4/ FEBRUARY 2013 THE RIDER HON. COL. A.W. FINN CD: Founder


BARRY FINN: barry@therider.com Publisher/ Editor/Advertising Manager


KELLY BOWERS: kelly@therider.com Advertising Sales


JOHN DAVIDSON: john@therider.com Advertising Sales


GLENDA FORDHAM: fordhampr@rogers.com Entertainment Columnist


Established in 1970, Published By 1677846 Ontario Ltd.


P.O. Box 10072, Ancaster, ON L9K 1T2 1-877-743-3715 • (905) 387-1900 Email: barry@therider.com Web: www.therider.com


THE RIDER IS THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF:


• Area 3 Quarter Horse Promotional Club • The Canadian Cowgirls


• Central Ontario Pleasure Driving Assoc. • Eastern Ontario Pleasure Driving Society • Eastern Ontario Quarter Horse Association


• National Barrel Horse Association Of Canada • Ontario Barrel Racing Association • Ontario Combined Driving Association • Ontario Cutting Horse Association • Ontario High School Rodeo Association • Ontario Paint Horse Club • Ontario Quarter Horse Association


Former Nepean National Equestrian Park Gets A New Lease On Life


Non-Profit Organization Successfully Wins Bid to Renovate and Revive the Equestrian Park


By Andrea Cascone.


The fate of the former Nepean National Equestrian Park was looking rather dim after city council’s deci- sion to cease running the public stable and riding park in July. Since the mid-2000s, the park, operated by the city council since the 1980’s, had been averaging an operating deficit of approximately $140,000 per year. Considering these substantial financial losses, the City felt it was time to retire the beloved park for good. Since that initial decision, The Wesley Clover Foundation, a non-profit organization, has won the right to lease and renovate the facility in January 2013. The Foundation is hoping to breathe new life into the park and has proposed several new additions that they anticipate will require a budget of $20 to $30. They hope to reverse the financial losses and then re-invest- ing the anticipated gains back into the park and com- munity at large. This is expected to be a long-term pro- ject and both the Foundation and the City are optimistic for a successful outcome.


The Foundation, along with associate and success- ful high tech entrepreneur, Terry Matthews, offered a proposal for their Greenbelt Stables plan which includes an outdoor learning and recreation area, reno- vated stables and trail networks which will extend into the adjacent Ottawa Municipal Campground. Accord- ing to initial reports made by the National Capital Commission, who are concerned with ensuring that Canada’s Capital Region remain a source of national pride and significance, plans to turn the park into a World Class Equestrian Event Facility also include a show ring, playing fields and gardens, therapeutic-rid- ing programs. There are also plans to create an eques- trian school named for Canadian Olympian, Ian Millar.


From Our Founder


Remembering February 1979


February 1979 saw The Canadian Rider and the Canadian Quarter Horse Journal combined in a Special Pre- Quarterama Edition. The edition fea- tured 11 years of photo’s, memorabilia and editorial content. One page was devoted to the Quarterama Queen Con- test and featured Bob Bratina of CHML in Hamilton,Ontario as the events MC. Today Bob is the Mayor of Hamilton.


1979 marked the eleventh anniversary of Quarterama. The show was being billed as “Bigger and Bet- ter.”


The Rider started publishing in


In addition to the former Nepean National Eques- trian Park, the National Capital Commission holds the lease to the municipal campground until October 31st 2014. A proposal is currently in the works for the City to include this land in their new lease along with the proposed Greenbelt Stables area, once the Wesley Clover Foundation takes over.


Furthermore, previously rejected plans to move the royal swans to the park are being revisited. Origi- nally, the cost of building and maintaining the winter- ing habitat was deemed unrealistic; however, given the new budget and the anticipated revenue, it seems the swans may get their new home after all.


While a proposed 2014 launch has been discussed, all parties involved in this endeavor have recognized there is still much work to be done. The new concepts the Foundation has proposed are anticipated to bring in a larger, more diverse group of tourists which will help promote equestrianism as well as increase its accessi- bility.


The plans to improve the facility are expected to raise public awareness of equestrian sports, promote the enjoyment of outdoor activities and celebrate the natu- ral environment of the surrounding region. According to the Federal Commission’s official statement, it is hoped that the extended uses planned for this property, which include other recreational outdoor activities, will broaden the facility’s reach within the surrounding community. The Rider will keep you updated with fur- ther developments.


Opinions expressed in this newspaper, including those in Letters To The Editor, are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.


June 1970 was there in 1971, involved taking care of promotion and advertis- ing.


Susan Welsh was crowned Queen for 1972. Laura Lou McArthur was Quarterama 1978.


Tammy Hampton was featured in one of our Quarterama ‘78 pictures rounding the barrels in the $10,000 Absorbine Sweepstakes Race. About 90% of the issue was about Quarterama. The first Chair was Don Nye who served 1969, 1970 and 1971. Count Alexander Von Svoba was chair in 1972, Bob Sharpe 1973, Reg Bul- lock 1974 and 1975. Jim Bieser was chair in 1976 and Ron Olinoski 1977, 1978 and 1979.


Ron Blackwell the executive Sec- retary and General Manager of AQHA visited the 1973 show and presented trophies.


Willow Gold of Calgary was pro-


moting a new vitamin formula called Willow Gold Formula B. Some high end tack stores were announced as offi- cial outlets.


The 40th AQHA Convention was held in Phoenix, Arizona which high- lighted the special Awards Banquet.


The ORA held a weekend social snow skiing in Orillia on January 20 21. The Rider was there.


My TURN


It is interesting to see the Liberals admitting they messed up on Slots At Race Tracks (see story above). What a shame they devastated an industry only to come to the realization of how valuable it is. A big partner in crime was the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).


On his nightly radio talk-show Primetime Sports on Sportsnet The


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• Ontario Reined Cow Horse Association • Ontario Reining Horse Association • Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association • Ontario Trail Riding Association • Quarter Racing Owners Of Ontario, Inc. • Tri-County Carriage Association • Western Horse Association Of Ontario


Lisa Thompson MPP: Liberals Admit Mistakes on Horse Racing


(Queen’s Park) – The Liberal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ted McMeekin, has finally come clean to the horse racing industry that the Liberals made a mistake by rushing the decision to end the Slots-at-Racetracks Program (SARP). This decision needlessly risked over 55,000 jobs in Ontario’s once thriving horse racing industry and alienated many rural communities. “It is about time that the Minister owned up to the mistakes this government has made in terms of their treatment of rural Ontario,” stated Lisa Thompson, MPP (Huron-Bruce).


“Ontario’s horse racing industry has been in complete chaos because of the Liberal government’s decision to end SARP without any planning,” said Thomp- son. “Now it’s nearly a year later the Minister is just coming to terms that he dropped the ball on this important issue. It took risking 55,000 jobs and nearly a year of uncertainly for the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to even admit he made a mistake and this government has continuously ignored rural concerns.”


In a recent interview with Andrew Dreschel of the Hamilton Spectator, McMeekin admitted his government dropped the ball on horse racing and stated that he hoped that the Liberals would be ‘A little bit more collaborative then we’ve been. And that we’ll listen better than we have. And we will quit trying to wedge issues.’


“Talk about wedging issues,” said Thompson. “The Minister and his Liberal government picked an unnecessary battle with the harness racing community and for what? To come back almost a year later and say ‘sorry I was wrong’? If the Minister had sat down, weighed the pros and cons and actually talked to those in the industry then we wouldn’t have had this crisis and he wouldn’t have to issue this mea culpa. This government needs to eliminate making policy on the fly, and start doing the research and listening to the people.”


“Tim Hudak and the PCs of Ontario have been standing up for rural Ontario when this Liberal government refused to listen and we will continue to do so,” said Thompson. “I look forward to continue representing my constituents when the legislature finally resumes.”


The Rider welcomes letters on any subject but reserves the right to edit them for brevity and clarity. Letters of 200 words or less are more likely to be published. All letters, including those sent by E-mail, must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. E-mail: barry@therider.com


Fan590, Canadian sports-talk figure Bob McCown recently said, that he didn’t think OLG chair Paul Godfrey was “going to go that ‘goofy’ with all this gambling stuff.” I imagine it hasn’t turned out like he thought it would. Interestingly Rio Can, the com- mercial property company that God- frey also chairs, recently came out against a downtown Toronto casino, calling it risky and potentially jeopar- dizing to the success of downtown Toronto.


In Hamilton a good number of councilors are now favouring Flam- boro Downs as a location for the casi- no instead of the $200 million dollar complex pitched by P.J. Mercanti of the Carmen’s Group for downtown Hamilton.


On other levels the OLG is wield- ing their stick against smaller organiza- tions like the Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal Canadian Air Force


Association. These groups, among oth- ers, have been visited by OLG’s under- cover agents, sneaking into their estab- lishments and undermining the veter- ans’ fund raising activities. The secret agents are checking to see if these Vet- eran scoundrels, who saved our way of life, have licences for their small time 50 / 50 draws and meat draws I suppose the money liberated from the Veterans in licencing fees will help bolster OLG severance packages and pensions.


If you are interested you can view


the OLG Sunshine List of salaries here: 2010 - http://bit.ly/XonxrF 2011 - http://bit.ly/YdgUHg


Aidan W. Finn CD President


aidanfinn13@gmail.com http://www.orangeapeel.com For canine cancer support http://www.smilingblueskies.com


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