Page 167 - November 2016

went from 106 in 2013, to 89 in 2014 and 94 in 2015. Their main goal is to compete in the futurities and derbies exclusive to their racing at the Hipodromo de Hermosillo, a track without official recognition from the AQHA, which has also contested the Open Futurity for over three decades, with predominant participation of two year olds bred in the United States and purchased at major auctions of that country.
Another good attempt to organize the equine regional market is the auction that
for three years has occurred in El Fresno in Navolato, Sinaloa, which this year took place on Aug. 21 with a list of 42 yearlings originat- ing from breeders in that state, all eligible for 4 futurities next year with attractive purses.
The analysis must include the import of speedsters from the USA. We have no figures on the import of colts and fillies from the large auctions of that country, but it is a fact that hundreds of yearlings enter Mexico in order
to compete in the match-racing futurities that are done in the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Tabasco, and Chiapas, to name the main ones. Only
a minority ever reach the Hipodromo de las Americas because the prizes offered are less attractive than in the lanes and the participa- tion rules are stricter.
Importance and need For more racetracks
The Quarter Horse is undoubtedly the predominant breed in Mexico due to their adaptation to different climates and geographical conditions, and its versatility for use effectively in any work activity and sport.
Quarter Horse racing has a presence through- out the country where they compete in multiple stages of match racing, at the bush tracks in the lanes, and at racetracks in various other forms.
These “unofficial” stages are what keep the legendary tradition of horse racing in Mexico going and are also an indicator of what is hap- pening in the Quarter Horse industry nation- ally. However, given the informality in which most of them operate, it is difficult to obtain reliable statistics.
In the formal part, Mexico has only the Hipodromo de las Americas where it competes under international rules so that the results obtained there become part of the record
of each horse, their parents, breeder, owner, trainer, rider, etc.
The Hipodromo de las Americas opened for competition in 1943 for Thoroughbreds. It was 40 years later in 1983 when the quarter mile entered programming. For several decades, they had their counterparts in Tijuana,
Baja California, where the Agua Caliente Racetrack operated until 1992; the Hipodromo
and Greyhound track of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua; and finally, the Hipodromo
and Greyhound track of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, that were closed several years ago.
Contrary to the global trend, four race- tracks existed and only one survives when, according to estimates from the American Horse Council Foundation, the number of racetracks in the world has multiplied by 10 in the last 50 years.
Reference to these records is made because it is at racetracks where commodities of breed- ing and training, i.e. racehorses, are made
- where quality and athletic ability is tested. Those who excel become Champions who then move to breeding to pass on their skills to new generations, either as sires or dams. Racetracks are the triggers that make the industry grow and develop racehorses in each country when there are appropriate conditions, with multi- plier effects to different economic activities.
Proof of this is that in the case of Mexico, as in other countries, the auctions mentioned above are associated with their respective racecourses acting as a liaison between breeders of the future athletes and owners, who at the appropriate time, take them to compete in an organized manner in their facilities in coordi- nation with the respective associations.
The Hipodromo de las Americas has an impressive potential to boost the racing horse industry. But, as it stands, its relative isolation dilutes it by the distance and lack of incentives to compete in their facilities.
The proposal is to establish a public policy that encourages the opening and operation of new facilities in different parts of the national terri- tory, under clear rules that encourage investment
and thus move towards the professionalization
of horse racing. It is not about disappearing lanes and traditional “parejeras” (match-races), but to have new and properly regulated sites that are safe for all participants and attendees. Mexico has the capacity to have at least 6 regional racetracks – besides the Hipodromo de las Americas - which could be located in entities such as: Chiapas, State of Mexico, Jalisco (or Aguascalientes), Sonora, Chihuahua, and Nuevo Leon.
Some racetracks could arise from existing places eligible for retraining and many owners are willing to participate. This is the best way to keep the boom of breeding and the competi- tion of Quarter Horses in recent years and will contribute more to job creation, of which the country needs both.
en espanoL
eL auge actuaL
En México, la crianza de caballos de carreras muestra un dinamismo importante en los años recientes, el cual es deseable
que se mantenga. Según datos reportados
por la Asociación Mexicana de Criadores
y Caballistas de Caballos Cuarto de Milla (AMCCCCM), organizadora de la Subasta Selecta de Añales, en 2013 subieron al ring 303 equinos, en 2014 fueron 314, cifra que en 2015 se incrementó a 398 añales, con un leve descenso a 392 en 2016. Esta mayor oferta, se correspondió con un precio promedio
que pasó de $92,250 pesos ($7,096 US) en 2015 a $137,391 pesos ($7,516 US) en 2016. Esto indica que la mayor oferta se ha visto
Raising Quarter Horses and participating in the Select Yearling Auction, as a buyer or seller, opens the opportunity to race in futurities and derbies restricted to the yearlings sold at the auction.
SPEEDHORSE, November 2016 165
AROUND THE GLOBE
Luis Prieto Zamudo