NewsLocal NewsWarren County

Actions

'We can't pay our bills' | More than 200 horses could be evicted from Warren County Fairgrounds

horses warren county fairgrounds
Posted
and last updated

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio — County commissioners are asking the Warren County Agricultural Society not to evict horse owners renting more than 200 stables at the county's fairgrounds.

Agricultural Society Board President Dana Letner said on Tuesday operating costs are piling up and they are not generating enough profit — in addition to dealing with horse owners who have not been paying rent.

"We can't pay our bills," Letner said.

Letner said it costs $200 per month to operate a stall, and in August, the society said it would raise stall rent from $125 to $150 per month. The society says it is owed around $53,000 in unpaid rent from horse owners and has seen a total loss of about $96,000 in horse operations.

The push to evict is concerning for the owners of the 250 horses that call the fairgrounds home.

"You know a boarding and breeding farm is a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour operation," breeder Scott Hagemeyer told WCPO.

Hagemeyer contends outright eviction is a short-term reaction to long-term financial mismanagement. He said he believes it could upend the horse racing industry in the area.

"So based on proximity alone, three of the four commercial tracks are very, very close to the training center," Hagemeyer said. "And those four racinos have to have horses. They have to race in order to be in operation. So if the single largest training center in close proximity to three of four tracks close down, these horses don't have other places to go."

Next Steps

Warren County Fairgrounds is Ohio's largest training center for harness racing in the area. An eviction would leave hundreds of horses with no place to go.

Commissioners during Tuesday's meeting wanted to reach a deal where the county provides temporary funding to the agricultural society to help with the financial load.

The society is expected to discuss the commissioners' request next week during their Nov. 18 meeting.

Watch Live:

Scripps News On The Scene