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HORSE RACING, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE HORSES, ROCKY MOUNTAIN TURF CLUB AT WHOOP-UP DOWNS, HAS MADE A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA, NOT ONLY IN THE HORSE RACING AND BREEDING COMMUNITY ITSELF, BUT IMPACTING HAY AND FEED OPERATORS, HOTELS, MOTELS, SERVICE STATIONS AND THE FOOD INDUSTRY, NOT TO MENTION SHOPPING AND TOURISM SPIN-OFFS. TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT ON LETHBRIDGE AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA EXCEED $47 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR.
THE HORSES, ROCKY MOUNTAIN TURF CLUB HAS CREATED SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FOR HORSEMEN, AND FOR THE ENTIRE HORSE RACING INDUSTRY. HORSEMEN ARE NOW RECEIVING A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT NOT AVAILABLE BEFORE 1996.

TODAY, AT WHOOP-UP DOWNS, COMPARED TO 1995 WHEN RMTC TOOK OVER:

• THE MINIMUM PURSE PER RACE IN 2006 IS $4,300, COMPARED TO ONLY $600 IN 1995, A 717 PER CENT INCREASE!

• THE AVERAGE DAILY PURSE TOTAL IS ABOUT $52,000 IN 2006, COMPARED TO ONLY $8,200 IN 1995, A 634 PER CENT INCREASE!

• TOTAL PURSES INCREASED FROM $215,000 IN 1995 ($200,000 OF WHICH WERE GRANTS) TO NEARLY $3 MILLION IN 2005, A 1,395 PER CENT INCREASE, WITH ALL FUNDS NOW GENERATED FROM THE RMTC’S LETHBRIDGE INITIATIVE!

• ALBERTA BRED HORSES RECEIVE BONUSES OF 20 PER CENT ADDED TO THEIR PURSES. THERE ARE ALSO ALBERTA BRED STAKE RACES WITH MINIMUM PURSES OF $18,000!

• 50 LIVE RACING DAYS IN 2006, (PLUS ONE AT MILLARVILLE) UP FROM 18 IN 1995, A 180 PER CENT INCREASE! THERE’S ALSO A SEAMLESS RACING SEASON FROM MAY THROUGH OCTOBER FOR B TRACK RUNNERS, INCLUDING THE RACES AT LETHBRIDGE, MILLARVILLE AND GRANDE PRAIRIE.

• NEARLY 3 MILLION TOTAL HANDLE IN 2006, FROM $0.7 MILLION IN 1996, A 329 PER CENT INCREASE!

• EMPLOYMENT OF LICENSED HORSEMEN EXCEEDED 1,000 IN 2006, COMPARED TO 330 IN 1996, A 203 PER CENT INCREASE, AND WITH ANOTHER INCREASE EXPECTED THIS YEAR!

• THE NUMBER OF HORSES ON THE GROUNDS HAS INCREASED FROM 180 IN 1996 TO OVER 420 IN 2006, WITH A WAITING LIST, A 122 PER CENT INCREASE!

• TOTAL “WINS” FROM SLOT MACHINES IN BULLY’S MORE THAN TRIPLED FROM $2.3 MILLION IN 1998 TO $7.6 MILLION IN 2004, A 230 PERCENT INCREASE!

• IN ADDITION, COMMUNITY GROUPS HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN $600,000 IN BENEFITS FROM THE RMTC SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1996, BENEFITING GROUPS LIKE THE FOOD BANK, HANDICAPPED RIDING ASSOCIATION, 4H, KIDS’ SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM AND AMATEUR SPORTS!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN TURF CLUB AND MORE THAN 1,000 HORSEMEN APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA FOR THIS RACING RENEWAL PROGRAM.

Updated April 26, 2007 from the Price Waterhouse Coopers Report of June 2002,
and Serecon Management and Economic Impacts 2003.