HHR with Frank Lamb
Tucson, AZ — On Friday February 22, Frank Lamb, Director of Government Affairs at Wyoming Downs, stopped by the University of Arizona to fill the role of professor for the day. Mr. Lamb spoke in the ACBS 441 — Race Track Organization, Structure and Financial Management class, and later in the day, he participated in an interview with student Alex Sausville.
Historical horse racing (HHR) was the focal point of Lamb’s in-class lecture. He spoke to its history and the current state of HHR’s contributions to the Wyoming racing industry. As with any legislation, opinions change with shifting political landscapes. The machines were first installed in 2003 under a governor whose opinion was that racing people could choose whether to offer historical racing. However, in 2006, with a new governor holding a different perspective, HHR was deemed illegal by the court system. Despite polarized views on the nature of these machines, they are back in use at Wyoming tracks.
Mr. Lamb is quick to point out the benefits the Wyoming racing industry has received from historical racing handle. One the points Lamb emphasizes is an increase in quality mares and stallions for breeding resulting from a large increase in breeders’ awards, some of these awards being as large as six figures.
After class, Lamb sat down with Alex Sausville for an impromptu interview on the RTIP’s Off the Turf podcast. This interview will be included in the broadcast that will be available on Tuesday March 12.