Posted by Let Texans Decide
Dec 19, 2012
Not that long ago, Texas was a $5.5 billion race horse industry with 36,000 jobs and ranked number 3 in the nation. In its peak, there were 4,000 registered foals in the state. Industry experts are predicting that in 2013, that number will barely reach 300. Why are these numbers declining so quickly? Horse breeders, owners, jockeys, and other industry players are moving to greener pastures in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico where the race purses are higher.
Here are some more facts on the declining horse racing industry in Texas and how our neighboring states are reaping all the reward:
- 45% decrease in the number of Texas Racing Commission licensees since 2002.
- 68% decrease in the number of mares bred in Texas since 2001 while Louisiana has had a 32% increase in the same time period.
- 59% decrease in the number of registered foals in Texas since 2001 while Louisiana has a 63% increase and New Mexico has a 93% increase in the same time period.
- Texas is no longer in the to 10 states, ranked by number of mares reported bred, but Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico made the list; Louisiana is ranked 3rd, the position Texas held in 2001.
So what’s the solution to this dramatic decline? As stated by incoming Texas HORSE executive director, Dan Fick, “state governments that have approved expanded gaming at racetracks have exponentially increased purses and established effective equine stimulus programs.” Texas HORSE, which was formed by the American Quarter Horse Association, National Cutting Horse Association, and American Paint Horse Association, was started in Texas because it was the ideal state for all things horse-related, from breeding to racing.
However, Texas will continue to drop in the ranks if there are no new options for expansion in the industry. We could not have said it any better than Mr. Fick: “Simply put, without expanded gaming in Texas, I am not sure how many more years the tracks and remaining horse breeders and owners can continue to lose money when the opportunities continue to be so dramatically better in a number of other states.”
To read more on the state of the Texas horse racing industry, comments from Mr. Fick, and statics about Texas’ horse industry, visit the Paulick Report and our Racing Industry Impacts page.
