24/ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 THE RIDER


Ontario Horse Racing Survey Results


Industry says it is ready for training


education/training programs and outreach efforts to main- tain and improve racehorse health and well-being in On- tario.


vey: grooms, trainers, own- ers and other stakeholders from all three sectors of the Ontario racing industry were asked for feedback to direct future


research,


concern to the racehorse industry are: 1) Respiratory, 2) injuries 3) gut issues


ported sickness as the number one most common reason their horses per- form poorly in races. The top three health issues of


Nearly 60% of respondents re- Read


http://equineguelph.ca/pdf/facts/ON_ Racing_survey_results.pdf


Survey Highlights -


About Equine Guelph: Equine Guelph is the horse owners’ and care givers’ Centre at the Univer- sity of Guelph. It is a unique partner-


ship dedicated to the health and well- being of horses, supported and over- seen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epicentre for ac- ademia, industry and government - for the good of the equine industry as a whole. For further information, visit www.EquineGuelph.ca.


ing Industry Survey results are in and over 70% of the respondents agreed that the industry would benefit from education/training opportu- nities for both grooms and trainers. In a first of its kind sur-


Story by: Jackie Bellamy- Zions The 2016 Ontario Rac-


OCHA NEWS Continued from Page 23.


me an advantage in the cut- ting pen.


Q: What qualities do you look for in a horse?


VanBoekel: I’ve always had a pref-


erence for mares and I like them with a bit of “atti- tude”. In my experience, at- titude has usually translated into performance in the show pen.


Q: Travelling all the way from Canada to compete in Texas on a regular basis, how do you prepare your- self, physically and men- tally, for competition at that level?


VanBoekel: Cutting is a physically


and mentally demanding sport. Competing against the most elite Amateurs in the field, I need to be at the top of my game. I work out six days a


week, with emphasis on core and muscle strength. I usually purchase videos of any winning runs, and I re- view/critique them and look for ways to improve and continue progressing. I also visualize a lot. Most often, a winning run starts with a really good cut, which af- fords my horse the utmost advantage and puts her in the best possible position to control the cow. So I visu- alize myself entering the herd, separating the cows and making a good, clean cut. I find that helps me a lot to focus and stay men- tally sharp on show day.


Q: What are your next equine related goals, in or out of the show pen?


VanBoekel: This year has been


hugely successful for me and my show mares. “Sweet EE Motion” has been a constant Finalist and we won a very memorable


Reserve Amateur Champi- onship title at the Super- Stakes in Fort Worth back in April. I then won back- to-back Championship ti- tles with “Wendy” at the Breeders’ Invitational in Tulsa OK and the Summer Spectacular in Fort Worth. Most recently, we were Re- serve Champions at the West Texas Futurity in Amarillo. My mares have helped me not just meet but surpass my goals and ex- pectations I had for this year. I hope to


continue this success next show season. Although this will be Sweet EE Motion’s final year in the Limited Aged Division, I will be adding a couple more horses to my showstring, including a homebred filly by Auspicious Cat who will make her debut at the NCHA Futurity this year. She has been a personal favourite of mine ever since she foaled, so I’m pretty ex- cited about her.


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