http://www2.dailyprogress.com/business/ ... ar-947766/
could you imagine what would happen if the TB race industry returned?
What is wrong with this picture?
jm
Va Horse industry - $1.2Bil
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Va Horse industry - $1.2Bil
Run the race - the one that's really worth winning.
What's wrong with this picture??? I think the picture was never right to begin with. Seems racing began with the greatest intentions here and we couldn't tie our own shoelaces and let everyone else run the show which only benefitted them in the long run. I don't care what anyone says Colonial Downs is far far nicer than anything MD or PA has to offer, but yet it gets treated like the family china. Never utilized to it's full capacity and only taken out on special occasions. Not to mention there are tons of great public marketing strategies for the place they don't even attempt. Unless the VA Derby is there it gets mediocre advertising and I am sorry 25 cent hot dogs is not the be all end all to a crowd attraction. 
trying to come up with something brillant..... this may take a while. 
My point in sticking this out there is to raise the question - with so many 'horse people' in Va, what would be a seemingly large pool of potential breeders, stallion owners, trainers, owners, etc. should be so readily available. Add to this the incredible landscapes in Va Horse country making this an terrific place to live, it would seem that the industry here should prosper. Instead, it has tanked, with all of the big stud farms long gone. Va breeds fewer TB foals than SD I think.
Some of this is understandable, in part, because the highly risky market at the moment. But relative to other states this has been going on for as long as I'm here. (20 yrs).
Maybe what's needed is a TB Development czar on the state level to analyze the underlying causes, and look for ways to bring things from the potential to the realized.
jm
Some of this is understandable, in part, because the highly risky market at the moment. But relative to other states this has been going on for as long as I'm here. (20 yrs).
Maybe what's needed is a TB Development czar on the state level to analyze the underlying causes, and look for ways to bring things from the potential to the realized.
jm
Run the race - the one that's really worth winning.
Oh god Virginia needs help but definitely not in the form of Losersus....er I mean Kegasus. Edward P. Evans imo was the only one who seemed to be dropping VA breds left and right and running a nice operation. I am sure there are nice operations here on a smaller level, but again who wants to delve into the business when VA has a splendid whopping 2 month meet with some of the lowest purses around. I don't know very many jobs that one could work at for 2 months and be set for the rest of the year. And since we will never see slots we are doubly scr#$ed.
trying to come up with something brillant..... this may take a while.