Keeping horse industry at pace may cost $50M-$75M
Legislators aim to ramp up support for $1.1B enterprise in trouble
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer
State Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R-30) wants to use bare-knuckle politics to get legislators in Trenton to understand the importance of New Jersey's horse industry and racing. Malone made his remarks at a recent meeting of about 40 top equine industry members and local and state legislators at Rick's Saddle Shop in Upper Freehold Township.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN WEINGARTNER A state Department of Agriculture farm tour for New Jersey state legislators on July 31 included a visit to the largest standardbred breeding farm in New Jersey, Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge. With Fidencio Cervantes holding the stallion are (l-r) New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles Kuperus, state Assemblyman Douglas Fisher (D-3), Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-23), Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. (D-5), Assemblyman Ronald Dancer (R-30) and Anthony Perretti, general manager of Perretti Farms.

Malone said the survival of New Jersey's horse industry and racing must be made into a political issue, one of rural vs. urban.

"There's an urban agenda in this state that you are not part of," he told those in attendance. "You are [considered] baggage."

Malone said it is time to focus on getting the message about the horse industry's importance to legislators who do not have part of that industry in their districts.

"You have a commodity you have to sell to people who think of the horse industry as a museum," Malone said, adding that the equine industry helps central New Jersey residents have a quality of life that is second to none.

State Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R-30) said he and Malone attempted to put $10 million into the state budget for horse breeders but were unsuccessful.

Further illustrating the rural vs. urban political issue, Dancer alleged that the climate in Trenton is one in which available open space money is being spent on park development in urban districts.

"It should not be at the expense of the equine industry and open space," Dancer said.

Leon Zimmerman, a lobbyist for the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, Freehold, said the state's equine industry benefits from horse racing. According to Zimmerman, horse racing in the state could be in trouble in years to come, given that New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware all have passed legislation permitting video lottery terminals (VLTs), or slots, at race tracks and New Jersey has not. He also said this is the last year that New Jersey's casino industry made an appropriation to subsidize purses at the state's racetracks.

"Right now New Jersey is competitive with neighboring states [for purses] but it may not be much longer," Zimmerman said.

Dr. David Meirs II, the owner of Walnridge Farm, Upper Freehold, said New Jersey purses need to maintain parity with neighboring states.

"Horsemen follow the money," he said.

When asked how much money racing needs, Mark Mullen, who organized the meeting and manages his family's Fair Winds Farm standardbred breeding operation in Upper Freehold, said Pennsylvania's program provides $20 million in breeding-awards purses alone.

Zimmerman estimated New Jersey would need at least double that amount to keep pace. He said most of the casino subsidy money went toward purses, with no money for improving racing facilities and little for breeding incentives.

If all of the state's racing's needs are taken into consideration, Zimmerman estimated that a successful racing program in the state would require between $50 million and $75 million.

To illustrate the decline of the standardbred portion of the industry alone, Zimmerman said that 20 years ago there were 100 standardbred stallions standing at stud in New Jersey. Today, according to Zimmerman, there are only 14 such stallions, the majority of which are in Upper Freehold.

Liz Durkin, an attorney from Essex Fells, said other parts of the industry, such as the hunter/jumper portion, should not be overlooked. She noted the huge price tags on top show horses, and the large amount of money necessary for training them and entering them in competitions.

Durkin asserted that the only sustainable use for New Jersey's preserved farms lies within the equine sector.

Dr. Karyn Malinowski, director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center, New Brunswick, presented the results of "The New Jersey Equine Industry 2007: Economic Impact" study. She noted that the previous survey was done in 1996 and said that a lot has changed in the industry over the past decade. She added that regular benchmarking of the industry would now be done.

According to the survey, the total economic impact of the equine industry in New Jersey is $1.1 billion annually. The total includes $278.2 million for racingrelated operations, excluding race tracks; $262.2 million for nonracing operations; $117.8 million for equine owners without operations; and $502.3 million for New Jersey race tracks.

The report states that the equine industry in New Jersey employs almost 13,000 people, with 3,820 jobs generated by race tracks and 9,150 jobs generated by equine operations other than race tracks.

The survey concluded there are 42,500 equines in the state, with 12,500 of them in racing-related activities. Among these, 8,200 were racing-related standardbreds and 4,300 were racing-related thoroughbreds.

The study also found there are 7,200 equine operations in New Jersey, with a total of $4 billion of equine-related assets. Monmouth County is home to 960 of these operations, with a total of 27,300 equinerelated acres.

In the state overall, equines have a total worth of $582 million, land and buildings (excluding race tracks) associated with the industry have a worth of $2.9 billion, and race track assets are valued at $476 million.

In the state, a total of 176,000 acres are used for equine operations, which Malinowski pointed out is the size of four New Jersey counties. Of that acreage, 96,000 acres are directly related to equine activities, while 78,000 acres are devoted to pasture and hay production. An additional 46,000 acres in the state produce hay and grain for horses, according to the report.

The equine-related acreage represents one-fifth of the state's 790,000 acres in agriculture.

Malinowski said the equine industry continues to preserve open space and uses land that was formerly designated for more traditional forms of agriculture, such as dairy and potato farms, that no longer have much of a presence in New Jersey.

While the study provides the data and rationale for why the horse industry is so important in New Jersey, Malinowski said it is up to those involved with the industry to take those tools and raise awareness with their elected officials.

Veterinarian Dr. Daniel Keenan, of Bordentown, said he often talks to people who are not involved in the industry but believe that horses very much affect the local quality of life.

Jennifer Coffey, a candidate for Township Committee in Upper Freehold and a member of the Planning Board, suggested that those in the industry work in conjunction with land trusts and conservation groups which have thousands of members and regularly contact legislators on open space issues.

Upper Freehold Township

Committeeman Stephen Alexander said, "Bottom line: We, everyone in New Jersey, need to do everything [within] our ability to make sure the horse industry survives."

He continued, "The economic impact is incredible, and losing it not only means losing the revenue generated from the industry, but it will cost everyone more in long run. The trickle down effect is enormous."

Alexander suggested that Malinowski give the same presentation at the League of Municipalities meeting in November in order to educate the elected officials of other towns.

"We know where our assemblymen stand on the issues

when it comes to the

horse industry, but we need to pressure those elected state representatives that are in Newark, Camden, Atlantic City, Trenton, etc.," he said. "If they don't think the Meadowlands can close, we just need to take a look at what happened to Garden State Park" in Cherry Hill.

Alexander said he doubts that elected officials representing the Meadowlands in East Rutherford want to see that racing venue close.

"Funding the Sire Stakes program and video slot machines in the race tracks is absolutely needed so that we do not lose our horses to neighboring states that have them," he said.

Among the other locals at the meeting were Upper Freehold Township Committeeman Bob Faber and Planning Board Chairman Richard Stern. Township Committee candidate Lori Horsnall Mount also attended, along with members of the township's Planning Board and Economic Development Committee. The owners and managers of several of the large horse and hay production farms in the area attended as well.

Mullen opened the meeting by noting that communities like Upper Freehold depend on the horse industry and agriculture for their quality of life.