Grants Offered for Open Houses Showcasing Indiana Farms

The Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance (ITA) is proud to offer grants for Indiana Thoroughbred horse racing farms and facilities to shine a light on the importance of horse racing in Indiana and the $2 billion dollar industry that benefits the Hoosier State. The "Indiana Equine Connection Grant" is being offered to assist farms who are planning to host a community open house. The goal of hosting an open house is to invite families, business owners and community leaders through the farm gates and into the barn so they can learn more about what that particular farm does and how horse racing and agriculture benefits the Indiana economy. "We were trying to think of ways to promote the horse racing industry and the men and women who make it their livelihoods," says Megan Arszman, marketing consultant for the ITA. "The best way to do that is by grassroots marketing. Show your local community how you make an impact for them, and invite lawmakers and community leaders to learn that you're more than just a large building on a bunch of land." Indiana Thoroughbred farms are invited to apply for the $1,000 grant to host an open house sometime in 2025. A few different criteria must be met in order for the grant to be rewarded: 1) The open house must have some sort of educational component to it (i.e., teach about aftercare and rehabilitation, lead a seminar on pasture maintenance, etc.). 2) The farm must do its own promotion of the open house, with assistance from the outreach committee of the ITA. The grant can be used to hire entertainment or food trucks, pay for marketing or promotional materials or to help offset the cost of presenters. "We've been discussing doing this type of thing for a while, and we saw the success that the Indiana Standardbred Association had earlier this summer inviting lawmakers to Crimson Lane Farm," says Christine Cagle, member of the ITA Outreach Committee. "We know how important horse racing is to the economy in Indiana. We know how important it is to us, but do your neighbors understand? Does your town council even know where the closest racetrack is? This is a way to do that on a more manageable level for our members." If you and your farm are interested in applying for the Indiana Equine Connection Grant, contact Cagle at carrolltc2@gmail.com.