“Closer To Home”: Davis County’s Equestrian Enthusiasts Celebrate $5 Million Legacy Center Transformation

On October 26, the equestrian community in Davis County found a new reason to be excited. After years of waiting, they finally got what they had been hoping for. The County Commissioner delivered on his promise made to the community in 2017 with the help of investments from Utah State University. Davis County has shared a long relationship with equestrian sports, but in the absence of a permanent fixture, that legacy was not flourishing.

The local community petitioned Commissioner Randy Elliott to build an all-encompassing equine center in the town. This week, the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind equine facility answered that long-awaited plea.

Davis County fosters tie with equestrian community

Commissioners Randy Elliott and Lorene Kamalu cut the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony on October 26. The Davis Agricultural Heritage Center’s Equine Facility was then opened to the public. The County officials, USU Botanical Center, 4-H, and the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Club joined forces to make the equine center a reality. Ken White, the Dean of Agriculture & Applied Sciences at USU, broke the news on the internet with an X post that read, “Exciting news for Davis County! This week, we opened the brand new Davis Agricultural Heritage Center’s Equine Facility. This fantastic addition will bring equestrian opportunities closer to home as the community grows. Thanks to everyone involved!” With that, the equestrian community in the area has found a permanent home.

The new Davis Agricultural Heritage Center is located at 676 S. 50 West in Kaysville, very close to the USU Botanical Center. It will be a venerable site to enjoy barrel racing, open riding, mounted shooters, etc. The center is massive, with a 280×130 indoor coverage area and 280×150 outdoors. The equestrian center came into being with the support from the local government that rerouted $5 million raised from tourism for the transformation of the old legacy center. This money went into building an arena that can seat 250 spectators, a state-of-the-art equine care facility, and modern horse racing equipment. However, none of these would have been possible without the help and support from Utah State University.

A key partnership

USU was probably the first to step up to help bring this dream to fruition. Randy Elliot expressed his gratitude to the University, saying, “We wanted a place where the 4-H and equestrians could go. We partnered with the USU Botanical Center to support the past and make an investment in the future”. Even Justen Smith, the director of the Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, thanked the University, especially Ken White. He also thanked Kaysville City, saying, “The amount of in-kind work that has been done behind the scenes thanks to Kaysville and the mayor is mind-boggling”.

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Justen Smith is also feeling positive about the future of equestrian sports. He believes the new legacy center will be at the center of all equestrian activities in the region. This new development will pump new blood into the sport and also bring new supporters in the time to come.

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