal justice major, said she expects to spend more time taking selfies than betting at the Derby: "I have such bad luck, I don't bet on horses very much." She doesn't think the selfie stick ban will generate much reaction.
"Somebody might think it's a light saber after a little while,jerseys nfl wholesale," Asher said, tongue-in-cheek. "You never know."
"I don't think it will be that big of a deal this year because they're still an up-and-coming product," she said.
Joining a growing list of museums, music festivals and sports venues around the world,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, the iconic Louisville track hosting the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2 has banned the pole-like contraptions that grasp cellphones and allow people a longer reach to snap their self-portraits.
Natasha Jensen, a University of Louisville student planning to attend this year's Derby with friends, said she sees the track's ban as a good safety precaution, especially in the seemingly anything-goes infield.
Asher predicted that Derby Day will still produce plenty of creative selfies, even without selfie sticks.
Chris Scherf, executive vice president of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, said he hasn't heard of any other U.S. horse tracks banning the devices. But he said he wouldn't be surprised if other big tracks follow Churchill's lead.
Fromm said he doubts such policies will hurt sales for his Quik Pod devices.
"It does get loud and rowdy," she said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — For the 160,000 people crammed into Churchill Downs on Derby Day, picture-taking can run neck-and-neck with betting and sipping mint juleps amid a winning field of photo opportunities: sleek racehorses, daring fashion statements,NFL Jerseys From China, celebrities and the twin spires.
At Belmont Park in New York, a review of security policies for the June 6 Belmont Stakes will include selfie sticks, said track spokeswoman Jenny Kellner.
Another selfie-stick entrepreneur, Jacqueline Verdier, CEO of Selfie on a Stick, said banning the device from events like the Derby is a disservice to fans.
"It's like saying if you can't use your camera at a concert, does that mean people aren't going to buy cameras anymore?" he said.
The selfie stick ban will extend beyond Derby Day to apply whenever there is live racing at Churchill, he said.
Churchill Downs encourages selfies and the avalanche of social media attention they can generate. But banishing selfie sticks is a safety measure to protect the horses and the massive crowd on Derby Day, track spokesman John Asher said.
"I don't think it's a huge sacrifice for anybody who loves to take a selfie," Asher said. "You'll still be able to take a selfie. You just won't be able to take one of yourself as if your arms were nine feet long."
But this year, they'd better not use selfie sticks.
Churchill Downs officials worried that a selfie stick along the rail could become a distraction for horses, Asher said. And it's a day when the alcohol flows during the long racing card.
Verdier downplayed safety concerns with the devices: "Like so many other things in life, people just have to be respectful of others around them."
Other events such as the Coachella and Lollapalooza music festivals also have banned the photo aids. Prominent museums including the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art in Washington prohibit their use. Selfie sticks aren't allowed inside Yankee Stadium. Some English Premier League soccer teams make the devices off-limits,Kieran Gibbs Arsenal Jersey UK, and the Australian Open tennis tournament discourages fans from using them court-side.
"Actually I would expect a lot of sports to have concerns about their potential misuse,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping," he said in an email.
Meanwhile, the NFL is evaluating whether to allow the devices into stadiums next season, said league spokesman Brian McCarthy.
Canadian inventor Wayne Fromm, who took out a selfie stick patent a decade ago, said he had no problem with Churchill's policy.
"There would have been some amazing photo opportunities that unfortunately are not going to be there," she said.
