The Good Life - Sept-Oct 2013

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The park holds events for thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, and
is one of the two horse parks found in North Dakota.
The NDHP is located at 5180 19th Ave. N., Fargo, ND. The NDSU
Equine Complex is situated within the North Dakota Horse Park on 14
acres of land.
Mike Schmitz, long-time volunteer for the NDHP, is hopeful and
excited about the park’s future.
“There are so many opportunities with the track and the location of
Fargo,” Schmitz said. “This is too good to let fall by the wayside.
After being dormant for two years, the park reopened in the summer
of 2012 for two weekends and has been persevering ever since.
“The crowds returned and the horsemen did as well, making for the
most successful and contentious meet in the Dakotas,” Horse Park officials
said.
Next season, three or four weekends of horse racing is their goal.
“It’s been a long road,” Schmitz said. “We were very successful last year
and this year and we’re banking on having a lot of success next summer.”
The NDHP welcomes all area horsemen to their six and a half furlong
racing track and stabling for up to 450 horses.
“Fargo’s proximity, in the southeast corner of the state, offers an “allpoints”
opportunity to attract horsemen and equine athletes from a variety
of sites,” Horse Park officials said.