LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2020) – The NTRA Legislative Action Campaign (LAC), a program that supports the breeding and racing industry’s federal legislative efforts in Washington, D.C., attracted voluntary contributions of nearly $750,000 in 2019. The amount contributed to the Campaign, which released its online annual report today, is the highest since the pre-recession year 2008.

Funding for the program, which was supported by more than 5,000 individuals and farms, is raised primarily through the NTRA’s voluntary check-off program supported by buyers and consignors at sales hosted by the NTRA’s sales company partners and equal to ¼% of the auction prices of horses sold. Other contributors to the program include the sale companies themselves, National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour members who contribute a portion of their $50 annual dues, as well as supporters of the NTRA’s Foal Program.

The work of the NTRA federal legislative team in Washington, which is funded entirely by the LAC, has directly contributed to such recent industry successes as the COVID-19 economic relief legislation available to segments of the horse breeding and racing industry and the reinstatement of three-year depreciation as an option for all racehorses.

“We thank the more than 1,000 consignors, buyers and farms that participate in the check-off program, and the thousands of NHC Tour members for the outstanding results with last year’s Legislative Action Campaign,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “We also greatly appreciate our sales company partners at Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, Ocala Breeders Sales (OBS) and the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (WTBOA), who support our legislative fundraising efforts by allowing the NTRA to work with their buyers and sellers across the country.”

The NTRA Legislative Action Campaign annual report can be found here: https://mk0ntrauj6jy9vera.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/20-290-022-LAC-Annual-Report.pdf

About the NTRA

The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the Eclipse Awards; the National Horseplayers Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twittter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).