Maryland’s Horse Industry Breaks Records During Pandemic

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Many industries took a large deed during the pandemic, but Maryland’s equine manufacture wasn’t 1 of them.

The manufacture really broke records arsenic ridership grew and farms were purchased. 2020 besides produced 20 Maryland satellite and nationalist champions successful 9 antithetic equestrian disciplines — including an award-winning farrier from national bridge.

Farrier Mike Poe knows a bully equine erstwhile helium shoes one. There are astir 80,000 farriers successful the U.S. and helium is the champion having conscionable won a satellite champion farrier competition.

“The gag I marque is, I get to play with horses and occurrence and you fools wage me, but the information is I bask being astir horses,” said Poe.

That connection is existent for a batch of Marylanders. In fact, 700,000 acres oregon astir 10 percent of onshore successful Maryland is devoted to horses and 2020 saw a 14 percent summation successful horse-back riding activities.

“We had a grounds fig of riding stables licensed past twelvemonth successful our full history, during a pandemic,” said Ross Peddicord. “We person 40 antithetic equine disciplines here. Rodeos, tube racing and bull riding.”

Last twelvemonth fifth-generation cowboy, Prince George’s County’s 13-year-old, Nicolas Jackson, who besides trains horses, became the satellite bull riding champion.

“We person much horses per quadrate mile than immoderate different state,” added Peddicord. “And we person 800 acquisition barns wherever radical tin instrumentality riding lessons. I deliberation that’s unheard of successful immoderate different authorities successful the country.”

There’s besides Maryland’s thoroughbred “Knicks Go” who earned astir $5 cardinal successful earnings, satellite cupful and breeders cupful champ. Knicks Go was calved and bred astatine Baltimore County’s Greenmount Farm by Sabrina Moore. She’s portion of the Community of Maryland Breeders.

“We person astir anyplace from 400 to 500 foals a twelvemonth truthful that’s a batch truthful it’s breathtaking truthful there’s a bully accidental for thing breathtaking to hap similar it has to me,” said Moore.

Sabrina, Mike and champions successful much than a twelve different equestrian disciplines garnered awards past twelvemonth and kept Maryland connected the representation successful a athletics that’s been a portion of the authorities for 350 years.

Additionally, Berlin Maryland’s Jessica Flores won the title successful the cowboy (or bash we accidental cowgirl) mounted shooting contention past weekend.

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For much information, visit: https://mda.maryland.gov/horseboard.