I own a 126 acre farm in Millwood, Virginia, where I breed, raise, board, and sell Thoroughbred race horses.  It is essential to farms like mine that Virginia bring live racing back to the state, and that it do so in a way that fosters the health and future growth of live racing.

Historical horse racing could provide sufficient revenue to allow Virginia to increase annual race days, expand breeder’s programs, and provide purses that would attract top-quality racing to the state.  We will not realize any of these benefits, however, unless the regulations governing historical horse racing are flexible and allow room for future growth in response to market demand.

It is increasingly difficult for Virginia farms such as mine to carry on without a race track operating in the state. Like every agricultural business, horse farms must make long-term investments in land, buildings, fences, and machinery to maintain and improve their operations.  We can’t continue to make these investments unless we believe that live racing has a long-term future in Virginia.

Horse farms are not the only businesses at risk: the farms provide jobs and support a wide array of local businesses.  For example, I buy feed and supplies from feed stores in Berryville and Marshall; I buy hay from farmers in White Post and Boyce; I buy farm equipment and agricultural supplies from several businesses in Winchester; I employ a business in Clear Brook to transport my horses; I employ farm workers who live and pay taxes in Virginia.  Other horse farms have similar connections to the local agricultural economy.

Regulations that allow future growth in historical horse racing will permit live racing to thrive in Virginia.  Without flexible, growth-oriented regulations governing historical horse racing, Virginia will continue to lose farms, jobs, and revenue to nearby states that support live racing, such as West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.