Oldham County Horse News
Oldham County Equine Economy
December 4, 2007
Oldham Equine Council Releases First County-Wide Equine Study
Download a Report Highlights Presentation (PowerPoint)
Download the December 19 Courier-Journal Article by Melissa Gagliardi
Download the December 27 Article in the Oldham Era by Elizabeth Troutman
Download the January 2008 RoundAbout Article by Helen McKinney
Equine Council Makes Presentation During Oldham County Trails Summit
Mary Lowry provided an overview of the Oldham County Equine Council and the need for equine trails to be included in the Oldham County Bike, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan during a Bike, Pedestrian, and Greenways summit held on September 26 in LaGrange.
Oldham County government and Greenways for Oldham County, with assistance from Oldham Ahead, co-hosted the first ever Oldham County Bike, Pedestrian, and Greenways summit to assist in the development of the master plan development that commenced in August.
The Equine Council provided input to the county's Parks and Recreation Master Plan earlier this year and highlighted the demand for equestrian trails in the county both for recreational and economic development purposes. We were invited, along with 29 governmental and non-profit agencies to provide input for the public and to the consultants contracted to develop the master plan.
Citizens can download Oldham County map extracts from the Greenways for Oldham County web, and annotate both existing and potential bike, pedestrian, equine and greenways for consideration for inclusion in the master plan. Some of the slides from Mary's presentation are below.
Download the entire Equine Council's Presentation
Benefit Equine Events Highlight the Transition to Fall in Oldham County
In addition to the economic and recreational benefits of the horse industry in Oldham County, the equine community is a significant source of charitable giving for area causes.
Alta Vista Farm in Skylight hosted a benefit for the St Francis Schools on Saturday, August 25 drawing an excellent field of competitors and a large crowd of spectators in perfect weather. The annual show benefited the Goshen Pre-K-8 School and 3rd and Broadway High School.
The Brownsboro Conservation Council sponsored a benefit polo match on Saturday, September 4 at the Brownsboro Polo Field in the Brownsboro area of Oldham County. The event, which will become an annual affair, drew an exceptionally large crowd which enjoyed a competitive match between the Brownsboro Polo Club and the Louisville Polo Club that ended in a 5-5 tie. View the Voice-Tribune's coverage and photo's from the match.
Kentucky Equine Economy
- $4 billion Estimated economic impact of Kentucky's horse economy
- 80,000 - 100,000 Direct and indirect jobs generated by the state's horse industry
- #1 The horse industry is Kentucky's top agricultural cash crop (30% of the state's economic activity is agriculture-related)
- $8.8 billion Economic impact of the state's tourism industry, which features the horse industry as its signature promotional attraction.
- 14,600 Tourism-related jobs attributed to the equine industry
- 128,800 Participants in Kentucky horse farming, racing and equine-related businesses
- 2.3 million Estimated attendance at Kentucky Thoroughbred and Standardbred racetracks
- 320,000* Horses in Kentucky
- $240 million Economic impact of the Kentucky Horse Park
- $217 million Economic impact of the Kentucky Derby
- $650 million Value of horses sold at auction in Kentucky in 2003
- 140,000 acres Acres preserved through the state's Thoroughbred industry
- $127 million Estimated Kentucky horse industry exports
- * According to Deloitte Study
Brownsboro Icelandic Horses Featured in Oldham Era
Gudmar Petursson’s Icelandic Horses and his equine business are featured in the October 4 edition of the Oldham Era.
Download the article by Oldham Era reporter Elizabeth Troutman
Tayler Rinehart is U.S. Reserve National Champion
Tayler Rinehart competed with her horse Eighteen Carets at the Youth Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico in August to earn the U.S Reserve National Champion title. Tayler is the daughter of Ellie and Randy Troutman, owners of Windy Meadows in the L'Espirit area of the county.
Tayler then came home to earn a 4th place finish at the World Championship Horse show in Louisville.
World Horse Show Championship Results
Oldham County Vision Council
The Oldham County Vision Council, appointed by Oldham County Judge-Executive Duane Murner in January 2007, provided Fiscal Court with its vision and recommendations on Tuesday, July 17. Many of the recommendations will be of interest to the equine community in the county and their implementation will be critical to supporting the green infrastructure of the county that the equine industry depends upon.
Download the Vision Council presentation to Fiscal Court
Download the Oldham Era Vision Council story by John Foster
Read the RoundAbout story by Helen McKinney
Improving Equine Waste Management through a Best Management Practice (BMP) Demonstration Project
A multimillion-dollar-a-year industry, horse farming is an integral part of the Kentucky’s Bluegrass’s economy and identity. Every day, close to 1,000 tons of equine waste are produced on the horse farms in Bourbon, Fayette, eastern Franklin, southern Scott and Woodford counties. Ongoing USDA inventory efforts estimate that the majority (about 75 percent) of the farms in the area dispose of stable muck in unmanaged piles on remote parts of the farm, often in sinkholes or adjacent to streams. Runoff from stable muck has the potential to have high nitrate levels, as well as elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria and other pathogens.
The Thoroughbred Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, in cooperation with numerous organizations and individuals, showcased several new management practices that were practical, effective and affordable. Four demonstration farms were established for onsite composting, and two farms were established for offsite disposal. Both options were met with a favorable response, and adoption of the onsite composting practice is occurring more rapidly than anticipated.
Download the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet Technical Bulletin No. 4 for details. For additional information, contact:
Carolyn Oldfield
Coordinator
Thoroughbred RC&D Council
Georgetown KY 40324
Ph: 502-863-6010
Fax: 502-863-4998
