Fargo Horse Park Shuts Down

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Fans of horse racing in Fargo are disappointed that this summer’s races are canceled. The owners of the North Dakota Horse Park continue to have financial problems.

The track owners were supposed to begin payments on March 1st but when no payments were submitted and no payoff plan proposed, the racing commission said it’s time to shut down. Past racing seasons have been very successful but the underlying debt is a problem.

Sydney Larson went to the races in Fargo for the first time last year.

“I worked here at the barn last summer and so I really got to know quite a few of the trainers and a lot of the horses and it was a lot of fun,” Larson says.

She was disappointed when she heard of the shutdown.

“It was kind of a bummer that we won’t get to see them and have the good fun at the races and good company,” says Larson.

As was the NDSU equestrian coach.

“I thought everybody really enjoyed it so I was surprised. Kind of disappointed,” says coach Mattia Gunkelman.

She says the races were a way to bring attention to the equestrian community in Fargo.

“Racing is just something that everybody can kind of get out, see what horses are all about and get familiar with horses. And I think we’re kind of lacking that here and lacking kind of just the public being able to just be around horses,” Gunkelman says.

But the racing commission has been trying to prevent the closure from happening.

“The commission actually paid to have a financial analyst come out that was familiar with racing and take a look at the books,” says State Racing Commissioner Gunner laCour.

Horse Race North Dakota and North Dakota Horse Park Foundation are the groups that own the track. They owe the city of Fargo $1.82 million. If they don’t make payments by 2017, the track will shut down for good. And laCour says it won’t be easy to stop that from happening.

“I won’t lie it’s going to be very difficult,” laCour says.

The track shut down in 2010 and 2011 due to debt problems. But according to laCour, the amount owed was much less and it was a very different situation.

So for now, horse lovers like Larson and Gunkelman are hoping for a miracle.