34/ DECEMBER 2012 THE RIDER
Q.R.O.O.I: 11 Harwood Avenue South, Suite 202, Ajax Ontario L1S 2B9 Telephone: (905) 426-7050 • Fax: (905) 426-7093 Email:
qrooiheadoffice@gmail.com
www.qrooi.com
PRESIDENT
Bob Broadstock 18101 Cedardale Road, Nestleton, Ontario L0B 1L0 (905) 986-0044
email:
bob_broadstock@hotmail.com
VICE-PRESIDENT
Erik Lehtinen RR #2,
Uxbridge, ON L9P 1R2
(905) 852-5245
Greg Watson 785 Hwy 7A,
Bethany, ON L0A 1A0 (705) 277-0248
Doug Cheetham
32 Talbot St., Brampton, ON L6X 2P5 (905) 796-9640
QROOI News December 2012
The 2012 Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Season wrapped up with the Annual QROOI Awards Banquet November 24. A great evening was had by all with another great dinner and dancing rounding out the evening that featured the awarding of “the hard- ware” for 2012.
The Annual Awards Banquet is always a wonderful night when those associated with racing Quarter Horses in Ontario dig out their finest and have night out. The riding clothes are put away for the night and replaced by the horsemen’s and woman’s “Sunday Best” as they wrap up the 2012 Race Season. The highlight of the evening is the announcement of the QROOI Horse of the Year.
Steve Hunter’s ZOOMIN AFTER SIX was recognized as the 2012 QROOI Horse of the Year. Steve noted they have turned out the home bred gelding with the foals and are allowing him to simply “be a horse” for a couple of months before preparing for the 2013 season. The “babysitter” role appears to suit the 2012 Horse of the Year well as he appears to enjoy this position. His winning attitude may just rub off onto one of the youngsters and they may be future stars on the Ontario Quarter Horse racing cir- cuit.
Year End Awards include:
High Point Jockey – Scott Sterr, Runner up – Brian Bell High Point – Renee Wilson, Runner up – Greg Watson High Point Owner/Trainer – Darlene Ballis-Hunderup, Runner up Owner/Trainer – Bridgette Cheetham
High Point Owner – Ivy Lane Racing, Runner up Owner – Chris- tine Tavares
High Point 2 Yr Old Filly – First Down The Track, Runner up – Stolin Ivory
High Point Ontario Breeder – Gary & Marlene McNichol, Runner up – Heste Sport, Inc.
High Point 2 Yr Old Gelding – Carters Secret, – Corderoy Road High Point 2 Yr Old Colt – One Famous Glass, High Point 2 Yr Old Colt Runner up – Charted By DM High Point 2 Yr Old Overall – First Down The Track
High Point 3 Yr Old Filly – ZZ Dynasty, Runners up – Mantrack- er, Famous Aunt Jesses (tie)
High Point 3 Yr Old Gelding – Zoomin After Six, Runner up – Wranglin Gump
High Point 3 Yr Old Colt – Sugar Bean Perry, Mega Fames (tie), Runner up – Look What Stu Can Do High Point 3 Yr Old Overall – Zoomin After Six
High Point Aged Mare – Had To Be Fandango, Runner up – Lil Fishy
High Point Aged Stallion – My Corona Is Rare, Make Out Artist High Point Aged Overall – Mels Dash
High Point Aged Gelding Runner up – Mels Dash, Runner up Not Looking To Shake
The 2012 QROOI Favorite Fan Laurie Overton was present- ed with a jacket marking her dedication to the Quarter Horse brand of racing. One other special presentation during the evening was the QROOI recognition of Trainer Don Reid’s 1000th career win. A wonderful picture collage of horses Don has managed at the track over the years was provided to mark this milestone. The Ontario Horse Racing Industry continues to see a renais- sance as it undergoes the scrutiny of the Ontario Government. It seems a day does not pass when Ontario horse racing is not reshaped in one way or another. The QROOI Board continues to work with the governing bodies as they develop the 2013 Ontario Quarter Horse racing season.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel’s final report, released to the Minister late October, recognizes the position Quarter Horse racing has. Specifically, the report states; “The Panel believes that the metrics already adopted by the
Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Plan are a good tem- plate upon which to develop industry-wide metrics.” To help all those involved with Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario, the QROOI has developed a number of official conduits for disseminating information. These include; the official QROOI web site –
www.qrooi.com; an email based communications tool; and news letters. All are encouraged to visit
the organization’s web site regularly for the latest news regarding Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario.
The changing landscape of Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry during the Quarter Horse “off season” is likely to be more active than those in the past. Electronic communiqués seem to be the best method to provide Quarter Horse Racing participants with the most recent news and activity. Please ensure the QROOI Head Office has your current and up-to-date email and contact informa- tion.
qrooiheadsoffice@gmail.com. This is best provided in an email to
Fort Erie’s 2012 Racing Season Wraps Up One Day Early
Fort Erie - After an extremely successful 2012 racing season, Mother Nature dictated the way in which the 115th meeting at Fort Erie Race Track would come to an end. Thanks to heavy rain, high winds and the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, rac- ing concluded on Monday, October 29th, just one day shy of the scheduled closing date of October 30th.
“The inconsistently of the sloppy racetrack took its toll on the dirt racing surface. The safety of our jockeys and the horses is our number one priori- ty,” said Rick Cowan, Chief Operating Officer for the FELRC.
On the track it was jockey Terry Husbands who lead the way concluding the season with 86 wins. Since the beginning of the meet, the 24 year old rider
had been in a battle with Kirk Johnson for the top spot in the standings. Overall, Husbands mounts earned a total of $931,332. His stats were impressive with a 20% win average and 55% of his mounts finishing in the top three. John- son finished second with 73 wins and longtime veteran Mar- tin Ramirez rounded out the top three with 60 victories.
The race for leading trainer came down to the photo finish between three conditioners. Last year’s leading trainer, Ross Armata, Ken Albu and Julie Robillard who received her trainer’s license five years ago. In the end, the result was a dead heat between Armata and Robil- lard who each saddled 24 win- ners.
“I am ecstatic with how the year shaped up. I started off
the season with only a small amount of horses and finished with a strong outfit,” said the 32 year old Robillard. To add to the celebration for the young trainer, Robillard will go down in the history books as the first female trainer to capture the title. Julie is moving her 13 horse string to Mountaineer Park in West Virginia for the fall and winter months.
Leading the way in the owner’s category was Six Brothers Stable, whose stock is trained by Robillard, C.R. John- son and Marilyn Johnson. Their runners enjoyed a stellar season with 25 wins, 6 seconds and 15 thirds and earnings of $189,984. Although the cancelation of closing day was a disappoint- ment for racing fans and horsepeople, the 2012 racing season was one of the best ever.
From events such as the Out- door Show, the Tiki Bar concert series, Twilight racing and the 115th Anniversary celebration the meet was full of fun events for people of all ages. In all, over 60 events took place at the historic border oval from 79 racing days.
“I am extremely proud of our staff’s efforts which con- tributed to the success of a very aggressive promotional sched- ule with limited financial resources,” said Rick Cowan.
contact; For more information please Elissa Blowe
Manager, Media & Marketing Fort Erie Race Track 800-295-3770 ext. 3204
femedia@forterieracetrack.ca
René Hunderup
P.O. Box 310, Station Main, King City, ON L7B 1A6 (905) 886-7886
Steve Hunter
231485 County Road 24, Grand Valley, Ontario L6X 2P5 • (519) 928-5209
Brian Farell
C2130 - Hwy #7, RR #1, Sunderland, ON L0C 1H0 (705) 357-3214
OHRIA Applauds Eric Hoskins on his ‘Respect for Rural Ontario’ Platform
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) would like to formally thank Liberal Leadership candidate Dr. Eric Hoskins for building a platform around respect for rural Ontario and horse racing industry as a whole.
The past year has been extremely painful for horse rac- ing, as the entire industry has been devastated by the govern- ment’s plans to cancel the Slots at Racetracks Program, which set to take affect in March 2013. The industry is in crisis, with 60,000 jobs at risk, over half of which are in rural communities,
where jobs are harder to come by. Ontario’s breeding industry operates on a multi-year cycle and has already taken a crip- pling blow this year due to the government’s plans.
OHRIA is pleased to see that Dr. Hoskins acknowledges that the current government’s race to build new casinos, needs to be reviewed, and horse rac- ing needs to be an integrated part of Ontario’s overall gaming strategy.
The President of OHRIA, Sue Leslie, believes Eric Hoskins platform is a step in the right direction:
“I am happy to see Dr. Hoskins taking a stance on rural issues. The Horse Racing and Breeding Industry has endured countless blows by the current government as they have contin- ued to move forward with plans that will kill our industry and hurt Ontario’s rural economy and traditions” said Leslie. “We sincerely hope the other candidates will follow suit, and we will be watching closely.”
In his detailed platform, Hoskins says he will ensure the Horse Racing Industry is an “integral part of the provincial
gaming strategy” and plans to develop a strong government partnership with the sector. Hoskins also commits to help- ing rural Ontario through job and education programs, transit strategies, and tax credits for employers hiring rural employ- ees.
For More Information: Sue Leslie
President of OHRIA 416 679 0741
ohria@ohria.com
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