Along with Sheriff Michelle Duncan, members of the Linn County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse and youth Search & Rescue teams hosted a horseback riding event for special needs children at the Linn County Fairgrounds, May 19th, 2022.(Photo Credit – LCSO)
Albany, Ore. – Last week, Oregon’s Linn County Sherriff Michelle Duncan and her mounted posse invited kids with special needs from across the county for a unique and fun experience of riding a horse, many for the very first time.
The event was held at the Linn County Expo Center which is the county’s official fairgrounds in Albany. The Expo was one of the largest evacuation centers for large animals during the 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state.
Sheriff Michelle Duncan on a horse with one of the kids who wouldn’t get on without her to ‘keep him safe’. (Photo Credit – LCSO)
The Linn County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse is a group of volunteers that assist the Sheriff’s Office in a variety of ways including Search and Rescue, event security, parades and community outreach functions such as the Special Needs Ride.
The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue members had also assisted with the event and were also able to enjoy some time in the saddle.
An online post from the Sheriff’s Office said, “Sheriff Duncan and her posse had a fantastic time with these kids. The kids may not realize that we actually get more out of connecting with them than they probably do with us!”
Sheriff Duncan told NW Horse Report that the Posse has been hosting this event for years, but explained it had been on hold due to COVID. “This was our first event in two years and it was amazing to see the children come out wanting to ride the horses.” said Duncan
Duncan elaborated about the Posse saying, “The Linn County Posse is made up of mostly volunteers who love both horses and law enforcement. They assist the Linn County Sheriff’s Office in search and rescue missions, packing in supplies or simply searching trails quicker than we can on foot.”
Linn County is home to nearly 130,000 Oregonians. Duncan was sworn in earlier this year as the county’s 41st Sheriff, becoming the first female sheriff in the 173-year history of the county’s Sheriff’s Office. Duncan, who previously appointed as undersheriff in 2018, ran for election after former Sheriff Jim Yon announced in late 2021 that he would not seek re-election.
Conrad, Mont. – A group of high school students from Conrad High School in Conrad, Montana, decided to take advantage of a little known Montana law, allowing them to ride their horses to school and knowing their principle would have to care for the horses during the day.
The school’s Facebook page promptly posted that morning. “Montana has an old law saying if a student rides their horse to school, the school principal has to feed and tend to the horse throughout the day. It looks like Mr. DeBruycker has his work cut out for him today….” said the post. Conrad is just over two hours drive north of Helena right off Interstate 15.
Raymond DeBruycker, the schools principle, told Newsweek, “I was shocked at how many actually went through with it. I had heard rumors, but I was not expecting 12 of them to do it.”
12 students in the senior class at Conrad High School, Conrad, Mont. , rode 4 miles to school on horseback on May 23rd, 2022, leaving the principle to tend to the horses for the day, apparently due to a little known Montana law.
The event appeared to be a senior prank according to DeBruycker. The school reportedly has a senior class of only 28 students, with 140 students total.
“This is by far the most students who have ever done this… I started my due diligence taking care of (the horses),” said DeBruycker to Newsweek. “A few parents took pity on me and brought a couple of different horse trailers in and took them away for the day.”
“I’m glad the principal has a good sense of humor!” one Facebook user commented. “Another called it a great way to connect with the students.”
Bend, Ore. – The State Veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced this week that two horses had recently tested positive for Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) and had been humanely euthanized. The press release reported that both horses were from Deschutes County.
A delay in the reporting of one of the horses has a number of equestrians up-in-arms on social media. Many other horse owners across the state are now on edge– worried about the prospects of an outbreak similar to that seen recently in California.
The first horse tested positive on May 4th, with confirmation coming from a out-of-state lab. The horse reportedly had visited the Prairie Complex at Oregon Horse Center (OHC) for an event in Eugene from April 22-25. According to OHC’s Manager Annie Fike, the NW Gaited Horse Associated (NWGHA) was in charge of this particular event.
A post made to the NWGHA’s Facebook page on May 18th confirmed the group had been made aware of the EHV-1 diagnosis of the horse involved. Nancy O’Dell Plunkett, President of the NWGHA, told NW Horse Report that they had also just been informed about the positive case of EHV-1 through the ODA’s press release. “We didn’t know anything about this until the State vet put together their announcement.” said Plunkett.
“Unfortunately, due to delayed reporting, this case was only recently shared with the department.”, according to the statement released by State Veterinarian Ryan Scholz. The press release went on to explain the second horse became symptomatic on May 13th.
“We do not have any reason to believe that the two horses with EHV-1 exposed any other horses at the Oregon Horse Center.” said Liz Beeles, a Public Affairs Specialist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, further saying, “There have not been any cases at the Oregon Horse Center.”
The Oregon Department of Agriculture Headquarters in Salem, OR (Photo Credit- State of Oregon)
Beeles was also asked why OHC was included in their recent report, which has since stirred many equestrians across the northwest. “The only recent travel history that each of these horses had was to the Oregon Horse Center, which is why it was reported.” said Beeles.
While also confirming there was ultimately not a belief that the horses contracted EHV-1 at the Oregon Horse Center, Plunkett did further express that she and the NWGHA are strong advocates for proper horse care, encouraging equestrians to also ensure they vaccinate their horses to “proper standards”.
“There were a series of things that extended the time before the first case was reported. The veterinarian waited to get lab confirmation back, which took about a week.” said Beeles in explaining the delay.
Beeles further outlined Oregon rules regarding veterinarians having a duty to report. “Any person practicing veterinary medicine in this state shall immediately notify the department by telephone upon observing clinical evidence of any of the following diseases.” which includes equine herpesvirus.
The horses owner, Nancy Cox, did not return a request for comment prior to publication. Plunkett stated that Cox was simply an exhibitor in the show, but was not a member of the NWGHA.
This made it unclear if the veterinarian was required to have made the report to the state veterinarian prior to the return of the lab results. A request for additional clarification from the ODA was not received before publication.
When Oregon Horse Center was asked about their feelings concerning Cox’s failure to also report the case to them, “…we are very disappointed. We would like to think the vast majority of horse owners are very concerned with biosecurity practices and would absolutely be in immediate communication with any facility they had been to within the month prior to the diagnosis. ” said Fike.
Plunkett also said she was disappointed having not been informed by Cox, but also expressed her displeasure at the prospect of NW Horse Report running this story and it “being negative”, after having been upset over a past article published by NW Horse Report last year involving the groups involvement with a woman convicted of horse neglect.
Additional information concerning further details into the timeline of the testing and results with the horse in the late reported case was not immediately available, along with information on the attending veterinarian in that case.
The Oregon Horse Center has also cancelled it’s events scheduled for this weekend out of an abundance of caution.
Information about EHV-1
The EHV-1 virus is highly contagious and is spread via aerosolized secretions from infected coughing horses, by direct and indirect contact with nasal secretions, and fetal fluids. EHV-1 typically has an incubation period of 2-10 days. Respiratory shedding of the virus generally occurs for 7-10 days but may persist longer in infected horses.
Following basic biosecurity practices is an important factor in reducing risk of exposure to all contagious equine diseases.
Basic biosecurity measures to follow to decrease potential disease spread at equine events include:
Limit horse-to-horse contact.
Limit horse-to-human-to-horse contact.
Avoid use of communal water sources.
Avoid sharing of equipment unless thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses.
Monitor your horse for clinical signs of disease and report any temperature over 102°F to a veterinarian.
You can count on NW Horse Report in keeping you informed about the latest equestrian related news. You can also join the discussion on Facebook.
Lexington, Ky. – Around 25 horses were killed in a Kentucky barn fire over the weekend.
Local firefighters confirmed that a horse boarding and riding facility called Brannon Stables in Scott County – just north of Lexington, Kentucky – caught fire early Sunday morning.
Fire crews reported that the stable had been completely destroyed by the fire by the time they arrived. All of the horses inside the barn had died, which reportedly numbered around 25.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Support from friends of the farm and the local community had already started pouring in through a GoFundMe account that has already raised more than $61,000 as of Monday afternoon. All donations are set to help Brannon Stables in their rebuilding efforts.
AUBURN, Wash. – Emerald Downs will offer a reduced takeout of 14.7% on all Win, Place, and Show wagers for its upcoming 2022 season. The reduced takeout is the lowest for WPS wagers in the country.
Photo Courtesy of Emerald Downs
Track president Phil Ziegler explained, “The most popular wager at Emerald Downs remains wagering to Win, and reducing the takeout in this pool, along with Place and Show, is a big benefit for bettors, especially on-track patrons.”
Live racing returns to Emerald Downs on Sunday, May 15 with a post time of 2:15pm pacific time. The 52-day season covers 19 weekends. Purses have been increased 20% from last season.
Emerald Downs will also be hosting the Kentucky Derby Day on May 7th for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby. Admission and parking is free. The free event opens at 7am with the first race from Churchill Downs being broadcast at 7:30am. The Final Race will be at 5:30pm local time.
More information is available at www.emeralddowns.com. Emerald Downs is located right off Highway 167 in Auburn, Washington.
Culver, Ore. – On Monday the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced that county EMS, fire, and deputies were dispatched to the Cyrus Horse Camp after a horseback rider had been injured.
Upon arrival they discovered a 68 year old female with an open fracture to her leg near the ankle. The rider had been “bucked off a horse” causing the injury according to the statement released by the Sheriff’s Office.
The woman was stabilized on the scene and then transported to a grass field at Culver high School to be transported by Life Flight to the St Charles Hospital in Bend for further treatment.
“Great job done by all those who responded and provided care and treatment for the injured rider.” said Jefferson County Sheriff Marc Heckathorn.
No additional updates or information have been made available regarding the woman’s condition. The Cyrus Horse Camp is located south of Madras, Oregon, between highway 97 (going to Redmond) and highway 26 (leading to Prineville)
Eugene, Ore. – The Arabian Horse Breeders’ Association of Oregon was set to have it’s flagship spring event this coming week. However, a Friday Facebook posting, the Oregon Horse Center which was scheduled to hosts AHBAO’s Spring Classic, announced that the event had been cancelled “due to low numbers”.
OHC’s post further went on to say it was a “hard decision”, encouraging anyone with questions about entries to cancel OHC. The event was supposed to run April 21st through the 24th.
AHBAO’s President Cassondra Richard spoke to NW Horse Report, “There are potentially a lot of factors that influence [the lack of] entries. [The Arabian Horse Association] changed qualification rules, there is a concurrent show in Washington, [and] fuel is expensive.”
When asked about her organizations prospects for next year Richards said, “We plan to be back next year! Please don’t forget our halter futurity. Our show has been around over 70 years, we don’t plan to let it die now.”
Bend, Ore. – A confirmed instance of equine influenza was discovered in Deschutes County, Oregon, by a veterinarian who reported the case to the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC).
A 5-year-old pony gelding used for pleasure riding was diagnosed with equine influenza. The horse had onset of clinical signs on April 6 that included fever, cough, inappetence, and nasal discharge. The horse was diagnosed with equine influenza on April 12.
There were five additional horses on the private facility’s premises that were believed suspected to be positive as well, along with 10 horses that had been exposed.
The pony was under-vaccinated and is now isolated.
UPDATED on 4/13 at 10:40pm pacific time – This story was updated to reflect a statements from Tiffany Gravelle who reached out to NW Horse Report shortly following this stories original publication. Additional court documents and information about a grant received by Gravelle was added to the story.
Eugene, Ore. – MG Equine Rescue & Therapy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit horse rescue organization based in Eugene, Oregon, was found to be concealing details regarding the organization’s status, including that Tania Herring was even involved in the organization, according to records. A slew of other legal issues and questions about the non-profit’s legitimacy and use of funds by the organization and its founders, which include Herring, continue to build.
Tania Herring pictured during her trial for neglect and abuse of several horses in Jefferson County, April 12th, 2022. (Photo Credit – NW Horse Report)
Herring, a self-described horse trader, was convicted yesterday following a nearly two day trial in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Herring was also notoriously known in the Willamette Valley before the recent charges and conviction, having be charged for neglect of horses stemming from a 2010 incident in Mill City, Oregon, in which 31 of 115 horses on a 12-acre property were seized by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
In response to an inquiry from NW Horse Report sent to the rescue, regarding their connection to Herring before her trial started on Monday, MG’s co-founder David Gravelle appeared to distance the the organization from Herring saying, “The therapy has not had Tania involved since Jan 2021.”
Gravelle further implied in his email that the charity had actually shuttered, saying, “As the therapy program was hit hard by COVID, and then health issues with my wife & And [sic] change of careers.” This also seemed apparent due to a October 2021 post made on the rescues website saying they were closing “due to COVID”.
Following this publication of a story about Herrings conviction yesterday evening, the website for MG Equine Rescue & Therapy appeared to be shutdown. A business Facebook page was also recently shutdown that had content still showing through Google. The story did begin to raise questions regarding the Gravelle’s rescue organization and association with Herring, as NW Horse Report had already found clear evidence that Herring was still involved with the Gravelle’s.
Failure to register non-profit with Oregon Department of Justice
After the Gravelle’s failed to respond to further inquiries about their rescue organization and association to Herring, NW Horse Report discovered other issues. This included the organizations failure to register with the Charities Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, a legal requirement for all Oregon public benefit corporations, which is one of several types of non-profits under Oregon corporation standards.
It was also discovered that the rescue had a similar name to the Gravelle’s for-profit business– MG Equine Farm, LLC. The facility for both the non-profit organization and for-profit business shared the same address off Lakeview Drive northwest of Eugene, raising questions about comingling between the two entities at the Gravelle’s personally owned property.
When NW Horse Report could not find any records for the rescue with the Oregon DOJ, nor any fillings of an annual CT-12 financial disclosure, a inquiry was sent to the Oregon Department of Justice seeking confirmation.
A copy of the Articles of Incorporation from June of 2020 that only recently were submitted by MG Equine Rescue & Therapy to the Oregon Department of Justice. The document confirms that Tania Herring was a Director for the rescue. The actual application document that is dated recently listed Herring as the Vice-President.
Kristina Edmunson, Communications Director for the Oregon DOJ, told NW Horse Report that while it had no known complaints regarding the rescue, MG Equine Rescue had only just recently submitted its registration application.
Records provided to NW Horse Report by Edmunson showed that Tiffany Gravelle submitted the organizations application and other materials on or about March 24th and 25th, 2022. This appeared to follow a 3rd formal notice sent to the organization by the Oregon DOJ dated March 1st, 2022 regarding the organizations failure to comply with the registration requirements. The notice indicated the matter would be elevated for potential legal action against the directors and officers of the non-profit if they didn’t comply.
Not only did the horse rescue’s articles of incorporation show that Herring was a Director when formed in June of 2020, alongside Tiffany and David Gravelle, the registration application only just recently submitted to the Oregon DOJ listed Tania Herring as an officer of the non-profit, specifically Vice-President.
The Gravelle’s intentionally were working not only to avoid disclosure of any involvement by Herring by provided false statements to NW Horse Report, but may have also been avoiding the public disclosure by skirting registration with the Oregon Department of Justice for nearly 2-years.
Tiffany Gravelle did eventually make several claims, although they were repeatedly conflicting. Mrs. Gravelle claimed that Herring had been removed last year from the organization as her husband said in an email earlier this week. She also stated that 5 new directors had been appointed to their board, but that the documents they provided to the DOJ were only the initial articles from 2020, all in an effort to explain the discrepancy.
When pressed with additional information, Gravelle then claimed that Mr. Gravelle mistakenly said “2021”, having intended on saying January of 2022. However, when Mrs. Gravelle was asked about the document dated last month that she signed showing only the three of them in a board of officer role for the entire organization, including Herring as the “VP”, her story began to change again.
Mrs. Gravelle then claimed that Herring was removed just days ago by their board of directors, claiming to have just learned about the new charges for which Herring received convictions on 2 counts of neglect. She then claimed at the time there was only 5 directors total, with Herring being one of them. When asked who the other two directors were, she declined to provide any specifics, along with the new director she claimed was appointed to replace Herring.
When Gravelle was pressed on how they were not aware of Herrings charges until days ago, she ultimately admitted to actually knowing about the charges last year shortly after Herring was indicted.
Gravelle then claimed that 3 new directors were actually appointed when Herring was removed (for a total of 5), which is why they weren’t on the recent application. These multiple claims ultimately didn’t add up, considering Gravelle had said the new directors were added last year. When clearly asked, Gravelle declined to disclose who the other directors were.
Mrs. Gravelle had also provided multiple reasons for why the required filing with the Oregon Department of Justice was never submitted; ranging from the length of time it took to their EIN paperwork back from the IRS, that a registered agent service Northwest Registered Agents didn’t file the paperwork, and that she simply wasn’t aware.
NW Horse Report asked Mrs. Gravelle if she would provide transparency of the non-profit by disclosing meeting minutes of the board of directors and the organizations financials, to which she said she would after speaking to the organizations attorney on Tuesday.
Gravelle also initially claimed that the organization was not fully up and operating yet and receiving donations or provide services, but quickly reversed course after being asked about multiple online fundraising campaigns documented by NW Horse Report before their website was taken down. Other third-party websites contained records of some of the fundraisers.
It did not appear that the State’s prosecutors in Herrings recent trial for animal neglect were aware that Herring was a director or officer involved with the 501(c)(3) horse rescue.
Mrs. Gravelle also claimed to NW Horse Report that Herring was no longer living at their facility/residence following her conviction of animal neglect yesterday. When asked about Herring’s horses on her property she said that Herring was no longer the owner and that the horses would being moved shortly, but declined to provide any further information as to who had bought the horses and where they were going.
When asked about why they were involved with Herring in forming the rescue considering their knowledge of the charges in the 2010 incident, as well as knowing about the new charges stemming from the 2019 incident, Mrs. Gravelle said she wasn’t going to comment.
According to documents from the Oregon DOJ, MG Equine Rescue & Therapy now has until July 15th to file their overdue CT-12 financial disclosures for 2020, and an extension to November 15th to file their CT-12 for 2021.
Gravelle’s & their business face slew of recent lawsuits from local businesses for non-payment, bad checks
Between 2018 and 2021 alone, the Gravelle’s and their business MG Equine Farm, LLC, have also faced numerous civil complaints from various businesses and an individual which in total together claimed damages exceeding $35,000. One one the several complaints filed in small claims by Lori Garcia of Polk County alleged MG Equine Farm had neglected her horse and returned it severely “malnourished” following it’s time in training. Due to veterinary bills she allegedly incurred, Garcia’s claims exceeded $3,000.
The heading of the complaint filed by an attorney for South Willamette Veterinary Clinic in 2019 against Tiffany Gravelle and her daughter.
Another case involved a judgement for approximately $9,000 issued in Lane County in favor of South Willamette Veterinary against Tiffany Gravelle and her daughter for unpaid veterinary bills. In a strange twist, a court filing made by an attorney for South Willamette Veterinary just yesterday (April 12th) indicated that the judgement had been “satisfied”, but it did not provide any details as to how much if anything was paid by the Gravelle’s recently to settle the claim.
NW Horse Report had requested comment days ago from the Gravelle’s specifically regarding the lawsuit with South Willamette Veterinary Clinic. Owners for South Willamette Veterinary and their attorney did not return requests over multiple days seeking comment, including explanation for the sudden timing. It is unknown if Gravelle’s suddenly offered a settlement, or any potential of a non-disclosure agreement after becoming aware of this publications inquiries that specifically asked about the complaint and judgement.
When Mrs. Gravelle contacted NW Horse Report following this stories original publication she claimed that she and her daughter had been making regular payments since the judgement was entered against them to the veterinarian. When asked about the timing she said eluded to it being a coincidence. The court record did not show any previous partial entries of satisfaction with installment payments on the judgement, but it is unclear if South Willamette Veterinary’s attorney waited until the judgement was paid in full, or for another reason. Gravelle said she could provide documentation showing that the payments from her and her daughter had been on a regular basis, but has failed to follow through with doing so.
South Willamette Veterinary has also yet to responded to requests regarding any ties to Tania Herring.
One of the complaints filed in 2021 showed a Eugene business called Urban Arbor Care, LLC, seeking $14,135 in damages from the Gravelle’s. The company’s owner, Charles Lystrup, detailed to NW Horse Report the extensive work performed for the Gravelle’s over the course of several days in March of 2021. Lystrup explained how his company worked on several trees on the property that posed issues for a large number of horses, as well as being told that the horses and facility were part of a non-profit horse rescue.
One of the NSF checks received by Urban Arbor Care that was presented as an exhibit in their legal filing against David & Tiffany Gravelle.
When asked if the story about the horse rescue was why Lystrup didn’t require payment upfront, he said, “not really, at that point I just always had faith that people I’m meeting are honest.” Lystrup also expressed how being stiffed on a large job like the one for the Gravelle’s hurts his small family business, “It can take 5-10 more jobs of a similar size just to make it up,” said Lystrup.
Gravelle declined to say much except she was in the process of resolving and paying Lystrup’s company what she owed, but declined further comment until she spoke to her attorney on Tuesday.
Another complaint was filed by Roto-Rooter franchisee obtained a $6,350 judgement in 2019. An asphalt paving company also obtained an outstanding judgement for $6,319 against the Gravelle’s.
During part of the same period of time that the Gravelle’s racked up a debt to local vendors, Tiffany Gravelle also received $8,979 from a Watershed Enhancement Board grant. This included horse corral panels totaling $5,649. The grant was handled by the Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District, who confirmed the grant application was filed by Mrs. Gravelle individually and made no mention of her for-profit business, MG Equine Farm.
Luxury and vacation cruiseswhile thousands remain owed
While these small businesses continue to have tens of thousands owned by the Gravelle’s, Tiffany Gravelle appears to be enjoying lavish cruises, often multiple times a month as detailed by her public business focused Facebook page.
The page promoted herself as a travel agent, which appears to have also been removed overnight following yesterdays initial story regarding the Gravelle’s and Herring. The profile detailed her work as a travel agent, but also had a group called “Travel with Tiffany” which showed Gravelle frequently traveling on lavish week long cruises over the last year and this year, sometimes multiple times a month. A post by Gravelle had also detailed a large number of upcoming cruises she was apparently scheduled on throughout 2022.
When asked if she had any explanation for a number of individuals familar with her ties to Herring and frequent cruises, Mrs. Gravelle deflected by claiming one of her cruises was, “paid for by the travel agency”. When asked about the name of the agency and what percentage of the cruises they were actually paying for, she declined to comment until she could speak with the attorney on Tuesday. However, Mrs. Gravelle’s had said earlier in her conversation with NW Horse Report that the attorney she was scheduled to speak with specialized in non-profit matters.
NW Horse Report also discovered that MG Equine Rescue & Therapy was not registered as an Animal Rescue Entity with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and did not have a affidavit with a declaration that they are not subject to the requirements (ie. having less than 10 animals). The official noted that if the rescue does not have more than 10 animals within the care of their facility at any one time they do not fall under their scope of authority.
An official with the Oregon Department of Agriculture additionally stated that Herrings conviction of animal neglect would likely severely hinder or prohibit the organizations registration, at least while she’s a director, officer, staff member, or volunteer of the organization. The official also confirmed that they would still work with law enforcement and other agencies concerning those prohibited from possession of animals being involved with the rescue entities that don’t meet the 10 animal threshold, but confirmed such entities fall outside the authority of their agency.
In a final attempt in seeking any comment before press time, a phone call placed this evening to Mrs. Gravelle went unanswered. This article was later updated after Tiffany Gravelle contacted NW Horse Report shortly after this story’s original publication.
Grants Pass, Ore. – Grants Pass Downs announced today it will not hold the 2022 commercial race meet as planned. The race meet was originally announced in February.
“As a result of the Oregon Racing Commission’s vote to deny an operating license to The Flying Lark, Grants Pass Downs has lost its economic engine,” said Travis Boersma, owner of Grants Pass Downs. “While we remained hopeful we would be able to host a viable race meet, the uncertainty here and across the industry has resulted in a drastic reduction of race horses at Grants Pass Downs. At this point, it’s clear running the meet isn’t feasible.”
Grants Pass Downs became privately funded by Boersma beginning in 2019. The track, race meet and purses were intended to be funded by profits from The Flying Lark entertainment venue. Despite going on record outlining its disagreement with the motion, the Oregon Racing Commission denied a license for The Flying Lark at the urging of Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Oregon’s attorney general.
“This is the result of the state and its leadership’s lack of understanding of, and appreciation for, the equine industry and the needs of rural Oregon. I believe this is just the beginning of a ripple effect that will be felt in communities throughout the state due to the actions of leadership,” said Boersma.
The cancellation of the race meet will lead to the elimination of approximately 50 jobs during the racing season. Employees were notified Tuesday, as were the horsemen and horsewomen on site. Those jobs are in addition to the more than 200 lost with the denial of The Flying Lark.
Boersma expressed it hope for the future of Oregon horse racing, “Saving horse racing in Oregon has always been one of my top priorities. Moving forward, it’s my sincere hope the horsemen’s associations, private investors and the state can come together to find a path to continuing this sport.”
