When it comes to major equestrian destinations, Huntingdon County isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, this rural Pennsylvania community has been quietly building a strong equestrian reputation, especially around hosting horse shows, trail rides, and rodeos.
But when it comes to the economic impact of horse events in Huntingdon County, it’s not like talking about the Kentucky Derby bringing billions every year to Louisville. However, this small local place has a big potential, especially for equestrian tourism, which can significantly boost its local economy.
Let’s highlight some of the events, visitors, and other economic impacts on Huntingdon County centered around equestrian events or culture.
How Horse Events Bring Visitors (and Their Wallets)
Even though there is no big horse racing action in Huntingdon County, many people attending equestrian events pass through here. And every time a horse trailer rolls into Huntingdon County, someone’s spending money. Riders need a place to stay, families need food, and vendors need fuel and supplies. Even spectators are often overlooked in economic tallies, but they still grab lunch, buy souvenirs, and visit a local shop between events.
When it comes to events, you can’t expect to find a full-on thoroughbred horse racing in Huntingdon County. Yes, there are smaller equestrian events like rodeos, exciting county fair equestrian competitions, and plenty of trail-riding gatherings with thousands of people every year.
So, people take their horses to remote locations and ride them, and it looks like Huntingdon County is one of the hotspots on the map. These visitors often extend their stay to explore Raystown Lake, downtown Huntingdon, or the many hiking spots nearby.
Therefore, there are no big horse racing events, but a generally decent equine culture that surrounds Huntingdon County. This brings plenty of horse lovers, which eventually boosts the economy.
Does Huntingdon County Have a Proper Equestrian Track?
The short answer is no. When you take a look at the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association’s list of licensed racetracks, you won’t find any in Huntingdon County. But how can a place with such a big culture around horses not have a racetrack?
Well, we are talking about a small place, and proper equestrian racetracks cost a lot of money, making it unprofitable for Huntingdon County to build one.
The major tracks in Pennsylvania are elsewhere: for example, Penn National Racecourse (a combined racino) is in Grantville, PA. On top of that, the horse racing betting culture has gone online.
This means that even people from places with no horse racing tracks can place a bet and watch a race online. On top of that, horse racing betting online is legal in Huntingdon County, which is why we can find many handicappers coming from PA. So, if you want to analyze races and bet on the outcome, maybe you should consider the horse racing best bets by TwinSpires. This is a chance to show your handicapping skills.
The question is, how does the Penn National Racecourse impact Huntingdon County’s economy?
Well, the Penn National Racecourse is only a 2-hour drive away, and on top of that, most horse racing enthusiasts who travel from Pittsburgh or other places in the West, in most cases, have to travel through Huntingdon County to reach Penn National Racecourse.
This means they stay, they eat, they rest there, and the economic impact might be small for a big place, but for Huntingdon County is significant.
Hotels, Restaurants and Shops See the Biggest Boost
The businesses that feel the impact most immediately are the ones that serve travelers. Since there is no racecourse or big horse racing event in the county, the only economic impact from the equine industry is from smaller events that attract mostly locals, and from travelers who transit through Huntingdon County. It is a lovely place, and people love to sightsee. There are plenty of things to see in Huntingdon.
That’s why restaurants see a surge during the weekends, and Airbnb hosts love event season.
This is also a time when shops selling feed, tack, western wear, and outdoor gear also benefit. Even unrelated stores like gift shops, bakeries, and small-town boutiques also experience an increase in traffic during certain times of the year due to horse racing travel.
For many of those small businesses, horse racing provides the kind of revenue bump that makes everything smoother and easier to survive.
The Ripple Effect Extends Into Jobs and Local Services
With that said, the money doesn’t stop with food and lodging. Certain events that are not centered around horse racing, but have horses in them, attract large crowds, which means that even organizers hire temporary labor for groundskeeping, parking, security, cleanup, and setup.
Local farms rent out stabling space when they’re not using it, photographers, caterers, and audio tech get booked. Vendors sign up to sell everything from crafts to kettle corn.
So, when you zoom out and follow the money trail, you’ll see a web of income opportunities that originate from equestrian events.
On top of that, these vents also bring tax revenue. Yes, not the glamorous part of the story, but an important asset that makes Huntingdon County a better place to live for the locals.
More visitors mean more local spending, which contributes to community services, infrastructure improvements, and future tourism investments.
What Does the Future Hold?
Well, Huntingdon County won’t become the next horse racing capital for sure. There are no big horse racing venues, and there won’t be anytime soon. However, this doesn’t mean that the equestrian culture is dying.
The area has space to expand facilities, and tourism organizations have been showing a steady improvement with their marketing campaigns. Since horse events can make Huntingdon County a great tourist attraction, we can speculate that in the future, there will be more such events.
