4/ DECEMBER 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


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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


Will the Slots at Racetracks Program be reinstated?


band together to pass a motion in Queen’s Park last Wednesday to reinstate the slots program, it was a non-binding motion that was


From Our Founder Remembering November 1979


In our November 1979 issue Christmas was all over The Rider. Sales at tack shops were the order of the day. Now we have holi- day sales. It seems like we have taken a big step backwards.


More than 1,100 Quarter Horses were ready for the big World Championship Quarter Horse Show in Oklahoma. This show has grown by leaps and bounds. Those were the days before the self righteous stopped liquor / beer and smoking products from spon- soring horse shows. People were going to drink or smoke anyway. The sponsors had money to spend and spend they did.


Simco Leather Company of Chattanooga, Tennessee were spend- ing big bucks to sell their western saddles from ads placed in The Rider.


We had a feature story on Susan Short of Roseneath, Ontario. She was the second Ontario Rodeo Association Queen.


Imports of breeding-age horses into the US from Italy were banned because of a contagious venereal disease.


Branding was under pressure from animal cruelty groups who were pushing to stop this practice. Law enforcement agencies would be facing mammoth headaches with fighting horse thieves.


Crown Trailers of Paris, Ontario advertised a two horse trailer for $2,565.00, a bargain to be sure.


Mission Products of Hamilton under the direction of Marty Karl from the Arthur Godfrey show were manufacturing horse trailer and stall mats.


Quarterama 1980 invited everyone to “Life in the Country” on March 5-9 at the Coliseum in Toronto. The Chair was Ralph Pear- son, Futurity Chair was Randy Holiday, Dr. John Rose was in charge of the Select Sale, and the Stallion Avenue was looked after by Marvin Laidlaw. Shirley Crane was responsible for show entries.


The Ontario Competitive Trail Ride Association was well ahead of most clubs as they advertised their trail rides from May to October 1980.


election called, we’re still most likely to have a minority Liberal government. The Liberals have articulated its own plan for a much smaller horse racing industry and have steadfastly refused to rein- state the slots program. So, while it was interesting theatre to see the PCs and NDP


will happen unless something dramatic transpires politically and one of those parties can get elected. The soonest that can even hap- pen is the spring and even that’s unlikely since that would require the PCs and NDP to band together again to defeat the next budget and force an election. Remember, the last time out the NDP propped up the Liberals. Current polls suggest even if the budget is defeated and an


Ontario’s PC and NDP parties would like you to believe the pro- gram that was the lifeblood to the province’s horse racing industry will return. There’s just one tiny problem — there’s next to no chance it


BY DAVE BRIGGS Will the Slots at Racetracks Program be reinstated?


his party introduced under Mike Harris and defended it immediate- ly, there’s a chance an improved version of that program would still be in place today.


The Rider advertised to let all know about our annual Stallion Issue and to book early. Now there is barely a whimper from stal- lion owners.


The Henry Equestrian Plan for insurance of riders and horses was being actively promoted in The Rider.


Can you imagine we were selling annual subscriptions for $12.00 per year.


MY TURN It is a sad day indeed when I must comment on a horse publica- tions’ demise. This publication was not a competitor. In fact we worked with them to get correct information on the horse racing industry mess created by the Liberal party of Ontario and sanc- tioned by the NDP.


On Monday, November 18, Dave Briggs, publisher and editor of The Canadian Sportsman, a newspaper devoted to the Standard Bred, established in 1870, announced that the Ontario-based horse racing publication will cease publishing after its December, 2013 issue. The Sportsman was exactly one hundred years older than The Rider. When we were starting they were already celebrating their 100th Anniversary.


How sad for the industry. This closure is a direct result of the Lib- erals and the NDP ganging up to destroy the horse racing industry and now Canada’s first and oldest magazine is a casualty. Now the NDP have backtracked and have had a successful though non- binding motion to restore the Slots at Race Track Program. See our related story above. Again, sad to report that Horses All, first established in 1977


as a tabloid in Alberta by the French family also ceased publica- tionin September.


Thanks to all our supporters The Rider continues to enjoy stability. We have been here 43.5 years and are still owned by the Finn fam- ily. We expect to be around a lot longer.


Thank you for looking down in this corner.


Aidan W. Finn CD Founder of The Rider 1970 President, Orange aPEEL www.orangeapeel.com For canine cancer support www.smilingblueskies.com


party that was choosing to support, as the ads said, “a few wealthy racetrack owners” over health care. If PC leader Tim Hudak had understood the slots program


ment as an attempt to score political points, even running radio ads suggesting the money horse racing received through slots would be better spent on health care. It was all a political ruse that attempted to paint the PCs as a


the slots program when former finance minister Dwight Duncan and former Ontario Lottery and Gaming corporation chair Paul Godfrey cancelled the program in March of 2012. At the time, Duncan and the Liberals used the announce-


the party should also raise skepticism in horse racing circles. Where were they when the horse racing sector screamed that thou- sands of jobs were at stake when the end of the slots program removed about 60 per cent of the industry’s funding? Clearly all three main parties displayed a gross ignorance of


little more than an attempt to woo votes in rural Ontario. The fact that the NDP and PCs are about 20 months late to


ties to finally admit an improved slots program was the best way to support jobs in rural Ontario without using taxpayer dollars and expand gaming in a way that was acceptable to most citizens and municipalities, many of which are currently balking at adding full-sized casinos. In those 20 months, the horse racing sector has already


parency and accountability and mandate a stronger emphasis on improving the customer experience for horse racing’s core patrons. Sadly, it took nearly two years for the two opposition par-


ports 30,000 full-time equivalent jobs in rural Ontario and those jobs are important to the economy. With some tweaks, the slots program can improve its trans-


billion in revenue every year that goes into health care and educa- tion and other government programs essential to every Ontario citizen — and it does so with the proceeds from consenting, gam- bling adults, not tax dollars. It is a partnership with the horse racing industry that sup-


something like, “You’re darn right I support the Slots at Race- tracks Program and here’s why: The government’s share of the program amounts to $1.1


All he and NDP leader Andrea Horwath had to say was


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shed some 9,000 jobs by recent estimates, the province’s once world-class horse breeders have incurred tremendous financial losses and there’s been a mass exodus of investment and human and equine talent out of Ontario. Obviously, the Slots at Racetracks Program was the best


bang for everyone’s buck. Too bad for Ontario’s horse racing sector it’s still extremely unlikely that program will return.


Dave Briggs is the publisher and editor of The Canadian Sports- man, the oldest harness racing magazine in North America. He can be reached by e-mail at dbriggs@canadiansportsman.ca


Quarantine lifted on racehorses stabled in Barn B at


Rideau Carleton


Sent On Behalf Of Dr Adam Chambers The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) has lifted the quar-


antine on Barn B at Rideau Carleton. According to ORC Manag- er of Veterinary Services Dr. Adam Chambers, testing has con- firmed that the cause of death of horse D J STAMKOS was not of a contagious nature. As a result, horses from Barn B that were entered are now cleared to race on Sunday, December 1, 2013.


The quarantine and other prudent biosecurity measures


were introduced to protect the horses and limit the possible spread of disease. All racetracks are encouraged to follow such best practice.


The ORC wishes to thank the management and horsepeople


of Rideau Carleton for their cooperation. For more information – or to speak with Dr. Chambers or


Dr. Duncan - please call: 416 213-0520


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