“Will horse racing stay at Western MT Fair?” plus 1 more |
| Will horse racing stay at Western MT Fair? Posted: 01 Sep 2010 07:33 PM PDT Posted: Sep 1, 2010 4:44 PM MISSOULA - Horse racing came back to the 2010 Western Montana Fair for the first time in three years and now the question is whether or not the races will stay. The races seemed to be a success at this year's fair as fans enjoyed two days of races. and in those same two days, the fair saw an increase in attendance by 65%. "It was chaotic, but it was a lot of fun. A lot of smiling faces in the crowd, people were really excited," says Steve Earle, Western Montana Fair Manager. "All three commissioners were at racing this year. I was there, it was very exciting, the stands were full, having a lot of fun, winning and losing a little bit of money," added Missoula County Commissioner, Bill Carey. "We're still recovering from just an overwhelming experience. I think if you were there, you saw just humongous crowds and just this tremendous groundswell of support from the fans and the county," said Eric Spector, Montana Downs President. Spector brought horse racing to the fair this year and he says he's extremely interested doing it again. The contract he signed with the county gives him the option of brining horse racing back again next year. But before a final decision can be made, Spector and the county need to iron out a few details. "Horse racing I think does bring people in that wouldn't be there otherwise and they do spend some money, that we wouldn't have otherwise. But we just have to wait and see what the numbers show and whether the vendor wants to do it again," says Carey. "Once we see the numbers for the entire fair, what we did revenue-wise, cost-wise and if the public sentiment has anything to do with it, you can pretty much bet we'll be back next year," says Earle. "The amount of money that's wagered at the facility just absolutely exceeded expectations. the money that's wagered though, doesn't translate to profits. So, the meet was not expected to make money, it was expected to reintroduce racing to that facility and to that side of the state. And I think those goals were absolutely met," added Spector. Spector wants to thank the fans for their support and enthusiasm for the sport and he says he looks forward to coming back. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Gila County horse races canceled this year Posted: 01 Sep 2010 09:05 AM PDT GILA COUNTY � Fans of horse racing will be disappointed this year to hear that many of the racing events have been canceled due to the state of Arizona�s budget cuts. The races throughout the state are funded in part by monies that come from unclaimed property. In total, the state�s races receive $1,000,000. This year, that funding is being cut 100 percent, affecting all counties in the state of Arizona. So far, a number of smaller communities that depend on the state funding, have canceled their races for 2010 due to lack of support from other sources. Floyd Livingood, Chairman for the Gila County Racing Committee, regrets that Gila County has had to join the list of races that are being suspended this year. Others include St. John�s, Duncan, Safford, Douglas, and Kingman. Livingood pointed out that the races themselves do not make money for the State Racing Department. Instead, the races have been more beneficial for communities that host them by bringing in tourism and small business involved in horse racing. �We hope something can be worked out so that funding will become available. Right now, the cuts are hurting small businesses that rely on the races for revenue. I know of a number of people who have had to sell their horses out-of-state due to lack of business here in Arizona,� Livingood added. Some larger races have been able to secure enough funding to remain on the calendar of events without the state�s support. The two largest are Turf Paradise and Yavapai Downs. Nevertheless, the cuts are hitting harder in the smaller communities. Horse racing is more than just entertainment, it is also a business - one more business struggling with the economic times and budget cuts. The cooperation between the horse racing committee in Gila County and non-profit organizations such as the Lions Club, and Emblems Club, will also be affected along with the tourism industry. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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