Call it the "Yellowstone" effect. The immensely popular television series about a family of Montana ranchers is giving a leg up to the Massachusetts Thoroughbred breeding industry, according to one of the new key shareholders in the state.
"I think the equine industry in Massachusetts is thriving. I think part of it is the popularity of the TV series. I see it with people who suddenly have this interest (in horses)," said Emily Wilmot, who at age 29 is a newcomer to breeding Thoroughbreds and is the owner and operator of Iron Will Farm in her hometown of Middleboro.
While Wilmot's theory is unverified, what is certain is that members of the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which lists 18 farms on its website, report an uptick in foaling and sales, and they see this as an industry revival that heralds a brighter future.
The industry suffered a huge hit after Rockingham Park in New Hampshire ended live Thoroughbred racing in 2002 and the curtain came down on meets held at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts for the final time in 2019. Those two tracks were the last of the 17 Thoroughbred racing venues that once dotted the New England region and supported a vibrant breeding industry.
Meanwhile, officials of the New England affiliate of the Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association have steadfastly lobbied the Massachusetts executive branch and lawmakers for relief to protect the horsemen and the open green space.
Those efforts paid off recently when the horsemen received assistance through the state legislators' passage of an economic development bill. A provision in the bill moved the final date forward two months, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 15, for a mare to arrive on a Massachusetts farm and have her foal be qualified as a Massachusetts-bred.
Current incentives available for Massachusetts-bred horses include monetary awards for owners, breeders, stallion owners, and developers for their horses who finish in the top three in any licensed pari-mutuel race held in any state. There are also special supplemental purse awards paid back to sixth place, according to the MTBA site.
"That (Dec. 15 date) is a designation that adds another incentive for breeders to raise Thoroughbreds to qualify for out-of-state purses. It is part of what is considered one of the best breeding programs in the country," said Anthony Spadea Jr., president of the New England HBPA and MTBA board member.
"Making this investment in the state's breeding industry remains consistent with the efforts of current Governor Maura Healy to create more incentives for farmers, who generally receive constant economic pressure from developers, to resist the temptation to sell their farms," he continued.
Arlene Brown, the MTBA secretary, owns and operates the state's largest and one of the most continuously operating, full-service facilities in New England. Located in Rehoboth, Briar Hill Farm had already been in the family of her husband, George, for more than 150 years when he died at age 82 in 2018. George Brown was the MTBA president for more than 20 years, and he was one of New England's most ardent activists for racing and breeding.
Arlene Brown continues to carry the torch. "The legislature and the administration are now paying attention to our rural economy, which is where our farmers live and work," she said.
Carol Casella operates Royal Breeze Thoroughbreds in Harvard, Mass., and she has been promoting a more focused approach to breeding that emphasizes high-quality foals bred by known pedigreed stallions and mares. There are now five registered stallions standing in the state, and the MTBA website roster includes grade-1 winning millionaire Long On Value, who was relocated from Maryland, and Maine, who is by 2015 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah and out of a mare by Hall of Famer A.P. Indy.
"The higher the quality of our foals, the better chance we have to run 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds at the best tracks with the best purses," Casella said.
Building that pipeline is somewhat restricted by the absence of a thoroughbred track in the state, but she says that breeders and horsemen can do both while "breeding up" to produce high-quality Thoroughbreds who can compete on the big tracks against top racehorses.
"We need to promote the high quality of our Thoroughbreds coming out of Massachusetts," she said. "The breeding program in Massachusetts needs to run in a higher gear."
Many of the state's breeders focus exclusively on Thoroughbreds, but others raise livestock to help support their breeding operation while also promoting agriculture and land preservation.
Said Brown, "The success of farms in Massachusetts depends upon how well farmers use their land to feed the demand for their products, whether that is vegetables or livestock."
In addition to Wilmot, 27-year-old Nogah Bust is part of the increasing presence of young women owning and operating breeding farms. Bust owns Johnny B Farm in Plainville, which is also home to beef cattle, sheep, and chickens. The mother of young children has her hands full with the pregnant mares preparing to foal, but she is excited about the future.
"It is hard work. But I was born for this work," said Bust, who gets some hands-on help from her construction contractor husband, Isaiah. "But we feel like we are making an investment not only in breeding and livestock but also in our family's future. There are others like us who believe in this work and believe that the future of the industry in Massachusetts is bright."
