Oldham County Equine Economy
December 4, 2007
Oldham Equine Council
Releases First County-Wide Equine Study
Download the Report
Download a Report Highlights Presentation (PowerPoint)
Download the Press Release
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
Alex Rankin Featured in Business
First
Alex
Rankin, president of
Sterling G. Thompson
Co., an insurance company that sells policies for home,
health, life, auto and horses was featured in the April 18, 2008 edition of
Business First.
Rankin
began working in equine insurance niche industry in 1982, the same year he
purchased his great uncle's cattle farm in Goshen and turned it into a
Thoroughbred horse farm.
Business First correspondent Kym Voorhees Raque conducted
an
interview with Rankin, who said his firsthand experience in the industry
helps him evaluate a horse's worth, work with clients to determine the
appropriate policy for their needs and assist with overall risk-management
issues associated with owning horses.
Read the Business First
article
April 28, 2008
SLAUGHTER vs. RESCUE by
Gregory A. Hall
The rising costs of caring for horses run head-on into the debate over the
ban on killing the animals in U.S. for meat
April 27, 2008
Retired
Thoroughbreds Given Fresh Start by Byron Crawford
What happens to
racehorses after they cross the finish line for the last time?
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Kentucky Equine Humane Center
Kentucky Equine Humane Center Opens Doors
All horses in
need are welcome in the newest addition to the
Kentucky Horse Park.
168 HORSES IN KENTUCKY GIVEN
SHELTER
LEXINGTON, KY (April 23, 2008) More
than 168 of Kentucky’s horses of various breeds have
been provided with shelter and other humane
assistance this year thanks to the Kentucky Equine
Humane Center (KyEHC).
The KyEHC is a first-of-its-kind
facility, established with the specific goal of
providing owners with a humane option when they need
to give up their horses. Horses receive protection
from abuse, neglect and slaughter.
The Center is located on a tranquil,
72-acre horse farm just outside of Lexington,
Kentucky, which serves as a safe refuge for at-risk
horses of all breeds and disciplines. No horse in a
precarious situation has – or will ever be turned
away.
This month the KyEHC, which is
funded entirely by donations, celebrated its one
year anniversary. It has already offered refuge to
more than 168 horses (60% Thoroughbreds), and
adopted 83 horses into caring homes.
Staci Hancock, president and founder
of the KyEHC noted, "The horse industry in Kentucky
is waking up to the need to protect our valued
equine and is stepping up to meet their
responsibility. With their help, I’m very proud to
say that in less than one year’s time, the Kentucky
Equine Humane Center has eliminated the excuse for
anyone in the state of Kentucky to neglect a horse
or send a horse to slaughter. Any owner who can no
longer care for his horses can call us and be
ensured that their animals will receive humane
treatment."
In less than one year, the KyEHC has
fulfilled their mission of accepting every horse
that has needed shelter (more than 168 to date);
adopted 83 horses into caring homes; leased a
72-acre farm; hired three salaried employees;
organized volunteers who have donated more than
4,200 hours; developed corporate partners who have
provided services, equipment and supplies; developed
a website; launched the John Deere and NTRA
Advantage KyEHC All Breed Charity Horse Show; and
received more than $100,000 in grants.
Hancock concluded, "Our one-year
anniversary is a great time to acknowledge the
tremendous assistance we have received from a lot of
notable entities in the horse business, without whom
we could never have come so far so fast."* She
continued, "Each partner, donor, volunteer and board
member can take satisfaction in knowing they have
saved the lives of these horses and given them a
second chance."
Download the 2007 Oldham County Equine Survey
Oldham County's Brett Donner is President of the Kentucky Trail Riders
Association 
Oldham County Coroner and Oldham County Equine Council Board Member Brett
Donner also serves as President of the Kentucky Trail Riders Association.
The organization's ultimate goal is to
educate our younger riders and improve our horse trails and horse camps
across Kentucky.
The
Kentucky Trail Riders Association
is scheduling rides, events, acquiring permission from land owners for trail
riding, writing a monthly newsletter and maintaining its web site,
www.kytrailriders.org.
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RoundAbout
Features Oldham County Equine Stories in June's Paper
The RoundAbout Entertainment Guide,
published by Kentuckiana Publishing Inc. is a free
monthly paper available at stores, restaurants and other
locations in Oldham County. RoundAbout has
consistently produced quality equine-related articles
since 1999, and June's edition is no exception.
We urge you to pick up a copy this
month and read:
Covered Bridge Road Corridor Preserves Equine History
Oldham Fair Board Wants to Build New Facilities
2002 Census of Agriculture
Horses and Ponies Census Figures
According to the Department of Agriculture 2002 Census
of Agriculture, Oldham County's inventory of horses and ponies totaled
2,959. Oldham County was ranked 8th in the State based on these
figures, and 217th in the nation.
The Oldham County Equine Council is conducting the first county-wide equine economic study.
The Council will provide surveys to Oldham County equine community members to determine the
current equine inventory, economic contribution, and value of equine and
equine related assets.
Please participate in the survey if you haven't already.
We appreciate all of those who have submitted your surveys to date.
Economic
Impact of Horses Nation-Wide According to a study performed by the American Horse
Council, there are more than 6.9 million horses in the
United States, including both recreational and
commercial use. Racing and race horse breeding
account for 725,000 of those horses, and 4,944,000
participate in the showing and recreational activities
while another 1,262,000 are used in in farm and ranch
work, police work, rodeo and polo. There are more
than 7.1 million Americans involved with those
horses...This translates to one in every 25 Americans is
involved with horses. Every horse owner
requires the support of three or more professionals:
the owner, the veterinarian, and the farrier, all of
whom pay taxes, buy and sell homes, maintain offices,
support local police and fire departments, send their
children to schools...and so on and so forth. A tertiary benefit of horse property to the community is
a more aesthetic one. The neatly fenced and
maintained horse farm lends a pleasant vista to visitors
passing through the area. Pastureland,
with its grass and trees, aids the environment as a
natural windbreak reducing water runoff and aiding in
soil retention.
Download statistics from the American Horse Council
Download the 2007 New Jersey Equine Economic Impact
Study
For anyone that has participated in a horse show, be
it at the national, state or local level, there is no
doubt that these activities generate a lot of money. The
American Horse Council’s Economic Impact of the Horse
Industry on the United States study includes some
impressive statistics that confirm the significant
impact of the horse show industry.
Among horse owners, 481,238 are primarily involved in
competition. That accounts for 10.33 percent of the
total number of people who participate in equestrian
activities, be they horse owners, employees or family
members or volunteers.
Read More....
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Equestrian Artist Karen Barry Featured in May RoundAbout
Read the
Story by Helen McKinney
Karen Barry will be one of 115 artists participating in the
“Arts on the Green” juried art show, June 7-8 at the Oldham
County Courthouse Square.
For more information on Arts on the Green, contact Marion Gibson
at (502) 338-4391 or visit:
www.artsassociationofoldhamcounty.org.
Karen Barry specializes in equestrian art, such as this oil painting of “Roo”
above.
News from the
Kentucky Horse Park
NEW ARENA GETS BUSY
Kentucky
Horse Park Attracts Major Shows to Kentucky
LEXINGTON, KY (April 24, 2008) Today the Kentucky Horse Park announced several
major horse shows that have already signed contracts or are confirmed to host
their events beginning in 2009 in the new Indoor Arena, which is currently under
construction.
John Nicholson, executive director of the park, stated, “Kentucky’s investment
in our new Indoor Arena is already paying off. For several years the managers
of a number of prestigious shows have expressed an interest in holding their
events at the Kentucky Horse Park, if there came a time when we had the
facilities to accommodate them. Today I am very pleased to welcome some of
those show managers who have signed contracts to hold their events in our new
Indoor Arena beginning in 2009.”
These new
shows include:
Sport Horse National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championships,
September 2009 and 2011-2013
The Tradition Futurity – The East Coast Championships, September
2009, 2011 and 2012
Kentucky Breeders Classic Sale & Exposition, January 2010
Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships, May
2010
Indoor Hunter/Jumper Winter Series, November 2009-March 2010
On hand to make the announcement was Kentucky’s first lady, Jane Beshear, who is
an accomplished horsewoman and has served on the board of the Kentucky Horse
Park Foundation for many years. Representatives from several of the horse shows
were also in attendance.
Bill Pennington, the Sport Horse
Nationals Show Commission Chairperson said, “The Kentucky Horse Park possesses
all the features of a facility that will allow Sport Horse Nationals to expand
to include more events and more horses. The park is known throughout the world
as a premier horse facility and we are excited to be a part of such a renowned
reputation.”
Dave Duncan, show manager for the IHSA said, “We are excited to be bringing the
IHSA National Horse Show to Lexington, Kentucky in May of 2010. With the
outstanding facilities available at the Horse Park along with such an
outstanding city, we anxiously await 2010.”
Nicholson concluded, “It is a
tremendous compliment to the Kentucky Horse Park and the Commonwealth of
Kentucky that these show organizers have placed their confidence in us by
committing their events to our new arena while it is yet unfinished. Our state
will reap benefits from the investment in this arena for decades to come.”
Park Hours and Rates: From March
15 through October 31, the park is open seven days a week. Admission is $15 for
adults, $8 for children 7-12. Children six and under are always admitted free
of charge. Admission includes the International Museum of the Horse – In
Association with the Smithsonian Institution - and the American Saddlebred
Museum.
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.
