Month: June 2017

Louisiana Bred Believe in Bertie Looks to Rebound in Mint Julep

louisianathoroughbred
Believe in Bertie Looks to Rebound in Mint Julep
Photo: Hodges Photographyy / Amanda Hodges Weir

Believe in Bertie won the Red Camelia Stakes in March

Klein Racing’s homebred Believe in Bertie, first or second in 10 of 12 starts, tops the field of seven fillies and mares entered in the $100,000 Old Forester Mint Julep Handicap (G3T) June 10 at Churchill Downs.

The Mint Julep Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile test over the Matt Winn Turf Course, is carded as race 10 on an 11-race program with an approximate post time of 5:21 p.m. EDT.

A Louisiana-bred daughter of Langfuhr   trained by Brad Cox, the 4-year-old Believe in Bertie is coming off a game head runner-up effort to favored Roca Rojo in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Presented by Longines (G2T) on the  Derby Day undercard. Trained by Chad Brown, Roca Rojo is among the top contenders for the grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park Saturday.

The Distaff Turf effort ended a four-race win streak for Believe in Bertie, who won a trio of stakes wins this winter at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots led by a 7 3/4-length romp in the Pago Hop Stakes at one mile on turf and a half-length triumph in the Daisy Devine Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on grass. Topweighted at 122 pounds, $393,682-earner Believe in Bertie will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, who won last year’s Mint Julep with Cash Control for Richard Klein’s Klein Racing and Cox. The Klein family also took the 2013 edition of the race with Miz Ida.

Expected to give the front-running Believe in Bertie a stiff challenge is Janis R. Whitham’s Whitham Thoroughbreds’ 4-year-old homebred Linda, third in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile for trainer Ian Wilkes. Unplaced in only one of 10 starts and with earnings of $336,110, the 4-year-old Scat Daddy filly typically settles off the early pace before making a late run.

Over the Churchill turf course and at the same distance as the Mint Julep, Linda last year won the grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes to complete her sophomore season. The filly began her 2017 campaign with a third in the Honey Fox Stakes (G2T) won by Celestine at Gulfstream Park.

Dona Bruja, a homebred for Ivan Gasparotto’s Dom Felipe stable, will be making her U.S. debut in the Mint Julep after beginning her career in Argentina. Trained by Ignacios Correas, the 5-year-old mare has won eight of 10 starts, with two seconds, including the group 1 Copa de Plata Roberto Vasquez Mansilla Internacional over 1 1/4 miles on turf at San Isidro in her most recent start last December and was named champion older female. She has been with Correas at Keeneland this spring.

Old Forester Mint Julep H. (G3T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 10, 2017, Race 10
  • 1 1/16m
  • Turf
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
  • 5:21 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Believe in Bertie (LA) Shaun Bridgmohan 122 Brad H. Cox 7/5
2 2Majestic Angel (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Rocco, Jr. 113 Eric R. Reed 30/1
3 3Sky My Sky (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Sophie Doyle 116 Mark E. Casse 9/2
4 4Dona Bruja (ARG) Declan Cannon 119 Ignacio Correas, IV 3/1
5 5Lots o’ Lex (KY) Calvin H. Borel 114 Gerald Russel Aschinger 15/1
6 6Dynazar (KY) Gabriel Saez 115 Dallas Stewart 15/1
7 7Linda (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 121 Ian R. Wilkes 5/2

First Winner for Louisiana Sire Bind Has Claiborne Connections

louisianathoroughbred
Bind, who was bred by Claiborne Farm and raced by Claiborne and Adele Dilschneider, sired his first winner from his first starter June 2nd as two-year-old filly Meter scored impressively in her debut at Evangeline Downs. Going 4 ½ furlongs against maiden juvenile fillies, she won handily by five lengths.

Meter is out of the War Front mare Gauge and also bred and raced by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider. In this first start, she broke well and was on the lead at every call winning for trainer Albert Stall, Jr. in a final time of 52.65.

Meter’s dam, Gauge, was bred to the promising new Claiborne stallion Lea and foaled a filly earlier this year.

Bind is a son of the late Claiborne stallion Pulpit and out of the Unbridled mare Check. He is off to a strong start at stud for Jay Adcock’s Red River Farms in Coushatta, Louisiana where he stands for $1,500.

Bind was a talented runner himself, winning his debut by 9 ½ lengths at Fair Grounds while earning a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. A winner at 3, 4 and 5, Bindplaced in the Sam Houston Sprint Cup Stakes, an allowance at Churchill, and ran fourth to millionaire Handsome Mike in the Commonwealth Cup (gr.III) at Keeneland.

A half-brother to Hakama, who placed in the Illinois Derby (gr.III), Bind hails from a strong female family which includes Graded Stakes victors Watch, War Thief, and Prime Meridian. His first foals are two-year-olds this year.

STRONG INCREASES IN HANDLE IN THE 2017 THOROUGHBRED MEET AT HARRAH’S LOUISANA DOWNS

louisianathoroughbred

Former Jockey Beverly Burress Posting Solid Stats as an Owner and Trainer

Bossier City, LA – The 2017 Thoroughbred racing season at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs got underway on May 6.  Officials made some changes in the live race day schedule in hopes of boosting handle and have already noted significant increases.   

Through the first 16 days of racing, total handle on live races was up 23%. The change the in the racing schedule from Wednesdays-Saturdays in 2016 to a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday format in 2017 has been extremely successful and impactful.

“The change to Monday and Tuesday racing was made in an effort to avoid competition from the major racing that takes place on the weekends,” said Trent McIntosh, Louisiana Downs assistant general manager. “We were confident we would likely see an increase, but Mondays and Tuesdays have been even stronger than expected.”

One other very positive note is the escalation in field size in 2017.  With gains in handle on Monday and Tuesday as well as additional horses showing up in the entry box in 2017, Louisiana Downs will be adding one race per day each Monday and Tuesday for the remainder of the meet.

“We have seen increases in field size, horse population and handle, so beginning June 12, an additional race per day (on Monday and Tuesday) will be carded at Louisiana Downs,” added McIntosh. “To say it has been a fun and successful start to the meet would be an understatement.”

 

Beverly Burress Makes Smooth Transition from Jockey to Trainer at Louisiana Downs

Becoming a jockey was a dream come true for Beverly Burress, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Jones, Oklahoma. Both her dad, Bobby Burress and uncle, Billy, had ridden the Louisiana circuit before embarking on second careers as trainers.

She got her license in 2005 and rode for eight years. Burress had an excellent start as an apprentice, winning 29 races at Remington Park and 30 as a bug rider at Oaklawn Park.

“I am the all-time winningest female apprentice at Oaklawn,” said Burress.

Her second year in the saddle, 2006, was her best. She won 66 races and $1.1 million in purses.

However, after she lost her bug, she was injured in a spill, and had a difficult time getting named on horses.

“The injury was tough, and then I felt that I had to prove to trainers that I could still win races,” admitted Burress.

Burress continued to ride until 2013, piloting her final mount on September 22, 2013.  She had a pretty good reason for hanging up her tack​.​

“I was four months pregnant with my son,” she said.

Burress, 32, and her husband, jockey Juan Larrosa, are proud parents of Juan, Jr, who is now 3-years-old. She took out her training license in 2016, and saddled her first winner last November at Delta Downs. It is a true family affair as Juan rides and their son runs the shedrow, barefoot and beloved by the horses!

Burress is off to a very good start in 2017 and has won four races from seven starts at Louisiana Downs.  Plus, she is currently tied for leading owner with Patti Turner and Red Rose Racing.

“We are very hands-on,” said Burress of her stable. “Our day begins at 4:00 am and on race days, we don’t leave until after 6 pm, but we love doing what we do.”

And whereas many second or third generation horsemen and women might prefer to impart their own imprint on their training program, Burress loves getting input from her family members.  In addition to her dad, grandfather and uncle, her sister, Christy Hamilton began as an exercise rider and is now an assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. Christy was previously married to Thoroughbred rider, Quincy Hamilton.

“Horsemen of today don’t give enough credit to the horsemen of yesterday,” she stated. “I will always listen to my dad and uncle. Plus, I am training a horse for my 87-year-old grandfather, Billy “Chief” Burress! Gospel Glamour is doing well and will probably run by the end of the month.”

She and Juan own a home in Princeton, Louisiana, chosen for its good school system.  Burress has done well with her claiming and lower level allowance runners and would love to have a few stakes-caliber horses in her barn. However, she never wants to get so big that she is unable to work one-on-one with each runner.

“I think about renaming my stable one day and calling it the “Hands On Stable”, she said. “As each horse leaves the barn and heads to the racetrack, they would pass by me holding a bucket of white paint. I would leave a nice white handprint right on their butt!”

A hard worker with a wonderful sense of humor. Hard not to root for this affable horsewoman!

 

Calling All Horseplayers!

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs will host a regional qualifying event for the $2.5 million-est. National Horseplayers Championship. The contest will be held on Saturday, June 17.

This will be a live format, with win, place and show wagers on ten selected races. The entry fee is $300 ($150 entry fee, $150 live bankroll) and the contest will be limited to 100 entries, maximum two entries per person.  All participants must be NHC Tour Members and may join online. The fee of $50 offers valuable discounts for handicapping products and entry into the four FREE remaining online tournaments in 2017.

The top two finishers will win a berth in the world’s richest and most prestigious handicapping tournament which will take place in Las Vegas, February 8-11, 2018. In addition, both winners will receive a $400 travel voucher and hotel accommodations for four nights in Las Vegas.

Registration is now open. Players needing further information may contact Tracey Blevins (tblevins@caesars.com) or Michele Ravencraft (mravencraft@ntra.com).

Race Day Promotions

Fans in attendance on Saturday, June 10 will receive a $5.00 FREE BET which can be redeemed on Saturday, June 17.  Louisiana Downs offers value for racing fans each Wednesday with Dollar Day. They will be able to enjoy $1 hot dogs, $1 beer at the Paddock as well as $1 programs. Saturday’s weekly promotion is the Family Four Pack featuring four hot dogs, four sodas, a program, and a box seat for four at the affordable price of just $16.

 

The Total Rewards program is free for horseplayers. With the swipe of their card each Saturday, members will receive valuable incentives.  These include:

  • Play $250 or more to receive a 5X multiplier
  • Play $1,000 or more to receive a 7X multiplier
  • Play $5,000 or more to receive a 10X multiplier

Participant’s multiplier cannot exceed a total balance of more than one hundred thousand (100,000) Reward Credits during one promotional day after the multiplier is applied.

 

Post Times and Stakes Schedule

Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. (Central) post time through September 27.

The 84-day meet will include 14 stakes highlighted by two major events, Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 5 and Super Derby Day on Saturday, September 9.  To see a complete list of the 2017 Thoroughbred stakes schedule, click here.

About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.

For further information, please contact:

Trent McIntosh  |  Assistant General Manager
O 318-752-6980
8000 East Texas Street | Bossier City, LA 71111
www.caesars.com

TRF Fundraising Initiative Gives Ownership Feel

louisianathoroughbred
TRF Fundraising Initiative Gives Ownership Feel
Photo: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

Esteemed Friend, who won more than $800,000 in 69 starts, is part of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s herd

An initiative launched by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation gives donors an opportunity to help provide for the care of a former racehorse while getting the feel of horse ownership without the added responsibilities.

If a donor chooses to become a sponsor, which starts at $250, the TRF will send regular updates on the horse and may allow visits as well, depending on the horse’s location.

“It is like having your own horse,” said Jennifer Stevens, assistant director of development and horse sponsorship for TRF.

“Horse Sponsors receive a personalized package about their horse that includes pedigree, past performances, and photos of the horse. In addition, there are different gifts depending on donation level,” she said, adding that most of the horses available for sponsorship are part of TRF’s Second Chances program at correctional facilities.

“Throughout the year we send updates on the horse with photos whenever possible. Most people want the option to visit their horse, and we can usually arrange that depending on the program that particular horse is in. It is best to know if someone wants to visit before we pick out their horse,” Stevens said.

With 24 locations in nine states across the United States, the 800-horse herd owned by TRF consists of some adoptable off-track Thoroughbreds and many long-term retirees that are unable to be ridden or adopted (around 200 of their horses are 20 years old or older). The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-accredited organization estimates that many of these lifers—most of the horses needing sponsorship—will remain in their care for 10-15 years and cost approximately $2,500 per year per horse. This puts the cost for one off-track Thoroughbred anywhere from $25,000 to $37,500 for the organization. While some breeders or past owners help pay for their care, the organization said only 5% of its herd is fully supported by former connections.

From the sponsor’s perspective, the way Stevens and the TRF view it, $250 for one year is a workable donation for many who are interested in giving to a charity. While a $2,500 platinum sponsorship may be out of reach for an individual, groups of horse lovers have joined forces to share in a retired racer like a syndicate.

“Sponsorship starts at $250. If you break that down it is only $20.83 per month, which is really like one lunch out,” she said. “Our goal is to get at least $1,000 for each horse. A platinum sponsorship fully takes care of a horse for one year for less than $3 a day. Often there are several people sponsoring the same horse that allows us to get to that level. One group of friends even created a ‘Syndicares’ sponsorship where each person pledged $1 a day to care for a horse we rescued.”

Some of the horses needing sponsors are listed on the TRF’s website along with short biographies that Stevens hopes will grab someone’s attention or spark a memory of good times at the track.

For horse lovers unable to have one of their own, a TRF sponsorship may offer a next-best option.

“Usually someone will choose a horse who speaks to them in some way—the name, the pedigree, where it raced, the physical location of the horse or sometimes just how the horse looks will remind them of a horse they once knew or loved,” Stevens said. “Sponsoring a horse is a great way for people who love horses or racing to help out a former racehorse.”

Efforting Wins Acadiana Stakes

louisianathoroughbred

EFFORTING

Acadiana Stakes
Evangeline Downs, 6-2-17, 7f
Three-Year-Old Fillies, Purse: $50,000

EFFORTING
Into Mischief-Get Going Bertie, by Carson City
Owner: Fair Grounds Racing Club, Inc.
Breeder: Orange Grove Thoroughbreds, Inc.
Trainer: Allbert M. Stall, Jr.
Jockey: C.J Hernandez

2nd
Rose Guitar
Star Guitar-Rose Hunter, by Jade Hunter
Owner: Oak Leaf T.C. LP
Breeder: Oak Leaf Farm TCLP
Trainer: Jose R. Mendez
Jockey: Diego Saenz

3rd
Red La Rosa
Harborage-Ziarita, by Maria’s Mon
Owner: Sandra Domiano
Breeder: Royal B. Kraft Sr.
Trainer: Corale A. Richards
Jockey: E Nieves

 

The $50,000 Acadiana Stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs was run Friday.June 2 at Evangeline Downs. Efforting was sent off as the 7-5 betting favorite and lived up to that support by drawing off to a 3-1/2 length victory in a final time of 1:24.81. She settled nicely in behind the pacesetting Molly Rules at the outset. Molly Rules set a decent pace of 23.27 seconds for the quarter and 46.76 for the half, but once the field made the stretch, jockey Colby Hernandez moved Efforting to the front and she never looked back.

Efforting is a 3-year-old filly bred in Louisiana by Orange Grove Thoroughbreds, Inc. She is owned by Fair Grounds Racing Club, Inc. She is by Into Mischief and out of the Carson City mare, Get Going Bertie.

 

 

PACIFIC PINK WEARS DOWN COMPETITION IN SPOTTED HORSE STAKES

louisianathoroughbred

PACIFIC PINK

Spotted Horse Stakes
Evangeline Downs, 6-2-17, 1 Mile
Three-Year-Old & Upwards Fillies and Mares, Purse: $75,000

PACIFIC PINK
Private Vow-Truly Romantic, by Robyn Dancer
Owner: Keith Plaisance
Breeder: Brandon Adcock
Trainer: Edward J. Johnston
Jockey: C.J Hernandez

2nd
Sunny Oak
Giant Oak-Heckuva Time, by Gilded Time
Owner: Keith Plaisance
Breeder: Jeff Wahman & Darlene Wahman
Trainer: Edward J. Johnston
Jockey: E. Nieves

3rd
Vieja Luna
Street Hero-Amaday, by Dayjur
Owner: Juan Francisco Landaeta
Breeder: Fernandez-Robles Family Trust & Flying HStables
Trainer: Jose M. Camejo
Jockey: R. Morales

Pacific Pink led a one-two charge for owner Keith Plaisance and trainer Edward Johnston in the $75,000 Spotted Horse Stakes at Evangeline Downs on Friday night, June 2nd. Plaisance also owns and Johnston also trains the runner-up in the race, Sunny Oak. Pacific Pink was ridden to victory by Colby Hernandez, who also captured the $50,000 Acadiana Stakes on Friday with Efforting for trainer Al Stall, Jr.

The character of the Spotted Horse Stakes changed significantly right at the start when the Steve Asmussen trainee, Danzatrice, unseated rider Gerard Melancon, who was able to walk away from the incident under his own power. Vieja Luna set a solid pace through early fractions of 23.46 seconds for the quarter and 47.10 for the half, while tracked by Sunny Oak and Steel Cut. As the field entered the stretch, Sunny Oak assumed the lead under Emanuel Nieves, but Pacific Pink was moved into the clear on the outside by Colby Hernandez and she charged to a convincing victory by 2-3/4 lengths. Sunny Oak out-finished Vieja Luna for second. The final time for the one mile over the fast track was 1:38.08.

Pacific Pink is a 5-year-old mare by Private Vow and is out of the Robyn Dancer mare, Truly Romantic. She was bred in Louisiana by Brandon Adcock.

 

Top 6 Red Cross Preparedness Tips to Stay Safe this Hurricane Season

louisianathoroughbred

 

NOAA Predicting an Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season this Year

 

NEW ORLEANS, May 31, 2017 — Hurricane season starts June 1 and forecasters are predicting a 45 percent chance of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year, threatening both coastal and inland residents between now and the end of November. To help families stay safe, the American Red Cross is issuing the top six hurricane preparedness tips should a hurricane or tropical storm head for your community.

 

“We know the critical difference preparedness makes for each household in an emergency,” said Joshua Joachim, chief executive for the Red Cross in Louisiana. “As you take action this year, consider each person’s needs and how that might change if you had to evacuate suddenly, including moving to a shelter, or were without power for an extended period of time.”

 

Here are the top six things you should do now to be ready for Hurricane Season 2017:

 

  1. Talk with household members and create an evacuation plan. Be prepared to evacuate quickly and evacuate if told to do so.
  2. Build an emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for an infant if applicable, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area, and emergency contact information.
  3. Get access to NOAA radio broadcasts. Purchase a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio in theRed Cross Store.
  4. Identify a place to store lawn furniture, toys, gardening tools and trash cans (away from stairs and exits) to prevent them from being moved by high winds and possibly hurting someone. Protect windows with permanent storm shutters or invest in one-half inch marine plywood that is pre-cut to fit your doors and windows.
  5. Be informed. Learn about your community’s hurricane response plan. Plan routes to local shelters, register family members with special medical needs as encouraged and make plans for pets. If travel is in your plans, learn about how emergency situations are communicated at your destination.
  6. Download the free Red Cross Emergency App for expert guidance on what to do before, during and after hurricanes as well as 34 other types of emergencies. All Red Cross apps can be found in smartphone app stores by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/apps.

 

If someone already has a disaster kit, now is the time make sure the food and water is still okay to consume and that copies of important documents are up to date. If an emergency plan already exists for the household, family members should talk about it again so everyone knows what to do and where to go if an emergency occurs.

 

Visit here for full information about what to do before, during and after a hurricane.

 

 

RED CROSS PREPARED Trained Red Cross disaster workers across Louisiana are ready to respond if needed, though more volunteers are needed.

 

“As part of your personal preparedness, please join us: become a Red Cross volunteer and receive training as soon as possible to serve when the time comes,” Joachim said.

 

Among the most needed positions are workers and managers in operating shelters, assessing damage, distributing supplies and coordinating with government operations. With opportunities available across 32 activities, there’s a position of interest for almost any volunteer.

 

To sign up, choose Volunteer Opportunities at redcross.org/Louisiana or contact your local Red Cross. Training courses are ongoing.

 

 

CORPORATIONS HELP The generous donations from members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the Disaster Responder Program enable the American Red Cross to prepare communities for disasters big and small, respond whenever and wherever disasters occur and help families during the recovery process.

 

ADGP $1 Million members are: American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Anthem Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Disney; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; General Motors Foundation; Grainger; The Home Depot Foundation; LDS Charities; Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; Mazda North American Operations; Microsoft; Nationwide Foundation; State Farm; Target; UPS; VSP Global; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; and The Wawa Foundation.

 

ADGP $500,000 members are: 3M; Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Boise Paper; Capital One; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation; Discover; Edison International; Farmers Insurance; Ford Motor Company; Humble Bundle; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; McDonald’s Corporation; Medtronic Foundation; Meijer; Merck Foundation; Mondelēz International Foundation; PepsiCo Foundation; Procter & Gamble Company; Reynolds American Foundation; Ryder; Southwest Airlines; Sunoco; TD Ameritrade; The TJX Companies, Inc.; United Airlines; and Wells Fargo.

 

Disaster Responder Program members are: Adobe; Alcoa; Astellas USA Foundation; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; AXA; The Ball Foundation; BNY Mellon; CarMax; The Clorox Company; Cox Automotive; DTE Energy Foundation; Duke Energy; Entergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; Hi-Rez Studios; HP Foundation; IBM Corporation; IHG Foundation; Ingersoll Rand Foundation; Land O’Lakes, Inc.; Mastercard; Morgan Stanley; Neiman Marcus Group; New Balance Foundation; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Prudential Foundation; PuroClean Disaster Recovery; SC Johnson; SERVPRO; Southeastern Grocers Home of BI-LO Harveys Winn Dixie; T O Y O T A; U-Haul International; United Technologies Corporation; The USAA Foundation; U.S. Bank; and Visa.

 

Louisiana Ready 365 members are: Entergy, Dow, RoyOMartin, Tidewater, Acadian Ambulance, BASF, BNSF Railway, CenturyLink, ExxonMobil, Grainger, John Deere, Latter & Blum, Olinde’s, Whitney, and the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation.

 

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

 

 

Participate in the 2017 Economic Impact Study for the United States Horse Industry

louisianathoroughbred

Survey for National Study to be distributed via online link

 

(Washington, DC)– The American Horse Council Foundation (AHCF) is pleased to announce that the survey link for the National Economic Impact Study will be released on June 5th. The survey link will be available until August 1st.

“The National Survey link will initially be distributed through equine organizations such as the American Quarter Horse Association, United States Equestrian Federation, Certified Horsemanship Association, American Paint Horse Association, and more,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “We hope everyone that receives the survey link will participate. This is an opportunity to showcase how important the vast equine industry is to the United States economy, and the more horse owners, breeders, riders, trainers, racetracks, shows, rodeos and other industry suppliers that participate, the better the data will be that is included in the final results.”

The 2017 Economic Impact Study will contain expanded demographics with youth participation and additional segments of the industry, including Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies, Equine Sanctuaries and Rescues, Equine Academic Programs, and Equine Youth Organizations.  Representatives of these institutions and organizations, along with Equine Competition Organizers, will be receiving targeted and individualized surveys.  The main survey is designed to capture the impact of individual horse owners (whether commercial or recreational) and industry suppliers of equine-related goods and services.  A separate data request is being sent directly to Racetracks, OTBs, and Advanced Deposit Wagering businesses.

The surveys were designed by the Innovation Group and a supporting team of equine industry experts.  They were further vetted by key industry stakeholders as well as a Steering Committee composed of AHC staff and five outside experts.

The 2005 Economic Impact Study established that the horse industry in all its segments, including racing, showing, and recreation, had a $39 billion effect on the US economy, involved more than 4 million Americans and 9.2 million horses, and supported 1.4 million full-time jobs.  The study provided invaluable demographic data and insights into professions and other industries that are impacted by equine ownership, as well as proved to be extremely helpful to the industry’s efforts in documenting its size, diversity and economic importance to public officials, the press, and other media. Now more than ever, it’s important for the equine industry to have access to data from all segments to ensure the most comprehensive, impactful portrait possible of our diverse and long-standing industry.

If you are a member of an equine association, please be on the lookout for an email containing the link to the take the National Survey. If you are not a member of an equine association, or did not receive the survey link after June 15th and would like to participate, please email economicimpactstudy@horsecouncil.org to receive the link. Please note, all personal information collected in the survey will be confidential and will not be distributed.

We thank you in advance for participating in this incredibly important update to the Economic Impact Study! If you have any questions, please contact the AHC directly at info@horsecouncil.org.