The Horse Park of New Jersey got an infusion of energy today, as four new members were elected to the board during its annual meeting. The trustees not only have impressive resumes, they also are devoted to the facility in Monmouth County.
That’s crucial, because as board president Adam Furlong noted, “The park is 30 years old and starting to show its age.”
He credited Horse Park Manager Adam Hendrickson and his crew for keeping things going. But the park needs a lot of things, Furlong said, noting, “The board has identified several million dollars of spending that we need to resolve toward the future well-being and success of the park.”
A big effort was made to keep the Horse Park in shape despite the difficulties of the pandemic year. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
The question is, how to obtain that money to cover the park’s needs and enable it to compete with other facilities in the region? Furlong noted the park welcomes those who want to be part of the solution and added it is receptive to feedback. In an effort to come up with a way forward, the board voted this evening to create a steering committee for future development and planning, Furlong stated.
“We have started networking in the community for outside-of-the-box thinking–we really need to reframe how we look at, and solve, the problem,” he explained.
Those new trustees should have some ideas about that. The group includes Doug Raynor, chairman of the Upper Freehold Township planning board and joint master of the Monmouth County Hunt. He owns a company involved in construction.
John Layton of Juliustown is a driving enthusiast who is a carpenter and owns a small farm. He is an expert on building and maintenance, which will be handy for the park.
Christine Odegaard of Allentown has organized the park’s Turkey Trot carriage driving event for the last two years and is an eclectic rider who enjoys trail riding, fox hunting and showing. Trained as a veterinary technician, she is an expert hand with video.
Kimberly Wojcik of Hightstown has been the Volunteer of the Year for the park and is on the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event committee. She’s been a special agent for both the FBI and the Secret Service.
They join Erin Gale, who holds one of the Department of Agriculture seats on the board, and financial analyst Melissa Sinopoli of Morristown, who was appointed by the board to fill an unexpired term.
(We also should mention that Bruce McNab was named a trustee emeritus. One of the founders of the park, “he supported it in countless ways for 30-plus years,” Furlong said)
The issue of finance is difficult because, as Furlong pointed out, horse parks elsewhere often are funded by the states where they are located. Despite its name, the Horse Park of New Jersey operates without state funding, and rents the land from the state Department of Agriculture which in turn has an arrangement with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Since the park doesn’t own the land, it can’t be used as collateral for any loans, which means going to grants and “considerable fund raising projects,” even as the park is getting ready to welcome a new $65,000 tractor.
The wish list going forward includes an anticipated $2 million for footing for all the rings, $1 million for new stabling and $300,000 for a new septic. Among other needs are $185,000 for new water trucks for ring maintenance and another $2 million in building renovations, repairs, wells and improved bathrooms.
Meanwhile, there is ongoing investment in cross-country fences, with 11 new frangible obstacles, some obtained through the U.S. Eventing Association program for that purpose. Some portable fences also have been added to the inventory.
The Horse Park, like so many other venues, was affected by the pandemic last year. The U.S. Equestrian Federation shut down the shows it licensed from March 20-June 1, 2020. That meant the Horse Park couldn’t hold its featured Jersey Fresh International.
“The pandemic was a learning experience for each and every one of us,” Furlong pointed out.
Board members and volunteers stepped in during a difficult time, doing everything from mowing grass to loaning trucks as needed to the park.
But on the other hand, the horse trials held in June and July 2020, once competition resumed, produced the largest revenue and the greatest number of entries in the park’s history. The same was the case with Jersey Fresh this year.
“Jersey Fresh 2021 was about as perfect an event as we could have,” said Furlong, citing it as a return to activity, complete with spectators, tailgaters and vendors, all of which had been missing from competitions for more than a year.
Tailgaters turned out for the Jersey Fresh International at the Horse Park of New Jersey, glad to be at a competition again. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Three events that couldn’t be staged at their usual venues in 2020 reserved again for this year.
A phase one federal Payroll Protection Program loan to the park was forgiven, but the facility did not get a phase two loan.
Meanwhile, understandably, revenue fell 26 percent and expenditures fell 22 percent as net income dropped by 77 percent. The park’s profit margin in 2020 was 2 percent. It had been 7 percent in 2019.
But after being locked in for a good part of 2020, people were ready to get out of their homes, and that’s where the Horse Park has an edge.
“We know we have great land and location, and those two things will always be an advantage for us,” said Furlong.
“So we need to continue to build on all of the momentum we have had in the past 12 months, as everyone has realized how great outdoor space is.”