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Marylander’s have been breeding and racing Thoroughbred horses for more than 250 years.
Surprising for a state with so much coast line. Horse breeding and horse racing have an economic impact on the state that more than triples all other sports combined, and comprised 78 percent of the total estimated annual sports impact of $1.1 billion, according to the latest report by the Governor’s Special Commission on Professional Sports and the Economy.
The overall economic impact of horse breeding and racing in Maryland is estimated to be in excess of $1 billion annually, with the breeding component representative of about half that total; employment in the racing industry is estimated to be about 20,000.
This does not include the pleasure horse industry, which involves tens of thousands of participants and more than $600 million in additional economic impact. These figures also do not include the economic impact of the horse industry on tourism and the economic enhancement to real estate values, estimated at $100 million annually.
Horse farms in Maryland occupy over 200,000 acres of farmland, preserving valued green space and serving as a buffer to development. They are a critical element in the maintenance of the state’s agricultural heritage.
Maryland In Numbers:
Horses: 153,000 horses
Land Area: 9,774 sq. miles
Population: 5,615,727
Capital:..Annapolis
Counties: 23
Highest Point: Backbone Mountain at 3,360 feet
Lowest Point: Bloody Point Hole at -174 feet
10 largest Cities:
Baltimore: 635,815
Frederick: 57,907
Gaithersburg: 57,698
Rockville: 57,402
Bowie: 53,878
Hagerstown: 38,326
Annapolis: 36,300
Salisbury: 26,295
College Park: 25,171
Greenbelt: 22,242
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