NEWS & VIEWS continued
land Jockey Injury Compensation Fund, and adding trainers to the defi nition of employer, etc. To fi nd more information about or the cur-
rent status of, any of these bills, to fi nd out who your legislators are and how to contact them, and for more information on how bills are cre- ated and move through the legislative process, go to:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/ frm1st.aspx?tab=home. For more information about how to make
your voice heard eff ectively in Annapolis, check out MHC “Grassroots Lobbying Brochure:”
http://www.mdhorsecouncil.org/images/grass- rootslobbyingfl yer2.pdf
Maryland Horse Industry Day Brings Horses to Annapolis
By Anne Litz Maryland horses benefi t Maryland. We know
this, you know this, your horse knows this and now Annapolis knows this. For the fourth year in a row, horse people and legislators gathered at the Miller State Senate House in Annapolis on January 30 to discuss how essential horses are to Maryland. All equine-interested individuals were invited to attend, and training was off ered during conference calls prior to the event as well as on the morning of Horse Industry Day. How- ever even with this prep, one thing was made very clear: you do not need to train horse people to talk about their passion for horses and why Maryland is a horse state. T e Maryland Horse Industry includes more than 80,000 horses; over 200 equine organi- zations; 16,000 plus horse farms and stables; 35 diff erent equine disciplines; employs near- ly 28,000 Marylanders; accounts for $512 million in sales annually; $78 million in taxes collected; and includes 587,000 acres of our beautiful State. Maryland Horse Industry Day serves to show how horses, horse farms and horse people promote and maintain open space, revitalize horse racing, protect animal welfare, support equine operations and pro- mote educational equine programs. T e day’s networking, awards, presenta-
tion, and salutations helped to highlight these legislative priorities. One hundred and eighty attendees met with 40 legislators and guests, plus numerous staff ers, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Many of these meetings ran over, with legislators telling their own horse stories and the attendees sharing why horses are vital to them and Maryland. Attend- ees were welcomed into offi ces and greeted in the hallways by employees and legislators who were game to stop and talk, or say hello as they took a Maryland Flag Horse sticker or two. During the morning’s awards presenta-
tions, Touch of Class Awards were presented by Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB) Executive Director Ross Peddicord and MHIB Chair Jim Steele. T e fi rst Touch of Class award went to Renee Sherrard Luther Dixon
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580
of Freedom Hills T erapeutic Riding (Cecil County). Freedom Hills was a fi rst place win- ner in the American Horse Council’s “Time to Ride” competition for the Large Stable di- vision, by introducing 2,866 people to horses in 2017. T e second Touch of Class award was presented to Oak Crest Farm (Anne Arundel County) and Tina Emmerich, who took top honors in AHC’s Time to Ride Phase II con- test due to the follow-up experiences from 213 people who participated in Phase I by return- ing to Oak Crest Farm for a riding lesson, trail ride or ground work with a horse. Dr. Amy O Burk and the University of
Maryland Equine Studies program were hon- ored with a Special Recognition Award from the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. T e award recognizes the practical, hands-on op- portunity the University of Maryland’s breed- ing program off ers students on their way to exciting careers in the horse industry. After the awards, several people within the horse industry gave presentations, including Goucher College Director of Campaign and Strategic Initiatives Greg Permison, who spoke about Goucher’s Equine Education growth and the development of the Maryland Equine Education Center at Goucher. Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager Sal Sina- tra spoke about Maryland T oroughbred racing and improvements that have been made due to the support of those in Annapolis. Sinatra added that MJC looks forward to continuing to work
‘Tis the season for mud in Maryland... Share your muddy horse/pony photos by sending to
editor@equiery.com!
Delegate David Frasier-Hidalgo from Montgom- ery County welcomes MC equestrians as part of Horse Industry Day. From left to right: Delegate David Fraiser-Hidalgo, Michael Greaney, Nancy Heller from Great & Small, MHC president Neil Agate, Jane Seigler of Dressage at Sundown, Steve Saletta and Keith Harpster
with Annapolis on future goals and projects. President of the Maryland Horse Council
Neil Agate announced the acquisition of T e Equiery by MHC, and the launch of the Mary- land Equine Transition Service (METS). With T e Equiery, MHC has acquired a turn-key multi-media publishing and marketing entity that will enable the Council to not only bet- ter serve its membership, but to also reach the entire Maryland equestrian community. MHC Vice President Steuart Pittman spoke
about the importance of METS, and an- nounced receipt of a $750,000 grant from the Right Horse Initiative to launch the fi rst-in- the-nation project to facilitate the responsible transition of horses whose owners are no lon- ger able to care for them. MHC was the fi rst state horse council in the country to support a federal ban on export of horses for human consumption. Members from every sector of the horse industry came together to develop METS, which is with a partnership with Days End Farm Horse Rescue. A panel discussion on the importance of the horse industry to Maryland’s environmental preservation, tourism, economy, educational prospects, social impact and culture was pre- sented by President of the Senate T omas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Senator J.B. Jennings, our host and longtime horse industry supporter; Secre- tary Mark Belton, Department of Natural Re- sources; Secretary Steve Connelly, Department of Agriculture; Colby Ferguson, Government Relations Director of the Maryland Farm Bu- reau; Kelly M. Schultz, Secretary of Labor, Li- censing & Regulation; and David R. Brinkley, Secretary of Budget & Management. “I take a lot of pride in supporting the state’s horse industry, not just as a farmer and as an ac- tive member of the horse community, but as a legislator who understands the vital role it plays in Maryland’s tourism, agricultural and sporting industries,” said Senator Jennings in his Janu- ary 2018 Annapolis Update. “I was honored to speak at a legislative forum for the Maryland Horse Industry, a coalition of many groups rep- resenting various sports, activities and educa- tional opportunities that involve horses.” Maryland Horse Industry Day was presented
by the Maryland Horse Council, Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association, Fasig- Tipton Co., Maryland Association for Wild- life Conservation, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Horse Industry Board,
FEBRUARY 2018 | THE EQUIERY | 9 continued...
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