Horse industry popular in Wright County

By Ed DuBois

      You can probably find up-to-date, accurate data on the number of cattle, hogs and sheep in Wright County, but the total number of horses is much more elusive.

      Nonetheless, people who know horses say Wright County’s horse population is close to the highest in the whole state.

      “Every year, some kind of horse show is taking place every weekend in this county all summer long,” said Jamie L. Pribyl, DVM, an equine veterinarian in Buffalo. “This is a very horse friendly county.”

      You can find all kinds of pleasure horses, as well as racing Thoroughbreds and quarter horses, and several outstanding stables with Arabians are operating here.

      Dave Dayon of Wind-N-Wood Farm in St. Michael has been involved with horses 43 years and has served as a horse industry spokesperson at the State Legislature.  He says horses are the third largest class of livestock in the state.

      Dayon has researched the numbers extensively and found that horses are not counted like other livestock.

      “We need a better data collection system,” he commented.  “The number of horses is the best kept secret out there.”

Economic impact

      The best count he could find was conducted about five years ago. The number of horses in Minnesota is around 160,000, he estimated.

      Wright County’s horse population was around 1,800, according to a 2004 report put together by the University of Minnesota Department of Applied Economics.  Wright County was right up there with Washington County, Hennepin County and Fillmore County.

      The report also stated the economic impact of the horse industry in Minnesota was $1 billion a year.

Clubs and arenas

      Ron Denn of the Wright County Fair Board said the saddle clubs and other horse riding and horse driving groups in the county are so numerous he has trouble keeping track of them.  The Buffalo Rodeo Grounds, the Clearwater Rodeo Grounds and the Wright Saddle Club facility are just a few of the sites where horse organizations gather for activities and events.

      The 4-H program in Wright County has a huge involvement with horses.  Brenda Postels and Nick Neaton at the Extension Service Office in Wright County said 150 kids were enrolled in the 4-H horse project last year.

      “We are the third largest in the state, behind Washington County and Dakota County,” Postels said.

      Denn mentioned that the number of participants who go to the State Fair (4-H and otherwise) keeps increasing.

Canterbury Park

      Dr. Pribyl, who grew up showing horses, is among Wright County horse owners who have enjoyed success at Canterbury Park. She and her husband, Steve, own a horse named Six It Up, which was the 2010 Champion Quarter Horse in the Minnesota Quarter Horse Racing Association.

      A Cokato couple, Bob and Julie Petersen, own the 2010 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse of the Year, Seis It Fast.

      The Petersens travel to or keep track of races throughout the race season.

      “We start in Texas and work our way up to Canterbury and back,” Julie commented.

Size and scope

      Dr. Pribyl suggested that many people in this county might not be aware of the size and scope of the race horse industry in this area.

      “Wright County is home to several breeders of quality Thoroughbreds and quarter horse race horses that have competed successfully on both the local (Canterbury Park) and national levels,” she said.  “What is most interesting about the majority of the folks in the race horse industry in Wright County is that they are regular middle class families (electricians, small business owners, dairy farmers, veterinarians, etc.) with a passion for horse racing.  These folks have raised some of the top race horses in the state yearly for the past decade and more.”

Champs

      Seis It Fast was a two-year-old that had five starts and five wins at Canterbury.

      Interestingly, Seis It Fast and Six It Up have the same father.

      Dayon enjoyed some great racing years ago with a horse named Come Summer.

      “He still holds the record for one mile and seventy yards at Canterbury,” Dayon said.  “He defeated Smile, a Breeders Cup Champion.”

      Come Summer won 1985 Horse of the Year honors at Canterbury.

      Now around 30 years old, the horse was a breeding stallion for a long time. Dayon feels a great attachment to the champ and said he is planning an April birthday party for the horse.

Tradition

      Dr. Pribyl said the huge horse population in Wright County has served as a strong base for racing.  A strong tradition perhaps began long ago with pony races at the county fair and branched out to more serious racing since that time, she suggested.

      Due to the poor economy in recent years, a decline in racing has occurred.  Purses have decreased significantly, she said.  Many people are encouraged by the prospect of getting Racino approved in the state.  Dr. Pribyl said it would benefit the state by helping the $1 billion horse industry get even bigger and stimulate more business with more breeding, more feed stores, more veterinarians, more hay sales, etc.

      She added that Racino could help Minnesota stay competitive with other states and keep top horses coming to Canterbury.

      Dr. Pribyl commented that, “Canterbury does a great job.  People want to go there because of good experiences.”

      She added that the quality of the horse racing park in Minnesota compares well with older tracks like Kentucky’s Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.

Beyond racing

      She mentioned that horses retiring from racing have good outlets at farms and country homes all over Wright County, such as barrel racing and various horse show events and activities.

      With so many horses in Wright County, the numerous options for their owners seem endless.  Dressage and even polo are just a few of countless opportunities in this very horse friendly county.

      We may never know exactly how many horses reside in the county, but we do know the total is significant.

      We also know the impact on the local economy is substantial.

      Dr. Pribyl mentioned that one in five Minnesota jobs is tied to agriculture, and even though horses are not counted like cattle, hogs and sheep, they are a major part of the agricultural scene.

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