IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
June 8, 2018
www.nj.gov/agriculture
PO Box 330
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0330
Jeff Wolfe
P: (609) 633-2954
C: (609) 433-1785
E: jeff.wolfe@ag.state.nj.us
(UPPER FREEHOLD) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and other state and local officials celebrated the Month of the Horse today with a visit to Fair Winds Farm where they toured the farm and the Hogan Equine Clinic.
Governor Philip Murphy signed a proclamation declaring June 2018 the Month of the Horse in New Jersey. The horse also is the official animal of New Jersey as equine-related services add an estimated $3.2 billion annually to the state economy.
“The equine industry in New Jersey offers a wide range of activities that serve experienced horse enthusiasts as well as those who are beginning or showing an initial interest,” Secretary Fisher said. “Pleasure riding, horse shows and Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing are among those events that occur in the state all year long. We celebrate our State Animal, the horse, each June by highlighting this important segment of New Jersey’s economy.”
Fair Winds Farm is in its 50th year as it was established in May of 1968. Fair Winds is a 500-acre farm owned and operated by Mark Mullen and his family in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold. The farm maintains a broodmare band of some 40 trotting and pacing mares. Fair Winds provides experienced reproductive, boarding, and sale services for mares, foals and yearlings either year-round or on a seasonal basis.
“We are honored to welcome Secretary Fisher to our farm for this year’s event,” Mullen said. “Secretary Fisher together with legislative support, has been very helpful with the many challenges that face horse racing and breeding in New Jersey and we are proud to show him our farm operation and the Hogan Equine Clinic.”
Fair Winds Farm is also the home of the Hogan Equine Clinic. Dr. Patricia Hogan is an internationally renowned equine surgeon who has cared for some of the top Standardbred and Thoroughbred equine athletes in the country. Dr. Hogan specializes in orthopedic, soft tissue and laser surgery along with ophthalmology, digital radiology and ultrasonography service.
There are approximately 42,500 horses in New Jersey with 96,000 acres devoted solely to the equine industry.
New Jersey has many top equine centers, facilities, and events. The Equine Science Center at Rutgers University, a valuable resource for everything equine in the Garden State, is dedicated to better horse care through research and education. The United States Equestrian Foundation headquartered in Gladstone funds programs that train and support top athletes and horses to compete at the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games and other top international competitions. The Horse Park of New Jersey at Stone Tavern in Allentown is a world-class equestrian destination, attracting equine enthusiasts of every discipline. And, the Gloucester County Dream Park is a state-of-the-art equestrian complex created to provide opportunities for horse owners to participate in shows and competitions and for the public to experience horse events firsthand.
To learn more about New Jersey’s equine industry, visit www.jerseyequine.nj.gov.
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