WARREN COUNTY — More than 75 horse owners hope the strength in numbers will give them the power they need to better protect their horses.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Warren County Harness Horsemen became an official association on Monday. It falls under the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) umbrella.
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The association formed after the Warren County Agricultural Society decided to evict nearly 300 horses from the fairgrounds.
As previously reported by News Center 7, the board said people have not paid their rent, which put a financial strain on the facility.
An OHHA spokesperson told News Center 7 that no fairgrounds within an hour from Warren County could accept 300 horses.
The horse owners say they feel better now that they are organized.
“What a rollercoaster it’s been,” Horsemen Tesse Perring said.
The Warren County Harness Horsemen had their first meeting Monday night, meaning the Ohio Secretary of State now recognizes its members as a legitimate group.
“Tonight, we elected a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer,” Perring said.
Perring said this association was needed because the stigma surrounding Warren County’s horsemen was unfair.
“I’ve had people in the community save me, and while the horsemen don’t pay their bills, I know that I pay my bills. I know that the majority of people that I know pay their bills,” she said.
OHHA member Scott Hagemeyer said the association would be willing to have a lawyer represent Warren County’s association, but it will not defend any horse owner who deliberately didn’t pay rent.
“Anybody that actually has a past due invoice, get that paid, get that current, and everybody else, if you think you’re current, make sure they think you’re current also,” Hagemeyer said.
Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is looking into the fairgrounds’ accounting over the last five years.
The Warren County Agriculture Society and Warren County Commissioners will present the findings of their lease agreement to county prosecutors on Tuesday.
Next week, Warren County Commission and Agriculture Society Commission meetings will take place.
Horsemen encourage each other to attend and voice their opinions.
“Show them that this matters to us. It’s our lives,” Perring said.
The Warren County Harness Horsemen have not scheduled their next meeting yet, but when it takes place, they will come up with bylaws and membership dues.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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