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Traveling Harness Racing Exhibit Passes Milestone

Some of the best miles in harness racing over the past several years have been those trekked by the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame’s free traveling exhibits.

The “History of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives” exhibit, the “What is Harness Racing” poster series and the “A Drive to Win” display have been viewed by nearly one million people since their introductions. In fact, with a total audience in excess of 992,000, the exhibits will surpass one million in the near future.

“It really gives the sport a presence and respect,” said Gail Cunard, the director of the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, which is located in Goshen, N.Y. “People might not understand what harness racing is, and who we are, but when they see the exhibits, it really brings it home to them.

“We are a historic culture to be admired and respected. Really, that’s what it is all about.”

The museum’s exhibits have been viewed at numerous venues throughout North America and Europe.

Currently, the Currier & Ives exhibit is at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, through Feb. 14, and the Musee du Trot in Grosbois, France, through January. The exhibit includes framed original Currier & Ives lithographs, text panels, brochures and educational programming.

The CTW Foundation of Delaware continues to sponsor the exhibit in North America. Robert Tucker, the owner of Stonegate Standardbred Farm in New Jersey, is president of the CTW Foundation.

Among the previous stops for the Currier & Ives exhibit was the Russell Rotunda in the U.S. Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., in 2006. Then-Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Lincoln Chafee sponsored the event.

“Usually, displays go up there for one week, but ours was held over for a second week,” Cunard said. “That should give an indication of how well it’s been received.”

Other stops have included the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Ohio, The Society of the Four Arts in Florida, The National Sporting Library in Virginia and the Lincoln Presidential Library in Illinois.

Margaretta Wallenius-Kleberg of Menhammar Stuteri in Sweden is sponsoring the European leg of the Currier & Ives exhibit, which previously made stops in Sweden. It will remain on display in France in conjunction with the Prix d’Amerique.

The “What is Harness Racing” poster series consists of six framed full-color storyboards that promote the sport. One set accompanies each Currier & Ives exhibit and three other sets are sent out to fairs and other non-secure locations that cannot meet the facility requirements for the Currier & Ives pieces.

“A Drive to Win,” sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms, gives fans the chance to know — or become reacquainted — with 27 of the sport’s most beloved and memorable drivers and trainers. The drivers and trainers were nominated for inclusion by harness racing fans as those that represent the backbone of the sport.

For more information about the traveling exhibits, or to book an exhibit, visit the museum website at www.harnessmuseum.com or contact Cunard at director@harnessmuseum.com.

Ohio horsemen to hold rally on Statehouse lawn

FROM: USTA

Columbus, OH — [Standardbred] Ohio horse [racing] industry groups are encouraging anyone and everyone who is able to attend a rally on the Statehouse lawn on Tuesday, May 19.

This rally is to show support for the Ohio State Racing Commission’s proposal to allow slot machines at Ohio’s horse racing tracks and to land the Ohio horsemen on a level playing field with the surrounding states’ horsemen who benefit from expanded gaming.

The rally is at 10:00 a.m. (but plan to arrive an hour early for parking) on the South Plaza of the Statehouse lawn.

For information on parking and directions, go to www.ohiostatehouse.org. For driving directions, click on the “Information” drop down at the top of the page, and choose “Contact Information.” For parking, just click on “Information” drop down.

Carpool, drive alone, use the downtown parking garages or enjoy free parking at Scioto Downs and ride one of six motor coaches to the State House for free! Each coach holds 54 people and will run as a shuttle to the State House. Please arrive between 8:45 and 9:00 a.m. at Scioto Downs to ride one of the busses.

Several Northfield Park horsemen have came together with donations for the political rally to save horse racing in the state of Ohio.

A chartered bus will be leaving Northfield at 7:30 a.m. with free rides to and from Columbus. Breakfast pastries and lunch will also be provided. Trainers and drivers are encouraged to wear their colors and a few posters will be available but more need to be made before Tuesday.

If you are interested in riding the Northfield bus or need more information please call Amy Hollar at (614) 778-5905.

And if you can’t attend the rally, contact your state representative and senators ASAP. Here is a link to do so:

* Find your state representative: http://www.house.state.oh.us/
* Find your state senator: http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/

For more information, please contact Lisa Schwartz by phone at (614) 778-2480 or (740) 437-7346 or by e-mail at jaycar@rrohio.com.

Strickland on taxes, gambling: That would be ‘no’

FROM: Columbus Dispatch Blog

BY: Mark Niquette

It wasn’t exactly a “read my lips” pledge, but Gov. Ted Strickland made it clear today that he’s not interested in raising taxes or allowing expanding gambling in Ohio to deal with the state’s budget woes.

The governor appeared to open the door on taxes just a crack earlier this week when he repeated his position that higher taxes would be a bad idea during the recession — but then added that he is “willing to sit down and talk to members of the Senate, members of the House, both parties, or anyone else.”

He also said at a later event that he didn’t think it was appropriate to enter budget negotiations “with a lot of lines drawn in the sand.”

The state is facing a shortfall of perhaps $900 million or more in the current budget that expires June 30, and there have been suggestions that the gap in the next two-year budget could reach $3 billion — raising expectations that the state will have no choice but to seek new revenue.

But after House Minority Leader William Batchelder, D-Medina, issued a statement yesterday saying House Republicans “will not stand for a tax increase and we will not help Gov. Strickland break his promise to the people of Ohio,” Strickland insisted this morning after a speech that he has not softened his position on taxes.

“I am opposed to raising taxes,” he said. “That has been my position, it remains my position, it will be my position in the future. I obviously believe in dialogue and discussion. I listen to people that I disagree with all the time, and so I’m willing to listen, but my position remains as it has been.”

Asked whether he could support a proposal to expand gambling in Ohio if it were brought to him as a way to raise additional money, Strickland replied, “I don’t expect it will be brought to be as part of a budget solution, but if it is, I will do everything I can to see that we can craft a budget without it.”

The governor pointed to an article in Governing magazine detailing how the addition of slot machines in Maryland last fall has not produced the amount of activity or revenue projected.

“They are finding I think what’s likely to be a continuing trend that the promise put forth by gambling interests rarely holds up,” Strickland said. “The amount of money that they promise rarely materialize(s), and so I do not think that Ohio should have expended gambling.”

USDA Hosts Discussions on Animal Identification System

FROM: The Horse

BY: Edited Press Release

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on May 11 held a roundtable discussion with a variety of industry stakeholders on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This was the second in a series of listening sessions the USDA will hold throughout the country on the subject so the department can gather feedback and input that will assist the Secretary in making decisions about the future direction of animal identification and traceability in the United States.

On April 15 of this year, more than 30 stakeholder groups met with Secretary Vilsack to discuss NAIS at the USDA’s headquarters in Washington, DC.

“Much work has been done over the past five years to engage producers in developing an animal identification system that they could support,” said Vilsack. “However, many of the issues and concerns that were initially raised by producers, such as the cost, impact on small farmers, privacy and confidentiality and liability, continue to cause debate. In the spirit of President Obama’s call for transparency in government, now is the time to have frank and open conversations about NAIS. We need to work collaboratively to resolve concerns and move forward with animal traceability.”

USDA is engaging stakeholders in an effort to hear not only their concerns but potential or feasible solutions to those concerns. The listening tour will seek input from communities throughout the country.

“I recognize many groups have provided input into the system previously and I encourage stakeholders–both small and large–to embrace this opportunity to tell us what kind of system they feel would work and to talk about solutions,” added Vilsack.

APHIS began implementing NAIS, an animal traceability system, in 2004.

New Alliance Unites Horse Owners

FROM: Blooded Horse

BY: Edited press release

In response to the growing number of public policy challenges facing American-based horses, their owners, and horse-related organizations, a diverse group of horsemen May 14 unveiled a new umbrella group: United Organizations of the Horse.

“We need a voice that is capable of coherently and articulately communicating to a misinformed and emotionally manipulated American public,” said Sue Wallis, a Wyoming state legislator and United Organizations of the Horse founder.

The United Organizations of the Horse seeks to unify all like-minded equine associations and individuals in support of its mission–to promote the humane care and management of horses, and the continued viability of the equine community in the United States of America.
The group is organizing around three pillars:

–The United Horsemen’s Front, already established as a non-profit 501(c)3. This pillar educates the public about the unwanted horse issue and seeks humane, realistic solutions. A new initiative will establish a nationwide rapid-response network of horse owners and others who can mobilize trailers, hay, feed, veterinary care, and additional support for law enforcement or other groups rescuing horses in crisis.

–The United Horsemen’s Alliance, a trade group serving as a national voice for horse owners’ concerns at the federal level. The Alliance is open to horse owners, equine professionals, breed registries, recreational groups, businesses, and others who share the United Organizations of the Horse’s core principles. This arm will also ensure that equine groups at the local, state, and regional levels have the resources they need to influence and address issues.

–The United Horsemen’s Political & Legal Action Fund, a future political action committee and legal defense fund, providing an effective, adequately-financed voice at the local, state, and federal legislative levels. It will also provide expert assistance for members facing court proceedings, and an avenue for initiating legal action.

–The United Organizations of the Horse is founded on the core beliefs that the humane care and management of horses is paramount; policy decisions should be based on sound science and guidelines developed by equine professionals; and policy should safeguard horse owners’ private property rights and options to the greatest extent possible.

–The United Organizations of the Horse leadership team includes current and former legislators at both the federal and state level; agricultural public policy experts; horse trainers; print and broadcast journalists; farmers and ranchers; representatives from tribal, breed, and horsemen’s associations; and celebrities from the world of country music and cowboy poetry.

Visit www.UnitedOrgsOfTheHorse.com and its news/communications site, www.EquuiVox.org, to learn more about the group and an opportunity to actively participate in this alliance. The United Organizations of the Horse has scheduled its first annual Leadership Summit for June 14 in Washington, D.C., inviting anyone who adheres to its core principles to attend.

Colorado Vets Polled on Unwanted Horse, Euthanasia Issues

FROM: The Horse

BY: Press Release

Although anecdotes suggest the number of unwanted horses is growing, there is very little data that measures the magnitude of the problem or how extensively the various options to address the issue are being implemented.

To get a better handle on this situation, Jill Montgomery of JRAM Enterprises, an equine industry consulting firm, and Tom Lenz, DVM, chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition, in collaboration with the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association and the Animal Assistance Foundation, developed and conducted an anonymous survey of veterinarians practicing in the state of Colorado.

An e-mail with a link to the online survey was sent out to 1,279 veterinarians, including the estimated 130 with equine practices. Of the 128 responses, 76 were from veterinarians whose practices include equine care. Respondents were distributed throughout the state, with 53%, 40%, and 7% identifying the location of their equine practices as rural, suburban, and urban, respectively.

Incidence of Horse Euthanasia

Seventy-nine percent of the equine veterinarians that responded to the survey had euthanized a horse in the past 12 months. Of these practitioners, 19% said they experienced an increase in the number of euthanasia cases compared to the previous 12 months.

Euthanasia by barbiturate overdose was used almost exclusively among this group, with only 5% of the cases involving gunshot to euthanize the animal. However, 63% of the equine practitioners answered that they would be willing to use gunshot if requested, and comments indicated an interest in training in this method of euthanasia, as it is less expensive and reduces risks associated with carcass disposal.

Incidence and Attitudes toward Euthanasia for Owner Convenience

Among the equine practitioners, 77% responded that they had seen horses they considered to be unwanted during the past 12 months. Although it was often perceived that many of these horses were unwanted due to age, injury, or sickness, 83% of the cases involved an inability to afford the costs associated with the horse.

Twenty-two percent of equine veterinarians had euthanized at least one horse for an owner’s convenience during the past 12 months. While 86% of these veterinary practices reported no change in the number of euthanasias for an owner’s convenience, 13% reported an increase. Almost all of this increase occurred in the rural areas of the state.

Across all veterinarians that took the survey, 31% would be willing to euthanize a healthy horse for the owner’s convenience. This figure rose to 42% among the equine practitioners, and to 46% among the rural equine practitioners.

Although the survey did not directly assess if this number represents a change from previous years, the increase in euthanasia for an owner’s convenience might suggest an increase in the number of unwanted horses.

While euthanasia has traditionally been used on horses with significantly reduced quality of life due to age, disease, or chronic lameness, it is more frequently seen as a solution for animals that are no longer wanted or affordable.

Euthanasia of horses for an owner’s convenience represents a moral dilemma that balances the life of a healthy horse against other means of disposal and the potential for animal cruelty. The majority of Colorado veterinarians involved in this study indicated that they remain resistant to the use of euthanasia as an option for reducing the number of unwanted horses.

The critical question of how to handle the perceived increase in the number of unwanted horses remains unanswered. Study organizers noted that it is vital that the equine community identifies, explores, and implements acceptable options for the care and management of horses that are no longer wanted by their owners.

Michigan Gov. Slashes Thoroughbred Funding

FROM: Blood Horse

BY: Esther Marr

After an executive order from Gov. Jennifer Granholm that 100% of the $1.4 million earmarked for Michigan’s Thoroughbred programs for 2009 would be used instead to deal with the state’s immense budget deficit, local horsemen feared their industry would die a quick death.

But following two meetings in which the Michigan Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association pled its case to the state House Agricultural Committee, there appears to be a light—albeit a dim one–at the end of the tunnel.

“About $670,000 was found to be available in the budget for Thoroughbred programs, which is down from approximately $1.4 million a year ago, but it’s not zero,” said Robert Gorham, a director of the state’s HBPA. Gorham testified during a May 7 meeting along with executive director Gary Tinkle.

Gorham explained that the extra money was found due to a miscalculation of allotted funds for the state’s Standardbred programs, which had already spent some of their budget.

Michigan’s Thoroughbred breeders’ award program will now be funded at $250,000, with the state’s supplement program funded at 80% of last year’s value, which was around $270,000. This leaves only about $150,000 for Pinnacle Race Course’s entire stakes program, which was built on state-bred supplements.

“That isn’t enough,” said Gorham, explaining how on May 13 the HBPA passed and approved a motion to cancel four days of racing at Pinnacle, which begins its second year of operation in suburban Detroit June 5. The money from those days would be put toward the stakes schedule, which may have its purses lowered in order to run the full schedule.

The motion still needs to be passed and approved by the Michigan Office of Racing Commissioner, as well as Pinnacle officials. If a full stakes schedule is run, Gorham predicted the purses would be worth about two- thirds of what was originally projected.

“I’m taking this with mixed emotions,” said Gorham, a trainer, owner, breeder, and veterinarian who operates an equine center near Kalamazoo, Mich. “We certainly think racing has taken a big hit, but the economy in the state of Michigan as a whole is so bad that our disappointment has to be tempered with the fact there are a lot of other people that are disappointed in tough times as well.”

Gorham said the loss of funding has redoubled efforts of horsemen to work on getting an alternative source of revenue to put racing back on solid ground.

“The governor called for racing to stand on its own,” he said. “In order to do that, it appears like a ballot referendum to get casino gaming at racetracks is really the only resort at this point. It’s something I’m not sure can go on the ballot until 2010, but I think for all that are concerned, the effort needs to start sooner as opposed to later in order to give all segments of the industry some hope for the future.

“Racing in Michigan has been through tough times in the past and we’ve always pulled through them. So in that respect, I’m hopeful. I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of help from state government. It’s in too bad of a financial state, but if they will allow us to help ourselves, we will certainly do that.”

HBPA executive director Tinkle was not immediately available for comment, and a call made to Pinnacle Race Course general manager Alan Plever was not immediately returned May 13.

Rolling the dice — Out-of-state casinos bet billboards build brand loyalty here

FROM: Columbus Dispatch

BY: Tracy Turner

The dice emerge from a giant billboard Downtown on N. 3rd Street, and more displays like that are probably on the way.

Indiana’s Belterra Casino and Spa has submitted a request to the city of Columbus to install a large mural Downtown advertising its casino. That’s in addition to another billboard Wheeling Island has posted on E. Chestnut Street promoting its ongoing poker tournaments.

Downtown has become the center of an increasingly competitive marketing campaign by regional casinos. They are working harder to reach out to central Ohio gamblers as organizers of a new casino effort work to put forward another ballot issue in November.

Wheeling Island also has an ongoing marketing agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets; casino signage in Nationwide Arena includes rink-level boards, space on the main and auxiliary scoreboards and in-bowl electronic messaging. The deal also allows the casino game-day promotions and TV spots.

The promoters of the new casino plan say the competing out-of-state casino ads prove there is a strong market for casinos in Ohio.

The measure, called the Jobs and Growth Plan, proposes casinos in Ohio’s largest cities: Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo. The primary sponsors of the measure, Penn National Gaming Inc. and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, need to gather 402,275 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters by July to qualify for the November ballot.

Since Columbus would gain a casino under such a plan, it’s not surprising that the regional casinos would advertise here “for their own business reasons,” said Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the casino initiative.

The ads “confirm the fact that casino operators view the state in general and the Columbus market in particular for potential customers,” he said. “It’s because people enjoy casino gaming as a leisure activity. We think it’s time to give voters a proposal for casinos in Ohio that will generate jobs creation and increase tax revenue.”

Despite the group’s push to get the measure on the ballot, it doesn’t have plans to throw up any murals or billboards advertising its casino efforts, Tenenbaum said. Because the issue is not yet on the ballot, it’s “way too early to start advertising,” he said.

“If the issue is on the ballot and it passes, the earliest a casino could open here is 2012,” Tenenbaum said.

Belterra wants to put up an advertising mural at 43 W. Long St. The company will present its plan at the Downtown Commission meeting on May 26, company spokesman Blair Bendel said.

The company’s previous application for a Downtown mural was rejected during the commission’s meeting last month. But because the billboard is key to “creating and maintaining local awareness about the casino’s easy proximity to central Ohio,” Bendel said the casino is coming back with a more creative design.

“Columbus is one of Belterra’s top five markets and we want to maintain (consumers’) awareness of how nice a resort we have here,” he said. “It’s just a highway’s drive away and we’d like to get more people to visit.”

Murals and billboards such as these could range from $5,000 to $40,000 to construct and install, said Daniel J. Thomas, urban design manager for the city of Columbus and a spokesman for the Downtown Commission.

But the investment is well worth the cost for out-of-state casino operators who worry about possible competition from casinos in Ohio, said H. Rao Unnava, a marketing professor at Ohio State University.

The giant billboards are a way for casino operators to plant the idea in voters’ minds that if they want access to casinos, there are already several in operation nearby, he said.

“It asks the questions ‘Why would we want a casino in Ohio when we’re surrounded by them,’ and ‘Do we really need one here,’ ” Unnava said. “This is the time to build (consumer) loyalty.

“People who are afraid they may lose Ohio business to new Ohio casinos are doing as much advertising here as possible.”

Casino ballot language lacks deadline for building

FROM: Cleveland Plain Dealer

BY: Reginald Fields

A proposed ballot issue calls for four Las Vegas-style casinos in Ohio. But the fine print doesn’t appear to require anything to be built, even if voters think that’s what they’d get if they approve the plan in November.

That means the revenue projections approaching $2 billion in the first year and the promise of easy cash for the state’s coffers could be a bluff, detractors say.

But casino backers say: Trust us, we will build.

“They have not made any commitment in the proposal that they will build one, two or four or when they would be built. They don’t give you any time frame,” said Tom Smith of the Ohio Council of Churches, which opposes the casino proposal.

“After the election is over, they are in the Constitution. They are a monopoly,” he said, noting that the proposal would require a rewrite of Ohio’s Constitution to authorize casinos specifically for the backers. “No one else can come into the state.”

The plan is being pushed by a group called the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee and financially backed by Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert and Penn National Gaming Inc. Separately, the two entities would be on the hook for at least $600 million up front to each own a pair of the casinos. The locations would be Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.

Committee spokesman Bob Tenenbaum said he thinks the language in the constitutional amendment requires the casinos to be built, but he acknowledged that there is no deadline. That concerns critics, who say Penn and Gilbert simply would hold the valuable, constitutionally protected right to build when they wish.

Not to worry, said Penn Vice President Eric Schippers. He said his company is eager to act on its option to build casinos in Toledo and Columbus, if the measure makes it onto the November ballot and is passed.

“Without question. As soon as we would receive final approval from the gaming commission that would be established,” Schippers said. “We would begin immediate construction upon issuance of the license.”

Schippers said the company would break ground on both its Ohio projects in 2010 and open full-fledged casinos 12 to 18 months later.

Gilbert’s office issued a statement yesterday saying the Cavs owner also promises to build casinos in Cleveland and Cincinnati — the two cities where he holds options to purchase land for the projects — if the amendment is approved. But when?

“They would start immediately,” said Elizabeth Jones, a spokeswoman for Rock Ventures, the partnership Gilbert is leading to get the casinos.

Ohioans want casinos, new poll finds

FROM: Columbus Dispatch

BY: Darrel Rowland

A new poll shows that Ohioans favor legalizing casino gambling in the state, but those results don’t mean voters will pass a possible November ballot issue allowing casinos in the state’s four largest cities.

The Ohio Poll unveiled this morning also indicates a strong majority favors changing state law to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes, although the outright legalization of marijuana is opposed.

And the survey shows Ohioans oppose same-sex marriage, abolishing the death penalty and lowering the legal drinking age.

The Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan, backed primarily by Penn National Gaming and the Cleveland Cavaliers owner, is circulating a petition for a fall ballot issue that would amend the state constitution to allow four casinos in Ohio’s largest cities, including one next to Huntington Park in Columbus’ Arena District.

The poll, conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati, shows that 60 percent of respondents favor making casino gambling legal in Ohio.

However, the poll analysis notes that Ohioans’ purported 58 percent support of gambling “in the large Ohio city where you live or near to where you live” has barely changed since the same question was asked in 1998. Yet Ohioans continue to overwhelmingly defeat gambling issues at the ballot.

Here’s how the analysis explained it:

“While the Ohio Poll has found in the past that a majority of Ohio adults approve of casino gambling in major cities near their home, the poll has also found Election Day voters unwilling to approve ballot issues that would lead to the legalization of gambling in the state. This has been reflected in Election Day outcomes over the past decade.

“As a result, the current Ohio Poll should not be considered to be a definitive reflection on the passage or failure of any future specific gambling-related ballot issues. The Ohio Poll results are, however, instructive on the opinions and behaviors of all Ohioans, both those who vote and those who do not.”

The survey showed that 23 percent of Ohioans had traveled to another state to gamble, with Indiana and West Virginia the top destinations.

Percentage support for other issues in the poll:

* Allowing Ohio doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes to treat their patients: 73 percent.
* Making marijuana use legal in Ohio: 37 percent.
* Legalizing gay marriage or marriage between same-sex couples in Ohio: 39 percent.
* Abolishing the use of the death penalty in Ohio: 27 percent.
* Lowering the drinking age in Ohio from 21 to 18: 21 percent.

The telephone survey of 818 Ohio adults April 16 through 27 has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

The full poll can be seen at www.ipr.uc.edu/documents/op050809.pdf.