On Sunday, August 14th, AHC President Julie Broadway spoke at the Jockey Club Roundtable in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her speech focused on current initiatives that the American Horse Council (AHC) is currently working on, as well as looked forward on projects that the AHC will be undertaking in 2017—most namely the updating of the National Economic Impact Study.
“The American Horse Council plays a critical role in the long term success of the industry,” said Ms. Broadway. “What happens in Washington affects you, your sport, and the horses that you love. The AHC works to influence what happens in order to prevent adverse effects, and because we need to influence change in a positive way that leaves open new opportunities for the industry.”
Ms. Broadway also mentioned that there are several issues that the AHC works on that directly effect the racing industry: H2-B legislation, three-year depreciation of racehorses, the Market Access Program, and ensuring there is enough funding for USDA to continue to fight equine disease outbreaks.
“The AHC also serves as a clearinghouse for equine tax information,” Ms. Broadway said. “We publish our incredibly popular Horse Owners and Breeders Tax Handbook and Tax Tips which are invaluable to horse owners and certified public accountants. Both of these books are completely up to date through 2016, so they include all the recent tax changes that went into effect at the end of 2015.”
In closing, Ms. Broadway spoke about recent and future AHC initiatives such as the successful Time to Ride Program, which introduces newcomers to horses; the establishment of the Equine Disease Communication Center; and the updating of the National Economic Impact Study in 2017.
“The Economic Impact study enabled the equine industry to educate the public, media, and elected officials in Congress and at the state level about the equine industry’s size, impact and importance. It’s critical that we update this information to be able to continue to accurately show how important our industry is to the U.S. economy,” said Ms. Broadway.
Full transcripts and videos of the Roundtable Conference can be found on The Jockey Club website here.