SEPTEMBER 2012 THE RIDER /27 Continued on Page 26


For anyone who knows me, knows that I own and show halter horses, and very seldom have I been spotted in a saddle! My original plan was to attend the ride, help out if need- ed, but not to actually ride a horse on the ride. On my drive up from Ottawa on Saturday morning through storms and downpours, I was skeptical that anyone would even be able to get out for a ride. As I pulled up to the Esker Springs Ranch and the rain had subsid- ed, I was happy to see a number of horse trailers and a bunch of dedicated individuals that didn’t get scared off by a little bit of rain. Everyone was socializing after enjoying a delicious meal of home cooked ham and roast beef on a bun, vegetable platters and homemade desserts.


At 2pm, the afternoon skies were beginning to look like they were clear- ing, the rain had stopped, and it was decided we would head out on the trails. Fortunately for me, I was per- suaded to use one of Karen’s depend- able mounts and for the first time in years, I was in the saddle and heading out with others to enjoy an afternoon on horseback. It was nice to see a mixture of cross bred horses and quar- ter horses, some which just finished showing the previous weekend. As we left the ranch, the trails wound around ponds, across rolling fields and through forests, all trails offering extremely good footing for the horses. Everyone optioned to take part in the Poker Run and during our ride, we stopped 4 times to pick cards for our poker hands. Although we did get rained on a bit, that didn’t deter any of us and as we picked our last card and headed back towards the ranch, the skies were blue and the sun was shin- ing.


Following the ride, everyone gathered in the garage to check their poker hands and socialize. Steve and


NDP: Ontario horseracing industry deserves a fair deal


QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Essex MPP Taras Natyshak on the recently released report on the financial impact of cancelling revenue sharing pro- grams with Ontario racetracks: “The long-term repercussions of the short-sighted Liberal decision to withdraw OLG Slots from Ontario racetracks are already being felt. The economic impact report that has recently been released is one more damning piece of the puzzle.


It’s clear now that this Liberal government chose not only to ignore the consequences of their decision, but chose to draft a report that distorts the economic impact in an attempt to justi- fy their actions.


In their own 2004 budget, the McGuinty Liberals boasted that the highly successful revenue sharing pro- gram supported 60,000 jobs across Ontario. Yet their recent report says only 5,800 jobs will be affected. The math doesn’t add up.


Karen’s son Darryl prepared a deli- cious dinner that was enjoyed by approximately 30 people. Dinner con- sisted of turkey and fixings, pulled


started off with a pancake breakfast, followed by an optional trail ride. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay to


pork, mashed potatoes, many salads, rolls and an OQHA cake to top it off. A number of Steve and Karen’s friends came out to provide some excel- lent evening entertain- ment; singing, fid- dle players and guitar players. Sun- day morning


enjoy the music, and had to leave on Saturday evening, but before I left I spoke to all who attended and every- one who took part thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. As for myself, I realize again why I love the American Quarter Horse. Fancy, a 26 year old AQH palomino mare piloted a “novice rider” to an extremely enjoyable trail ride. Thanks Fancy for taking care of me and I look forward to another ride next year if Karen and Steve chose to host this even again.


Although the weather certainly deterred a number of riders, I would like to personally thank everyone who did chose to come out and support us. OQHA would also like to give a spe- cial thanks to Karen and Steve Cook, as well as Jan Ropp for their amazing job in providing us a fun filled week- end. They put an extensive amount of preparation and planning into this


event to ensure everything was per- fect; from the trails we rode on, to the abundance of delicious food, and the entertainment, you folks put on an amazing spread! Thank you all.


Shawna Crawford


With the revenue sharing pro- gram cancelled, racetracks across the province are facing near certain clo- sure. That means thousands of Ontari- ans will be out of a job and it appears that the transition funding that will eventually be offered will not be near- ly enough to compensate for the real losses Ontario faces.


The thousands of hard working Ontarians who make up our horserac- ing industry deserve better. We are committed to fighting for an honest solution that is fair to the industry, and fair to all Ontarians.”


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