In an application that is generating controversy over the use of racing permits, a Quarter Horse permit holder in Gretna, Fla., has asked the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering (FDPMW) for permission to hold barrel racing beginning Dec. 1, 2011. Pari-mutuel wagering would not be offered, but the license would allow for a poker room at the facility.

A spokeswoman for the FDPMW said Oct. 4 "this is a unique issue, and a determination has not been made" on whether barrel racing is permissible under a Quarter Horse permit in Florida.

The Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHPBA) and the Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association (FQHRA) have asked the FDPMW to not approve the application for barrel racing by Gretna Racing LLC based on their views that Florida laws on Quarter Horse racing limit that sport to conventional Quarter Horse races. Barrel racing is held as a non pari-mutuel event at numerous sites in northwestern Florida and other parts of the state.

Wesley Cox, a board member of the North Florida Horsemen’s Association (NFHA), said he expects that at least 80% of the horses would be Quarter Horses in barrel races at Gretna. Cox’s organization has a purse agreement under which its members would provide horses to Gretna Racing; he said he expects that some retired Thoroughbreds could be in barrel races at Gretna