| 2021 County Fairs and Horse Racing |
| Mission Statement |
Provide support to local agricultural fairs and horse racing industry across the State to promote Illinois agriculture and horse racing industries. |
| Program Goals and Objectives |
- Provide swift and courteous service to all horse racing participants.
- Register horses quickly after receipt of application.
- Perform mare, foal, and stallion identifications in a timely manner.
- Provide requested information in an efficient and courteous manner.
- Make administrative decisions benefiting all facets of the horse racing industry.
- Schedule racing events to enhance and support Illinois' horse breeding and racing programs.
- In cooperation with the Illinois pari-mutuel racetracks, schedule approximately 175 races per fiscal year.
- Schedule approximately 250 harness racing events for Illinois-breds to be contested at 27 or more county fairs each fiscal year.
- Schedule approximately 55 Illinois-bred events to be raced at the Illinois and Du Quoin State Fairs.
- In cooperation with Illinois pari-mutuel racetrackes, schedule approximately 131 stakes and 147 overnight events restricted to Illinois-bred harness races each year.
- Schedule and adequate number of races at the county fair and state fair levels to serve and support Illinois' new quarter horse breeding and racing program.
- Supplement horse racing purses and provide county fair funding.
- Provide funding for Illinois-bred standardbred, thoroughbred, and quarter horse races.
- Provide stable financial support for each county fair per fiscal year.
|
| Source of Funds |
Agricultural Premium Fund, Fair and Exposition Fund, Illinois Racing Quarter Horse Breeders Fund, Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund, Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Fund, Illinois Colt Stakes/Championship Purse Fund |
Statutory Authority |
230 ILCS 5 & 30 ILCS 120 |
|
Fiscal Year 2022 Target/Projected |
Fiscal Year 2021 Actual |
Fiscal Year 2021 Target/Projected |
Fiscal Year 2020 Actual |
Fiscal Year 2019 Actual |
| Input Indicators |
| Total expenditures - all sources (in thousands) (a) |
$ 12,500.0 |
$ 6,398.2 |
$ 9,829.0 |
$ 9,524.5 |
$ 0.0 |
| Total expenditures - state appropriated funds (in thousands) (b) |
$ 3,600.0 |
$ 3,536.1 |
$ 9,829.0 |
$ 9,524.5 |
$ 0.0 |
| Average monthly full-time equivalents |
14.0 |
14.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
| Output Indicators |
| Number of registered thoroughbreds conceived and/or foaled in Illinois |
400.0 |
367.0 |
325.0 |
325.0 |
475.0 |
| Number of registered standardbreds conceived and/or foaled in Illinois |
1,600 |
1,530 |
1,919 |
1,371 |
971.0 |
| Number of registered quarter horses conceived and/or foaled in Illinois |
6.0 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
10.0 |
| Number of thoroughbred stakes races and restricted races (c) |
150.0 |
136.0 |
30.0 |
29.0 |
175.0 |
| Number of standardbred stakes races and restricted races (c) |
300.0 |
266.0 |
400.0 |
244.0 |
400.0 |
| Number of quarter horse stake races and restricted races |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| Outcome Indicators |
| State support as percentage of total purses paid to Illinois registered thoroughbreds, standardbreds, and quarter horses at horse races |
24% |
44% |
18% |
19% |
23% |
| State support for county fair awards and premiums as a percentage of total county fair awards and premiums paid |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| Efficiency/Cost-Effectiveness Indicators |
| Number of inspections per Bureau employee |
350.0 |
308.0 |
634.0 |
568.0 |
485.0 |
| Number of horses enrolled and registered per Bureau employee |
1,000 |
925.0 |
1,900 |
1,703 |
1,456 |
Explanatory Information
The Bureau of County Fairs and Horse Racing (Bureau) provides support to county fairs, 4-H shows, and the horse racing industry across the State. The Bureau registers thoroughbreds and standardbred horses conceived and foaled in Illinois and provides purse supplements to help promote the horse racing industry. The Bureau provides financial assistance to agricultural county and vocational fairs across the State to support awards to participants and facility maintenance for the purposes of promoting the State’s agricultural industry and workforce. The decrease in State support for county and educational fairs during fiscal year 2021 was due to the cancellation of county and education fairs throughout the State related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Horse racing was not canceled on the widespread scale that county fairs were, which, along with the increase in number of races from fiscal year 2020, and legislation broadening the criteria for what counts as an Illinois conceived and foaled horse, accounts in part for the increase in State supported dollars.
Footnotes
Expenditures expected to increase in fiscal year 2022 due to roughly $6 Million in additional grants for purse supplements awarded in fiscal year 2022. Expenditures of appropriated funds significantly different during fiscal year 2021 due to the Illinois Standardbred Breeders Fund and Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Fund becoming non-appropriated in fiscal year 2021. Variance in the number of stakes races held year-over-year is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Accountability Report
