The Italian horse racing sector, which employs 9,000 people and generates over a billion euros annually, is in severe decline due to poor management by Unire, Assi, and the Mipaaf. These bodies have failed to coordinate the agricultural and gaming aspects effectively, leading to withheld prize payments since 2015 and a dramatic drop in betting revenues. Racehorse owners, the industry’s backbone, have been neglected, causing a sharp reduction in their numbers and investments. Bureaucratic inefficiency and misallocation of funds, such as excessive payments to a TV channel that merely broadcasts races without producing content, have further crippled the sector.

In response, Italian equestrian entrepreneurs have united under the Italian Equestrian League, calling for urgent reforms including the completion of the Agricultural Bill and privatization to grant full management autonomy and tax relief. They argue that the sector’s decline is not only economic but also a loss of dignity, emphasizing the need for a sustainable revival plan to restore the industry’s viability and respect.