Celebrating its fourth year, the Open Space Pace Parade and Festival of Horses continues to grow. Festivities began with a parade down Freehold's Main Street, followed by a day of racing, live music and other activities at Freehold Raceway. Fittingly, a harness racing starting car led the parade, followed by "sheriff" and OSP founder Sam Landy riding Rainbow, "cowgirl"...
Celebrating its fourth year, the Open Space Pace Parade and Festival of Horses continues to grow. Festivities began with a parade down Freehold's Main Street, followed by a day of racing, live music and other activities at Freehold Raceway.
Fittingly, a harness racing starting car led the parade, followed by "sheriff" and OSP founder Sam Landy riding Rainbow, "cowgirl" Suzanne D'Ambrose and her Standardbred Independent Act, and "horse thief" Kate Vogel riding her mustang, Fez. The parade featured the famed Wells Fargo stagecoach, Miss Teen N.J. Rodeo Queen Kelsey Wallace, Lil Miss Rodeo New Jersey 2015, Kaycee Clanton, Lil Miss Kids Rodeo Round-Up 2015, Kylee Clanton, "Hambo Tony" from the Meadowlands Racetrack and various local equestrian groups. The Freehold Township Marching Band and Freehold Borough Marching Bands provided music. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Landy, of Rumson, N.J. served as grand marshals of the parade.
The Horsemen's Association of Millstone Township has participated in the parade since the OSP's inception. This year, 10 riders, one driver and three walkers took part, according to HAMT president Ron Harning. "I think the OSP has grown to a comfortable 10 to 15 clubs in the parade over the past four, probably averaging between 60 and 70 equines," said Harning. He added that it is a good showing for the desire to increase open space but personally feels it do little to "save" the smaller Standardbred and thoroughbred tracks, noting the smaller tracks can't compete with electronics. "The world is immersed in an electronic environment and this has spilled into all sporting events," said Harning.
Steve Luoni, of Highland Lakes, N.J., demonstrated tandem riding in the parade with his Tennessee Walkers, DJ and Pavo. DJ, now 24, was on the long lines while Pavo was ridden under saddle. "Tandem riding is a great way to start young horses without the added weight of tack and rider to preserve their joints in the long run. It's also a fun way to keep older horses active out on the trail," said Luoni.
This was the first year that riders from Allaire Community Farm -- an organic produce farm and riding stable in Wall Township -- were in the parade. ACF representative Melissa Smith said that it was the first time any of the horses, with the exception of her pony, had been in a parade. "We are very proud of how they all behaved. I always look forward to doing the OSP and Festival of Horses parade every year." Smith said she's been lucky enough to participate with a different group since the first one and "It's amazing to watch it grow bigger and bigger every year." She said it is very well put together and organized and always runs smoothly. Smith gives a special thanks to the Freehold Police Department officers for holding traffic while equestrians get to showcase their horses.
It was also the first time at the OSP for Christopher McErlean, vice-president of Penn National Gaming, which owns Freehold Raceway. He said there was a great turnout, and the organizers hope to keep building the event each year and add new things. "It lets people learn what racing means to this state," said McErlean. He added that horse racing in general is struggling, and from a racetrack perspective, it's hard for New Jersey to compete with surrounding states with tracks that offer gaming. Those gaming revenues help increase purses and investment in facilities, he said. "People are going where the money is. Unfortunately, that's not New Jersey right now," according to McErlean. Currently, gaming is not allowed in the Garden State outside of Atlantic City. If a referendum to permit gaming in other parts of the state is put on the ballot and passed, some of the revenue could help the racing industry. McErlean said he thought video lottery terminals, or "slots," at Freehold Raceway would be a great revenue generator for the state, open space preservation and racing.
RELATED: Rutgers to host symposium equine legal issues
The Rutgers Equine Science Center was just one of many horse or agriculturally related organizations with booths at the OSP. Dr. Karyn Malinowski, director of the RESC, said this was the best OSP yet, and congratulated the Landy family as great supporters of the New Jersey horse industry and the RESC. The RESC booth featured a packet on equine vaccinations, with posters on necessary vaccines and their schedules that stable owners can post in their barns. The packets are available from the RESC for $12. Other groups represented at the OSP included the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey, The New Jersey Equine Advisory Board, the New Jersey Horse Council, Helping Hearts Equine Rescue, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, Spring Reins of Life, Monmouth County 4-H and the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.
The racing highlight of the OSP was the $20,000 OSP Preferred Trot Handicap," at a mile-and-a-half, or three times around the half-mile Freehold Raceway track -- and what a race it turned out to be. Sevruga, driven by Andy Miller, trained by his wife Julie Miller and owned by Joe P Racing LLC, accomplished the deed in 3 minutes flat. That broke the previous world record of 3:01.3, set back in 1977 at Roosevelt Raceway. The win brought Sevruga's lifetime earnings to $1,159,326.
For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition.
Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com
To subscribe to the print edition call 908-948-1309.
For advertising e-mail mchapman@njadvancemedia.com. Find Horse News on Facebook