Letter from the MHC President THE MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL
by Kimberly K. Egan, MHC President October is Horse Month here in Maryland and, as in
years past, our calendar is overflowing with an embar- rassment of riches. Tis month our state will host two in- ternational 5* competitions, one national championship, two regional championships, one state championship, two national competitions, and a $1 million day of rac- ing at Laurel Park, along with dozens more sanctioned competitions, schooling competitions, trail events, and
hunter paces. Our state may be small in size but we pack a lot in! If you are a horse person visiting Maryland this month, you are in for a
treat. Our horse industry is large. Indeed, it is the largest sector of Mary- land’s agriculture industry, which is the largest commercial industry in the state. Tere are more horses per square mile (7.5 horses/square mile) in Maryland than in any other state in the country, and over a third of Mary- land households contain at least one horse-enthusiast. We have over 800 licensed lesson and boarding stables and over 200 equine organizations state-wide. We have 58 licensed rescues and sanctuaries and 67 therapeutic riding centers, including over a dozen veterans’ programs. We have over 100 miles of equestrian trails. Our official state sport is jousting. Our large horse industry generates a $2.9 billion impact on the Mary- land economy every year. It supports over 28,000 jobs and generates $1.1 billion in wages. At least 88,000 equine acres are preserved in perpetuity as farmland. Te recreational riding sector alone generates $421 million annually. Te competition sector supports over 4,154 jobs in Maryland and has a $370 million annual economic impact on the state’s economy. Over 38,000 Marylanders volunteer each year to help care for our over 100,000 horses and to help run our plethora of competitions. Our large horse industry is also diverse. We are home to 40 breeds of horses and 35 different equestrian disciplines, including: barrel racing, competitive trail riding, cowboy mounted shooting, cutting, dressage, draft horse pulling, driving, endurance, eventing, fox chasing, harness racing, hunter/jumpers, jousting, mule jumping, polo, polocrosse, ranch riding, reining, rodeo, show jumping, side saddle, steeplechasing, thera- peutic riding, Toroughbred racing, vaulting, western dressage, western equitation, and working western, as well as several others. Our equestrian sports alone generate at least $1 billion in economic
activity. We have five international competition venues in the state – Pimlico Race Course (host of the Preakness States), the Fair Hill Spe- cial Event Zone (host of the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill), the Prince George’s Equestrian Center (host of the Capital Challenge Horse Show and the Washington International Horse Show), Laurel Park (host of the Maryland Million), and Loch Moy Farm (host of the Maryland Interna- tional CCI4*/3*/2*/1*-S horse trials, the Young Rider National Event- ing Championship, and the Area II Eventing Championships). And we are an easy drive to two others – Morven Park International Equestrian Center in Leesburg, Virginia, and Plantation Fields in Coatesville, Penn- sylvania (host of the Plantation Fields International Horse Trials).
Maryland punches well above its weight, particularly in the discipline
of eventing. Tere are more international level eventing competitions in Maryland than anywhere else in North America. And there are more na- tional competitions licensed by the US Equestrian Federation in Mary- land (19 events) than in any state other than Florida (21) and California (20) -- both of which are significantly larger than Maryland. We have 50 licensed eventing barns and 31 pony clubs with eventing programs. 3,000 Marylanders participate in the sport. Maryland also stands out in the Mid-Atlantic for its unusually high number of riding schools that have large and well-developed lesson pro- grams. Our unusually large number of riding schools and our ability to attract competitors from the highest levels of the sport – Olympic-level and up – means our competition sector grows every year. Indeed, it is the fastest growing sector of our industry. Our large horse industry has something for everyone. Maryland truly is horse country.
Marquee Events in October Te highlights of October Horse Month include the following mar-
quee events, In chronological order: • Capital Challenge Horse Show (September 26-October 4) at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, which is the big- gest horse show of its kind east of the Mississippi River • Maryland State Jousting Championship at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds (October 5) • Area II Eventing Championships at Loch Moy Farm (October 5-6) • Jim McKay Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park (October 12) • National Jousting Championship at Petersville Farmers Woods in Knoxville (October 12) • Young Event Horse East Coast Championship at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone (October 17-18) • MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (October 16-20) • Washington International Horse Show at the Prince George’s Eques- trian Center in Upper Marlboro (October 21-17)
Check our full calendar of October events on page 35 of this issue for more details and additional activities.
Join at
mdhorsecouncil.org www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | OCTOBER 2024 | 7
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