by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 20, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
January 14, 2017
The U.S. Equestrian Federation has been relaunched enthusiastically at its annual convention, with a “major makeover” geared to bringing “the joy of horse sports” to more people at all levels.
“I cannot and will not accept that this is a sport only for the rich and famous,” said Murray Kessler, who became the 100-year-old federation’s president today, though he’s been busy working hard behind the scenes for months.
New USEF President Murray Kessler presents his predecessor, Chrystine Tauber, with the Sallie Busch Wheeler Trophy for distinguished service to equestrian sport. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
A new $25 “fan membership” for those who don’t want to compete affords access to intriguing educational videos on the website, competitions on the USEF network, discounts on items from tractors to fencing, and $1 million in liability insurance for an extra charge.
Emphasizing “transparency, fairness and integrity,” Murray stated, “cheating and cheaters must be eliminated from the sport.”
That was underlined during the USEF’s annual meeting in Lexington, Ky., over the last five days, when it was announced that a prominent trainer and rider got hefty fines and long suspensions from the hearing committee for violating the organization’s drug rules.
Trainer Larry Glefke and owner/rider Kelley Farmer, implicated in showing a horse that tested positive for GABA, a calming supplement that is against USEF rules, were penalized under strict new guidelines that went into effect Jan. 1. Both had prior violations, a history that led to a two-year suspension and a $24,000 fine for the trainer and a one-year suspension and $12,000 fine for the rider of the horse, which was tested at last July’s Kentucky Summer Show.
A lawyer for the two said they had not been notified that a hearing was scheduled on their case and thus didn’t appear to defend themselves, but the USEF’s legal counsel said the federation had proof they were notified.
As was mentioned more than once during the convention, “horse welfare is job one.” The organization is casting a wider net for the guilty. Anyone who allows a suspended member to profit (perhaps by working with another trainer who gives a portion of the payment to the miscreant) also will be in trouble.
USEF CEO Bill Moroney is hoping everyone will help “police the environment” by keeping their eyes open and reporting violations.
“We have listened to our members. People have wanted our sport to be cleaned up,” he said.
The hunter division has the majority of drug violations. Of the 71 found at federation shows in 2016, 59 percent involved hunters.
The most drug testing is done in Zone 2; New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, “the home of the one-day horse show,” as Steve Schumacher, director of the Drugs & Medications department, put it.
Although the federation must continue to enforce rules–and there’s a lot of work to do there–it has a new brand, U.S. Equestrian, and another mission: “To provide access to and increase participation in equestrian sports at all levels by ensuring fairness, safety and enjoyment.”
That was reflected in the awards, the flip side of the convention where serious business gives way in the evenings to all kinds of honors and a little bit of partying; more champagne, of course, for those who have won something.
Not surprisingly, Olympic individual eventing bronze medalist Phillip Dutton took international honors, earning Equestrian of the Year, while his Rio Games horse, Mighty Nice, won the International Horse of the Year title over Laura Graves’ Olympic team dressage mount, Verdades.
Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice swept major awards at the USEF annual meeting in Kentucky this weekend. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer
Phillip was unable to come and accept his awards because he and his wife, Evie, were at the bedside of his stepdaughter, Lee Lee Jones, who suffered head trauma in a pre-Christmas horse fall. She is in a Delaware hospital, so Phillip sent his horses south without him and is staying home in Pennsylvania to be near Lee Lee.
Annie Jones, one of the owners of Mighty Nice, accepted the trophy with a touching little story. When the horse had just arrived from Ireland, Phillip told her, “This is my horse of a lifetime.”
With the perspective of time, she added, “It’s absolutely true.”
She dedicated the trophy to the late Bruce Duchossois, who originally bought Mighty Nice (known as Happy) for Phillip, and also to Lee Lee who is her granddaughter.
Check back at www.nancyjaffer.com next week to find out which Jerseyans won USEF Horse of the Year awards. It’s a pretty special night in a packed ballroom, with a magnificent array of sparkling trophies as a backdrop. After all, an organization can collect a lot of sterling silver over the course of a century.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 10, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
December 31, 2016
What will you remember about the equestrian year gone by, and what do you hope for in the equestrian year to come?
As 2016 takes its place in history and 2017 gets a turn on the calendar, let’s enjoy a break in the headlong rush of our lives and look at them both: what was accomplished over the last 12 months, as well as what’s coming our way in the upcoming year.
We’ll start with New Jersey. Those who appreciate seeing special equestrian competitions close to home have a lot to look forward to in 2017. Part of 2016’s good news was word that the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Grand Prix and Intermediaire I dressage championships, as well as the Brentina Cup, will be returning to the Gladstone facilities of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation May 18-21. It’s likely they also will be staged there in 2018 and 2019, offering continuing opportunities for volunteering, if sitting and watching isn’t sufficient involvement.
Laura Graves and Verdades made an impact on fans at Gladstone the last time the USEF dressage championships were held there. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
A redo of the interior of the foundation’s historic stable, which will mark its 100th anniversary in 2017, got under way in 2016 and will be finished in time for the dressage championships.
Monmouth at the Team moved the state’s oldest horse show to a new venue in August, and the turnout was amazing, both competitively and socially. Everyone wanted to be part of the action at the USET Foundation headquarters. Expect another great show there in 2017.
The Mars Essex Horse Trials will be held at Moorland Farm in Far Hills June 24-25, in the wake of a successful 2016 derby cross exhibition that gave the enthusiastic crowd attending a glimpse of eventing’s attractions, while demonstrating how eager people in the area are for more top-flight equestrian competition. That was the goal of the Gladstone Gathering, held at the USET Foundation in 2015. The re-emergence of Essex, last held in 1998, was a direct result of that initiative.
Holly Payne Caravella of Gladstone rode in the preview of the Mars Essex Horse Trials at Moorland Farm. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
There also was word that at some point, grand prix show jumping will be part of the scene at Moorland. The location has been best known for steeplechasing at October’s Far Hills Race Meeting, for which pari-mutuel betting in 2017 has been approved.
We learned that May’s Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event found some extra land at the Horse Park of New Jersey to use for its CCIs. That will answer the concerns of riders who felt insufficient acreage led to the necessity of laying out cross-country courses that doubled back on themselves too much.
Speaking of Jersey Fresh, the 3-star CCI in 2016 was won by a Jerseybred, Powell, ridden by Ryan Wood. Powell’s breeder, Ilona English of Ringoes, earned the USEF’s Leading Eventing Breeder title for the third consecutive year in 2016. Her Summit Sporthorses also produced Ruby, a half-sister to Powell who has distinguished herself.
Iona English and Powell. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
In the world beyond New Jersey, the Tryon, N.C., International Equestrian Center won its bid for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games after Bromont, Canada, dropped out due to financial reasons. The U.S. is the home of major championships for two years running, as the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup and the FEI Dressage World Cup are set for March 29-April 2 in Omaha. Why not take the opportunity to see international competition without the cost of an overseas flight?
The CenturyLink arena in Omaha will be the host of the 2017 World Cup finals in dressage and show jumping. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The USEF will be starting 2017 proactively, as new president Murray Kessler, an amateur show jumper, unveils the strategic plan on which he and others have been working for months. While much of it is still to be revealed Jan. 11 at the annual meeting in Kentucky, Murray made appearances at various USEF affiliates in December.
There, he stated the intention of having the organization become more active with the base of the sport and adding members who don’t compete but are interested in horses to varying degrees. Education on line will be a big component of the USEF’s role. Compliance to show standards also will click into place, making it possible for the USEF to penalize competitions that don’t live up to requirements designed to make life better for competitors and, most important, their mounts.
Horse welfare continues to be a matter of concern and action on the competitive scene, from the USEF, the FEI (international equestrian federation) and other organizations.
If only there were as much interest in doing something about abuse and cruelty outside of the competitive ranks. Happily, horse rescues have proliferated and are doing their best, but they need help. So consider a contribution or volunteering to lend a hand. There are a number of such organizations in New Jersey that would welcome assistance.
The great equestrian moments of 2016 include the retirement of Valegro, the best dressage horse in history, as he performed once more before a packed house at Olympia in London. Will we see his like again? Maybe, but not soon.
Valegro up close and personal with his admirers in Central Park. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
My favorite equestrian moment of the year doesn’t involve Olympic medals or farewells, but it does involve Valegro. I will never forget how he stood so quietly when the crowd was invited for a hands-on visit in the arena at September’s Central Park Horse Show. His star quality involves more than strutting!
A moving moment at the Rio Olympics came when Great Britain’s 58-year-old Nick Skelton, a survivor of a broken neck, hip replacement and other medical issues, came through on Big Star (who also had recovered from injury) to realize his dream of winning individual gold.
Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
And don’t forget the amazing comeback of William Fox-Pitt, the British eventing star who was in a coma after a fall in the autumn of 2015. Against the odds, he worked to rehab from traumatic brain injury and rode up to his usual standard with the British team at the Rio Olympics.
There you are—special 2016 moments in all three Olympic disciplines. I hope you had some of your own. But while we’re on the subject of the Olympics, the decision to limit teams in all three disciplines to three members was very disappointing. Since there are limits on the number of athletes who can compete in the Games, a way had to be found to cut back so “more flags,” (ie representatives of more nations) can compete. That may not be a good thing in eventing, or even show jumping, if teams from countries new to the sport in the Games are not really qualified for the challenge. Three-member teams in dressage have been done quite a bit, but the likelihood of injury to either horse or rider there is miniscule compared to any sport involving jumping.
The International Olympic Committee wants sports to be easier to understand, but the idea of substituting an alternate when a competition already is under way will only complicate things. I fear the day is coming down the road when eventing will be out of the Games anyway, even though cross-country tends to draw great crowds. It’s expensive to put on, though. Let’s hope if the sport eventually is dropped, it hasn’t been so badly compromised in an effort to remain in the Games that it bears no resemblance to its former self.
I traditionally end my year in review stories by remembering those we lost during the preceding 12 months. There are always too many distinguished horsemen and women who depart, but here are a few we should take special time to remember:
Those with New Jersey connections include former USET Captain Frank Chapot of Neshanic Station, who rode in six Olympics and was the breeder of the great Gem Twist. Frank was saluted in a September memorial at the USET Foundation where the greats of several decades gathered to pay tribute.
Frank Chapot (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Roger Haller, who founded the Essex Horse Trials with his parents at their Bedminser farm, left us in March. But he will be remembered with the U.S. Eventing Association’s educational fund named in his memory.
Roger Haller (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Others we lost included trainer Sandy Sternberg, formerly of Colts Neck and volunteer Tricia Haertlein of Lebanon. The eventing community was shaken when rider Philippa Humphreys had a fatal fall at Jersey Fresh.
Elsewhere, Parry Thomas, the owner of dressage superstar Brentina and sponsor of her rider, Debbie McDonald, also left us, as did VIP tent hostess extraordinaire Kiki Umla, and Ron Southern, the founder of the famed Spruce Meadows showgrounds in Canada.
Nancy Jaffer Equestrian Sports marked its first anniversary this month. I appreciate the support and encouragement everyone has given my weekly efforts on the website. Please keep reading, and always feel free to contact me if you think you have a story. Even if it doesn’t work out, I enjoy hearing from you. Follow me on facebook at www.facebook.com/nancyjafferhorses or on twitter at Nancy Jaffer@NancyJaffer. And be sure to say hello when you see me at the shows and events.
Happy new year!
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 24, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
November 24, 2016
Note: Click here to read the column posted earlier this month about the 2020 Olympics and the FEI meeting.
It’s a Thanksgiving tradition in New Jersey’s Somerset Hills–going to the Essex Foxhounds meet before sitting down at home to turkey and the trimmings. The occasion gained popularity in the days when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a member of Essex, and people came out to watch her ride, when she was often accompanied by her daughter, Caroline, and son, John.
Essex Joint Master Karen Murphy greets the crowd. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Despite the fact that she died more than two decades ago, people still arrive on Thanksgiving to see the hunt. This year, hundreds arrived at the Ellistan estate, which has all the charm and grandeur of an English manor house. They often have a little tailgate brunch while waiting for the riders and hounds to assemble.
Eager children reach out to pet the horses and the joyful foxhounds have their own meet-and-greet, being particularly drawn to the kids.
Foxhounds love attention and children. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
All the horses are impeccably turned out, beautifully groomed and braided. The whole scene is reminiscent of a Currier & Ives print, and it’s fun to be a part of it.
Members of the crowd were treated to a stirrup cup, just as those riding in the hunt had a hot chocolate or something stronger to fortify them for the ride.
The field this year was quite big. Everyone wants to be in on the occasion, though they tend to drop out along the way. There are long gallops across beautiful fields, framed by lovely barns and houses.
It does require a fit horse and rider to continue to the end; this time, a few more than a dozen were still on hand when huntsman Bart Poole signaled that it was time to take the hounds back to the kennel.
People who come out to see the hunt love to meet the horses. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Essex Joint Master Jazz Merton salutes Mr. and Mrs. Hank Slack for opening their property to the hunt and all the people who turn out to see it. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Jazz Merton takes a fence. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Veterinarian Brendan Furlong was among those who came out for the meet. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Essex Horse Trials organizer Ralph Jones. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
There’s no danger of violating the speed limit on the way back to the kennels. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
November 15, 2016
The historic Gladstone headquarters of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation will be hosting the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s FEI dressage championships May 18-21 2017, bringing them back to New Jersey after a two-year absence.
Steffen Peters on Legolas and Laura Graves with Verdades at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone for the 2014 Dressage Festival of Champions. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Although the foundation does not bid for events, the USEF requested that the organization’s facility host the title meet. A search for a show organizer to handle the mechanics of the championships is under way.
The competition will include the Grand Prix, Intermediare I and Brentina Cup (for young adults). All of the country’s other dressage championships, including children, juniors, young riders and ponies, are going to Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill., during August.
“I think it’s absolutely fabulous,” Elisabeth Williams, chairman of the USEF’s high-performance dressage committee, said of having the championships being able to utilize the headquarters facility.
“Gladstone is Gladstone. Maybe for us old timers, it means a little bit more even than for others. I’m really glad we can do it there, and glad we can do it at that time of year, because then (the riders) can make it to the (summer) competitions in Europe where they need to be.”
Many people have asked when Gladstone would again host the championships, so it’s welcome news that they are returning. The three championships were held in Kentucky in 2015 and cancelled for October this year, after a change of the scheduled venue in California and lack of interest following the big push to the Rio Olympics.
Competitors will be happy to once again be in a place that has so much meaning for the sport.
“That’s awesome,” exclaimed Pan American Games team gold medalist Kim Herslow, who runs Upper Creek Farm in Stockton.
“I’m excited about it coming back to the team.” noted Kim, whose Rosmarin (known as Reno) is back in work after an operation in January. She is not sure when she will resume competing him, but commented, “depending on Reno, we’ll see how it all goes. I hope we can be there. I’ll definitely be there to watch if I’m not riding, because it’s just such a great place to be and see championships happen.”
Bonnie Jenkins, the foundation’s executive director, observed, “There couldn’t be a more perfect venue for this particular championship and we are well-suited for high-end championships that are not hundreds and hundreds of horses. This is ideally suited to that, and we can make it really special.”
The last time the championships were held in Gladstone, when they included the selection trials for the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Laura Graves emerged there as a star with Verades. After the memorable performance in Gladstone that really put her on the map, she went on to have the best U.S. performances at both the WEG and the 2016 Olympics, where she clinched the team bronze medal.
Laura Graves and Verdades at the 2014 WEG selection trials in Gladstone. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The championships will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the foundation’s building, a stable constructed by James Cox Brady in 1917 on his massive estate along the lines of Downton Abbey. A number of special activities are planned, so as Bonnie said, “it all fits together.”
Championships usually are awarded for a three-year run, but it was considered important to nail down 2017 before thinking about the other years. Bonnie said the foundation would like to host in 2018 and 2019 as well, though that is yet to be determined.
“I’m just very happy we have next year set and that gives us a little bit of breathing room to figure it out for the next couple of years,” Elisabeth said.
The dressage championships originally were part of the Festival of Champions, a multi-discipline show that began at what was then the home of the USET, before formation of the USEF in 2003, when the USET became a foundation with the responsibility of raising funds for international competition.
The foundation is looking for contributions and sponsors to help with staging the championships. Go to www.uset.org for more information.
May will be a big month for the Garden State, with the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event being held at the Horse Park of New Jersey the weekend before the dressage championships.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 4, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
November 4, 2016
They finally got it right.
Less than two years before the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, the FEI has chosen the Tryon, N.C. International Equestrian Center as the venue for the quadrennial eight-discipline extravaganza.
Saturday Night Lights show jumping draws a crowd to the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
The state-of-the-art facility on a 1,600-acre site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains offers 12 arenas (including a 5,000-seat covered arena), numerous warm-up areas, 1,060 permanent stalls, and a variety of amenities–including restaurants and lodging–as well as a team that knows how to put on a show.
Concern about the weather on the original August dates for the competition has prompted a move for the fixture to Sept. 10-23, 2018, when the climate will be more amenable, following guidelines of studies commissioned by the FEI.
For several years, the FEI struggled to make things work with the original WEG bid winner Bromont, Quebec, but the money to back the project just wasn’t there, and the Canadian government had no interest in helping out. Tryon’s facilities are far superior to what Bromont could offer, while administrations in both North and South Carolina are supporting the Tryon effort, expected to be a huge driver of the economy in the area.
It all spells a prospect of huge success for the WEG, which is important for the event’s future going beyond 2018.
There have been several less-than-optimum experiences with the WEG since it began in Stockholm with great acclaim in 1990. Some have suggested the concept is unwieldy and should be replaced by the old method of holding individual world championships, or where possible, teaming two or three disciplines, rather than eight.
However, in making the Tryon announcement, FEI President Ingmar de Vos emphaized, “The FEI is 100 percent committeed to the FEI World Equestrian Games concept.”
Concern was expressed that as Bromont faltered, the WEG would be moved out of North America, which has only hosted the WEG once (Kentucky, 2010) since it debuted. A facility in Slovakia was also mentioned as a contender, but it is not as developed as the Tryon site which is coupled with a resort. Already, $125 million has been spent on the property, with more to come.
The managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners is Mark Bellissimo, who also is behind Wellington, Fla.’s, Winter Equestrian Festival, which in effect is the world’s largest horse show.
“Mark and his group are going to do an excellent job. We’re really looking forward to bringing the world here to the U.S. and really promoting the sports here in our country. It was a primary driver for us, to keep it in North America,” said U.S. Equestrian Federation President Chrystine Tauber.
FEI First Vice President John Madden observed, “From what I understand from everybody, the venue is fantastic and their bid was excellent and I’m very happy for the FEI that we’re going to have such a great venue for such an important championship. It’s wonderful that these championships can move (to different) continents and I think it’s very important we spread our sport all over the world.”
Eric Straus, secretary-general of the Pan American Equestrian Confederation, noted that awarding the WEG to Tryon was, “the only reasonable decision they could make, because the facility is pretty much built out, there are hotels available within a one-hour driving radius, you’ve got commitments by two state governments, you’ve got three airports. It’s dead easy.”
Competitor enthusiasm is high; after all, what’s not to like?
“I think it’s super to have a big championship in our country. It’s a great facility. The more we can bring to America, the better,” said show jumper Margie Goldstein-Engle, who has been showing at Tryon.
Mark stated, “We are confident that our partnership and our operating team will create a memorable experience for all involved, with the ultimate goal of significantly elevating horse sport in the U.S. beyond the 27 million people who ride a horse at least once a year.”
Originally, Mark had hoped to host the Games at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, but there were many reasons why that suburban community wasn’t the right place for it. Not only is Tryon horse country, the ability to have everything on one site is guaranteed to make the WEG run smoothly, as it did in Aachen in 2006, which held the best WEG to date. Far-flung venues for several of the disciplines involved led to traffic and transportation problems in Normandy, France, at the last WEG in 2014, where a lack of organization contributed to the problems.
The Tryon International Equestrian Center has an impressive expanse capable of hosting all eight WEG disciplines on one site.
The WEG includes the Olympic disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing, as well as reining, endurance, vaulting, four-in-hand driving and para-dressage. It requires enormous expertise to coordinate all of them in a schedule that enables spectators to see as much of each of them as possible, which is one of the reasons the WEG was developed.
The Bellissimo team has the expertise to do it right. The group’s track record of rising to challenges includes running the Central Park Horse Show, in a venue where many said such a competition couldn’t be done. The September show in Manhattan was the third annual, and it’s going strong.
It’s also a good sign that things were able to be worked out on the sponsor front. Rolex is a sponsor at Tryon, while Longines, another luxury watch company, is the FEI’s major sponsor. There was concern expressed in discussions about the WEG that one being identified with a site would preclude the other, but compromise obviously prevailed for the good of the sport.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 28, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
October 28, 2016
As you may have heard, there’s an election on Tuesday, November 8.
But more than the presidential race is on the ballot in New Jersey. In effect, it’s the future of the state’s horse industry.
Question 1 asks whether two casinos should be allowed in North Jersey, at least 72 miles from Atlantic City. One possible location is the Meadowlands racetrack, which is lagging in competition with tracks in neighboring states that have “racinos” boosting purses and hence, attracting more horses.
The sign says it all.
Although revenue from the measure would go to a variety of beneficiaries, including property tax relief for senior citizens and the disabled, as well as to Atlantic City, it is specified that “not less than two percentage points in each State fiscal year would be dedicated for programs designed to aid the thoroughbred and standardbred horsemen in this State.”
If you’re a sport horse person, you’re probably saying, “Why should I care what happens to racing?”
That’s what dressage judge and breeder Earlen Haven of Woodstown believed initially.
“I did not even give it a thought that it might affect me in any way,” she said. Then the state Equine Advisory Board member started doing some research. A poll showed that 35 percent of the cars parked at one Pennsylvania racetrack had New Jersey plates, while 60 percent of the cars at another track there also were from New Jersey. As Earlen asked, why should that money be going to other states when we could keep it in New Jersey?
“The fact remains that without the casino gambling at the track, New Jersey racetrack purses cannot compete with our surrounding states. It is one of the main reasons that horses and horse farms are leaving New Jersey in droves,” she stated.
“Breeder incentive awards and the purses are much more alluring in our surrounding states, since they are funded by a percentage of their casino gambling at their tracks.”
A statement from the New Jersey Quarter Horse Association, which supports a “yes” vote on Question 1, points out, “We have lost horses, farms and training facilities. That means hundreds of jobs; investment and economic benefit have been lost to Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Delaware. We need to level that playing field if equine agriculture is going to survive in NJ.”
Here’s the bottom line for the state’s sport horse industry: “If the racing industry leaves New Jersey, soon other supporting businesses will leave also,” Earlen pointed out.
“Racing is a major player for supporting businesses such as blacksmiths, tack shops, farmers growing hay, feed stores selling us grain, etc. All of the above are needed by the non-racing horses also.” What would you do if your veterinarians left the state because their practices lost a high percentage of the horses they served when the animals moved elsewhere?
“We are teetering on thin ice,” contended Karyn Malinowski, executive director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center.
“The racing industry cannot compete with New York and Pennsylvania. If it doesn’t get some relief, either from the Legislature or the money from North Jersey casinos, it will be gone totally. We stand to lose 57,000 agricultural acres that were here because of the racing industry.”
New Jersey racing had a $30 million supplement from the casino industry that ended in 2011. Since then, Karyn said, “They’ve been living on fumes.”
In case you’re not planning to read any more of this column, I’ll make the point here–vote yes on Question 1. Even if you weren’t going to vote because you don’t like either of the presidential candidates or care about the rest of the ticket, you should go to your poling place and do the one thing that can help the horse industry.
Don’t forget, horse farms offer important open space and green acreage in the most densely populated state in the Union. They also provides recreation, sport and career opportunities for youth. And then there’s the important contribution of therapeutic riding. Those are key points to make in convincing your non-equestrian friends to join you in supporting this measure.
One other thing. Karyn said is that if the question is defeated in a blowout, the odds are against it ever coming up for a vote again. While we have to hope it passes, whatever the odds, it’s still important to vote “yes” so legislators can see there is interest in the concept.
She noted that the many ads against the proposal are paid for by casino companies that own what would be competing entities if casinos come to North Jersey. Atlantic City interests also are contributing, she said, pointing out the irony that some complaining casinos have built properties in the Philadelphia area only about 50 miles from Atlantic City, rather than the 72 miles of the North Jersey proposal.
“Can we gain back all the gamers going to New York and Pennsylvania (as well as Delaware) to gamble?” Karyn asked.
“Can we bring them back to New Jersey with a casino or two in North Jersey? The answer should be a resounding `yes.’”
