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ROB MCCLENDON: HELLO EVERYONE; THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON
HORIZON.
OKLAHOMA IS KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR ITS TOP CALIBER HORSES, AS WELL
AS, ITS TOP TIER EQUINE FACILITIES.
RECOGNIZED AS THE "HORSE SHOW CAPITAL" OF THE WORLD, IT IS HOME TO ALL
SORTS OF EVENTS.
YET YOU DON'T HAVE TO RIDE TO BE A FAN OF OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS.
OKLAHOMA'S EQUINE INDUSTRY IS BIG BUSINESS AND ONE THAT HAS A FINANCIAL
IMPACT ON ALL OUR LIVES.
ALISA HINES: FROM RACE HORSES, TO THOSE DOWN ON THE FARM, OKLAHOMA IS
HORSE COUNTRY.
IT'S PART OF OUR HERITAGE.
MICHAEL CARRIER: WE GET SO MANY PEOPLE THAT COME HERE LOOKING FOR THE "REAL
WEST."
ALISA: FINDING A THRIVING EQUINE ECONOMY.
MICHAEL CARRIER IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY CONVENTION AND
VISITOR'S BUREAU AND SAYS THE HORSE INDUSTRY IS RIDING HIGH IN OKLAHOMA.
MICHAEL CARRIER: THE IMPACT TO THE STATE IS HUGE.
I DEAL SPECIFICALLY WITH OKLAHOMA CITY AND OF COURSE, HERE IN OKLAHOMA
CITY BETWEEN THE SHOW HORSE AND THE RACING HORSE COMPONENTS, IT IS PROBABLY
IN EXCESS OF FOUR HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
CERTAINLY WITH THE SHOW HORSE SIDE, IT'S CLOSE TO TWO HUNDRED MILLION.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT IT'S AT LEAST THAT MUCH AND PROBABLY MORE WITH RACING
AT REMINGTON PARK.
AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN COUNT THE FARMS, THE RANCHES THAT WE HAVE IN
OKLAHOMA CITY AND OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THE INDUSTRY.
IT'S A HUGE INDUSTRY FOR US HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND A GREAT ONE TO HAVE.
ALISA: EVEN ASSOCIATIONAL HEADQUARTERS ARE HOUSED HERE LIKE THE PINTO HORSE
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
DARRELL BILKE IS THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT.
DARRELL BILKE: WE HAVE OUR WORLD SHOW IN TULSA WHICH WE BRING 2500 HEAD OF
HORSES, AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT WITH THAT ONE EVENT
PROBABLY THIRTY-SIX TO FORTY MILLION DOLLARS.
THEN WE JUST FINISHED ANOTHER ONE CALLED THE COLOR BREED CONGRESS IN
TULSA, AND WE'LL HAVE 1500 HORSES THERE AND THEY'LL HAVE AN IMPACT OF ABOUT
EIGHT TO TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WITH OUR ASSOCIATION AND JUST OUR TWO NATIONAL EVENTS WE HAVE HERE HAS
ALMOST FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS IMPACT.
ALISA: AN IMPACT THAT REPRESENTATIVE DON ARMES SAYS ENCOMPASSES MORE THAN
JUST HORSE OWNERS.
DON ARMES: YOU KNOW WITH THE JOBS THAT ARE CREATED, WE'VE GOT FEED DEALERS,
WE'VE GOT FARRIERS, WE'VE GOT VETERINARIANS, WE'VE GOT TRAILER MANUFACTURERS
AND DISTRIBUTORS AND JUST ALL THE THINGS THAT GO, ALL THE SPIN OFF
INDUSTRIES, IF YOU WILL, THAT SUPPORT THAT INDUSTRY.
IT'S JUST A TREMENDOUS JOB CREATOR.
ALISA: CHRISTA MORRIS IS WITH THE NATIONAL REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION AND SAYS
OKLAHOMA'S EQUINE INDUSTRY BRINGS DOLLARS INTO THE STATE.
CHRISTA MORRIS: WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT COME IN, AND THEY'RE HERE
ULTIMATELY TO SHOW THEIR HORSES, BUT THEY'RE BOOKING HOTEL ROOMS,
THEY'RE GOING OUT TO EAT, THEY'RE SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY ON EVERYTHING FROM
TRUCKS AND TRAILERS TO BOOTS AND COWBOY HATS AND THEY MAKE THOSE BIG
PURCHASES.
AND WE HAVE LOTS OF EUROPEAN CONTINGENTS THAT COME IN.
AND THEY MAKE PLANS TO DO A LOT OF THEIR PURCHASING WHILE THEY ARE HERE IN THE
STATES, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'LL GET GREAT PRODUCT AND HAVE A GREAT
SELECTION.
DARRELL BILKE: PEOPLE LIKE HORSE SHOWS BUT THEY LIKE TO GO DO OTHER THINGS TOO.
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY COME TO TOWN, AND THEY'RE HERE FOR LIKE TWO WEEKS YOU
KNOW.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES TO DO.
SO, IT'S A BIG BUSINESS CLEAR ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF US.
ALISA: ACCORDING TO SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE JIM REESE, SUCH COMMERCE
IS A BOON FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES.
JIM REESE: OUTSIDE ALL OF THE BUYING, BUYING FEED, BUYING HAY, BUYING WATER,
THINGS FOR THE INDUSTRY, TACK, SADDLES, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH
THE INDUSTRY, THERE'S ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN TAXES PAID TO STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
ALISA: SINCE 2005, THE OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR PARK AND THE TULSA EXPO CENTER
HAVE INVESTED TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION IN IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR
FACILITIES, KEEPING RIDERS COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR.
CHRISTA MORRIS: OUR WORLDWIDE HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED RIGHT HERE IN
OKLAHOMA CITY AND WE HOST OUR TWO LARGEST EVENTS IN THE SPORT OF REINING RIGHT
HERE AT THE STATE FAIR PARK AND IT'S SUCH A TREMENDOUS PLACE TO COME
AND SHOW OUR HORSES.
IT'S THE BEST OF THE BEST.
AND OKLAHOMA CITY AND THE STATE HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO IMPROVE THE FACILITIES,
THE RIDING AREAS, THE STALLING AREAS.
WE KNOW THEY HAVE INTENTS TO DO MORE, AND THAT JUST REALLY MAKES IT GREAT FOR
OUR COMPETITORS THAT COME IN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THEY KNOW THEY'RE COMING TO A PERFECT SPOT TO SHOW THEIR HORSES.
ROB: SO WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL THE ECONOMIC IMPACT GENERATED BY THE OKLAHOMA
EQUINE INDUSTRY THE TOTAL IS OVER THREE POINT SIX BILLION DOLLARS, YIELDING
ROUGHLY THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT JOBS.
NOW WHEN WE RETURN, WE MEET AN OKLAHOMA STANDARD WHO WAS BORN IN AFRICA.