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the Weavers. “Many of them have a second job ‘cause thy can’t make enough money right now just in horses,” Bill noted.
“The economy is affecting the horse business,” added Peggy Weaver. “Virginia used to be one of the biggest thoroughbred breeding states, we ranked fifth and now we’ve dropped to 11th.
“There was a time when fancy show horses sold like hot cakes but not anymore,” agreed Dee. Until recently, Dee worked for the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and she’s an eloquent spokesperson on behalf of the contributions that the horse business—particularly the thoroughbred end—makes to the state’s economy. “Just think of all the people who are employed in related jobs—feed stores, tack shops, farm machinery sales and repairs, horse trailer sales, blacksmiths, veterinarians. And thousands and thousands of dollars worth of horse business goes jjgfit across the border," she noted, blaming the exodus on Virginia's failure to offer breeder incentives and parimutual racing. Dee can rattle off the figures like the total value of Virginia horse flesh that went under the auctioneer's gavel at a recent sale in Maryland and translate that into dollars and cents of lost sales tax revenue. She sees the horse industry, particularly small scale businesses run by the little people, as one of the keys to preserving Virginia’s agricultural base. Horses aren't raised in parking lots; they need rolling fields that might otherwise be subdivided and paved over if it isn't possible to earn a living from the land, she noted.
In order to keep the business that relies on those open fields viable. Dee and her parents believe that Virginia must adopt the breeder incentives offered in neighboring states. They’re convinced that without government inducements, the state’s thoroughbred industry will move elsewhere. “The interest is here and the natural resources are here. It will be a shame if Virginia loses the horses.” Dee concluded.
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