Maryland Estate Tax Reform Bill Now Law
Bill Protects Generational Transfer of Agricultural Property
On May 22, 2012, Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance released the following statement on the signing of estate tax reform legislation that would protect the generational transfer of farmland.
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7 Harness Horses In Pile-Up at Rosecroft
On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 7 horses were involved were involved in what can only be described as a pile-up on Rosecroft Raceway (For Washington, MD). All the horses involved in the incident were uninjured, but three drivers went to Prince George’s County Hospital.
According to Rosecoft, the accident occurred in the one mile 5th race when the lead horse, Pinderonabender, driven by William Carter, took a bad step approaching the final three-eighths of a mile point of the race. That started a chain reaction that involved seven of the nine horses in the race.
Carter has received stitches around his ears for cuts received and has three fractured vertebrae. Driver Donnie Russell has an internal wrist fracture and suffered a separated collarbone which was reset. He was scheduled to have surgery later yesterday afternoon. Driver Justin Hite has a cracked heel and a broken bone in the top part of his foot.
The remainder of the drivers involved in the accident
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Preakness Week: Maryland Horse People Committed To Efforts to Prevent Injuries in Race Horses
Preakness is upon us, and with that comes the glare of the national media spotlight.
The glare is particularly harsh this year, as the New York Times has been leveraging the Triple Crown time to publish an investigation into the sport of horse racing; the investigation was in reaction to an increased number of breakdowns at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The ensuing investigative articles have focused on the percentage of breakdowns nationally, and – understandably – lead to the assumption that breakdowns and injuries in Maryland racing will track with the national statistic. But that is not the case,
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Hoffberger: He’s back!
On May 3, we reported that the members of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association had voted on a critical bylaw change that portended a dramatic regime change. Currently the president and vice president of the MTHA are elected by the Board, not the general membership. The MTHA operates like a union, negotiating contracts worth, over the years, millions and millions of dollars. Hoffberger (who once quipped to this publisher that we could just call him “King Richard”) has kept an iron-fisted grip on the organization for the last 27 years. To be fair, many people (including some of those agitating for change) credit Hoffberger with accomplishing many things on behalf of the horsemen. However, after 27 years under just one president, the members clearly expressed that they were ready for a change of leadership with their vote to change the bylaws.
At this point, many thought “game over,” that this was it for Hoffberger and there was going to be a new regime, a rebirth, an MTHA spring! However, in our closing paragraph we warned our readers: “let’s not count Hoffberger out yet.” And we were right.
On Monday, May 7, according to various sources, the MTHA Board of Directors had a closed meeting during which
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Take the National Equine Industry Survey
All horse people are encouraged to participate in the 2012 AHP Equine Industry Survey. The survey opened March 5 and closes May 15, 2012. The survey is being conducted by the American Horse Publications Association, of which The Equiery is a member.
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Rosie Napravnik becomes first lady jockey to win Kentucky Oaks
After severe weather delayed the running of the 2012 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks (Churchill Downs, Kentucky) by 30 minutes, Believe You Can (orange/green silks), trained by Larry Jones and owned by Brereton C. Jones of Kentucky, edged out Broadway’s Alibi to win by 3/4 lengths. In the irons was Maryland’s own Rosie Napravnik, who raced into the history books to become the first woman jockey to ever win the Kentucky Oaks.
To read more about her historic win, click here.
A Maryland Racing Renaissance?
These are certainly interesting times in Maryland racing! With all the glamor of the Triple Crown, it could be easy to overlook that we have just had several very significant milestones in Maryland racing…milestones that could signify significant turning points.
And these milestones are a bonanza for headline writers! “Maryland’s Arab Uprising” or “Arab Spring in Maryland” (about the “decriminalization of Arabian horse racing in Maryland–-who knew it was illegal?). “Mutiny due to Bounty” (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association [MTHA] members, outraged at what is perceived as their captain’s undue booty bounty, mutiny). And then there are the new drug protocols, likewise beckoning for headlines.
But before we delve into all that, we would like to report that the true power behind the Preakness,
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Is Anne Arundel hostile to Ag?
Is Anne Arundel County hostile to agriculture? If not exactly hostile to agriculture, it does appear as if Anne Arundel is possibly harassing local farmers.
Below you will find two reports from Davidsonville’s Steuart Pittman (Dodon Farm). The first report outlines the victory of exempting ag buildings from the building permitting process. This victory brings Anne Arundel County more in-line with practices in other Maryland counties, and would also indicate that the current Anne Arundel leadership is trying to be “ag friendly.”
However, the second is a report about county officials imposing “industrial impact fees” on agricultural activities. If you have a farm in Anne Arundel County and have been assessed such a fee, please scroll down for more information or to contact Steuart Pittman.
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Doomsday Budgets, Septic Systems, Flush Taxes, Animal Waste Structures, Stable Licenses, Ag Ed, Sunday Hunting, MALPF Changes
From the Maryland Horse Council’s vice president, Jane Seigler
At midnight on April 9, 2012, the Maryland General Assembly ended its 2012 session – without enacting an apparent compromise that would have balanced the budget through both spending cuts and revenue increases. This means that the so-called “Doomsday Budget,” which is balanced through deep cuts in expenditures, will go into effect on July 1, unless a special session of the General Assembly is convened to try again. A Special Session is a virtual certainty, but as of this writing, when it will convene and whether it will be confined to just budget issues is still up in the air.
In any event, the legislature did manage to dispose of a number of legislative issues of interest to the Maryland equine community. Here’s a summary of the outcomes of several proposed pieces of legislation that we have been following.
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New Visa Rules Go In Effect Today
From the American Horse Council:
Today, April 23, 2012, a new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rule that will impact the horse industry go into effect.
“Any [employer] in the horse industry who uses the H-2B program needs to be aware of this new rule. It makes major changes to the responsibilities of employers using the program and if the new guidelines aren’t followed employers could be fined and barred from using the program,” said American Horse Council President Jay Hickey.
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