Ruidoso Downs has been a fixture in the village of Ruidoso for nearly eight decades, bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of visitors to the mountain community. But the racetrack is now moving its races to Albuquerque, raising concerns about what the shift means for a village long tied to the track’s economic impact.Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford pointed to a series of challenges the community has faced in recent years, including wildfire burn scars that have turned parts of Ruidoso into flood zones.“We have the premier racetrack of quarter horse, the triple crown of quarter horse racing right here in Ruidoso, 78 years strong, but we’ve had two rough years, now we got a third,” Crawford said.Because of those conditions, races are being moved to Albuquerque Downs for now. Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh said the decision was made with the animals’ well-being in mind.“It’s what’s best for the horse,” Baugh said.According to Baugh, maintaining consistency is critical in quarter horse racing.“Racehorses you don’t want to disturb their routine, so the better you can keep them on a routine, the better they do,” he said.The move is expected to have a significant financial impact on the village. Baugh estimates Ruidoso Downs generates about $160 million in economic impact for Lincoln County.With the track relocating, the grandstands at Ruidoso Downs will sit empty, and community leaders worry about how businesses that depend on racing traffic will be affected.In the short term, Crawford said the village is exploring ways to keep tourists coming, including adding more weekend events. Long-term, officials hope to find a way to keep racing in Ruidoso.“The main problems that they have is land,” Baugh said, “There’s just some obstacles in the way that the engineers have got to get past.”Crawford said Federal Emergency Management Agency funding could help address that issue by supporting flood control projects such as retention ponds and alluvial fans. Even with additional infrastructure, concerns about future flooding persist.“If we get a thousand-year rain event, it’s going to be a washout again,” Crawford said.Despite the challenges, both village leaders and track officials said they are continuing to work toward keeping Ruidoso Downs operating in the community.“Oh, we all are (trying to keep the races at Ruidoso Downs), we have been for several years now. You know anything’s possible,” Baugh said.“I’m saying that we’re not letting it go, we’re going to keep working on it. Many, many communities are fighting hard,” Crawford said.
Ruidoso Downs has been a fixture in the village of Ruidoso for nearly eight decades, bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of visitors to the mountain community. But the racetrack is now moving its races to Albuquerque, raising concerns about what the shift means for a village long tied to the track’s economic impact.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford pointed to a series of challenges the community has faced in recent years, including wildfire burn scars that have turned parts of Ruidoso into flood zones.
“We have the premier racetrack of quarter horse, the triple crown of quarter horse racing right here in Ruidoso, 78 years strong, but we’ve had two rough years, now we got a third,” Crawford said.
Because of those conditions, races are being moved to Albuquerque Downs for now. Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh said the decision was made with the animals’ well-being in mind.
“It’s what’s best for the horse,” Baugh said.
According to Baugh, maintaining consistency is critical in quarter horse racing.
“Racehorses you don’t want to disturb their routine, so the better you can keep them on a routine, the better they do,” he said.
The move is expected to have a significant financial impact on the village. Baugh estimates Ruidoso Downs generates about $160 million in economic impact for Lincoln County.
With the track relocating, the grandstands at Ruidoso Downs will sit empty, and community leaders worry about how businesses that depend on racing traffic will be affected.
In the short term, Crawford said the village is exploring ways to keep tourists coming, including adding more weekend events. Long-term, officials hope to find a way to keep racing in Ruidoso.
“The main problems that they have is land,” Baugh said, “There’s just some obstacles in the way that the engineers have got to get past.”
Crawford said Federal Emergency Management Agency funding could help address that issue by supporting flood control projects such as retention ponds and alluvial fans. Even with additional infrastructure, concerns about future flooding persist.
“If we get a thousand-year rain event, it’s going to be a washout again,” Crawford said.
Despite the challenges, both village leaders and track officials said they are continuing to work toward keeping Ruidoso Downs operating in the community.
“Oh, we all are (trying to keep the races at Ruidoso Downs), we have been for several years now. You know anything’s possible,” Baugh said.
“I’m saying that we’re not letting it go, we’re going to keep working on it. Many, many communities are fighting hard,” Crawford said.
