JUNE 2018 THE RIDER /25


Historic Ontario Horse Racing


Industry Funding Agreement Signed


Toronto, May 8 - The Ontario Racing (OR) Board of Di- rectors today announced the signing of an historic 19-year funding agreement with the Ontario Government. The Ontario Government announced last month that


it would allot up to $105 million annually to horse racing industry stakeholders over a 19-year period. The funding will be used to sustain horse breeding and racing, including purse management, operational expenses and capital im- provements. Horsepeople associations and racetracks, which rep-


resent 94% of the race dates and 99% of the wagering in Ontario, across all three horse racing sectors (thorough- bred, standardbred and quarter horse) have signed the agreement. “This is an historic day for horse racing in the


province,” said Bill O’Donnell, President of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA). “This govern- ment clearly remains committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Ontario horse racing industry and the rural communities that depend on it. This new, collabora- tive agreement will help provide horsepeople, owners, breeders and racetrack operators with the support needed to ensure stability and long-term success.” “This agreement signals a new era in horse racing in


the province,” said Hugh Mitchell, President of Western Fair Districts. “It significantly advances the Ontario Rac- ing mandate to have the industry become self-determining as it tries to create and sustain a vibrant horse racing busi- ness while fostering a trusted and credible partnership with government and other stakeholders across the province.” The signing of the agreement is a key milestone for


the restructured OR organization. As announced in Decem- ber, OR merged with the Standardbred Alliance, a central- ized coalition of prominent harness racing tracks throughout the province. A new independent OR entity has been formed as a result of the merger, which has support from key industry stakeholders and includes board seats representing five horsepeoples groups and five racetrack operator groups. Industry associations Horsemen’s Benevolent and


Protective Association (HBPA), Central Ontario Standard- bred Association (COSA), Standardbred Breeders of On- tario Association (SBOA), Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. (QROOI) and the National Capital Region Harness Horseman’s Association (NCRHHA) are founding members under this agreement. On the racetrack side, the deal has been signed by


Woodbine Racetrack, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Fort Erie Racetrack, Flamboro Downs, Georgian Downs, Rideau Carleton Raceway, Grand River Raceway, the Raceway in the Western Fair District, Clinton Raceway, Dresden Race- way, Hanover Raceway and Ajax Downs. “We are exceptionally pleased to be included in this


inclusive and historic funding agreement,” said Jim Thib- ert, CEO, Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium. “We are con- fident that these resources will greatly benefit our racing operations for decades to come. Also, we look forward to working with the new Ontario Racing organization to fur- ther promote our exciting sport to new and long-time fac- ing fans alike.” As part of the agreement, additional funding of up to


$13 million per annum has been made available to all non- Woodbine Entertainment Ontario Racing member tracks in the province. Woodbine Entertainment has created an entity called


Ontario Racing Management Inc. (ORM). ORM will exe- cute the OR Board of Directors approved business plan in- cluding day-to-day organizational responsibilities such as purse management, stakeholder relations and industry ad- vocacy. “As a leader of the horse racing industry in Ontario


and a stakeholder in the sport in the province for nearly 140 years, Woodbine has always had the best interests of the industry in mind,” said Katherine Curry, ORM, Exec- utive Director. “Under the ORM banner, Woodbine is committing substantial resources, racing expertise and ef- fective management in support of a model in which the in- dustry itself will determine the best path forward.” “The long-term funding agreement provides On-


tario’s horseracing sector with a strong and stable base,” said Walter Parkinson, SBOA President. “This funding will allow Ontario’s Standardbred breeding and racing in- dustry the ability to remain a leading jurisdiction in North America. I am very optimistic about the future of horse racing and breeding in Ontario.” “We regard the Long-Term Funding Agreement as a


starting point, not an end point, to finally begin stabilizing the future of our industry,” said Sue Leslie, HBPA Presi- dent. “Challenges remain, but we now have something to build on. The commitment to create new revenue streams and growth through new products continues.” “The long-term funding by the government of On-


tario will provide a stable foundation for our industry to regroup and begin looking to the future,” said Bob Broad- stock, QROOI President. “Ontario Racing can now focus on providing an environment where all three breeds can grow wagering and develop new revenue streams.” Funding under the agreement will commence April


1, 2019. www.eoqha.com


Great Shows, Great Horses, Great Friends


SPONSORS: 2018 Executive & Board of Directors


President: Cheryl Norris, 613-608-3608, snappysdevil@aol.com Vice-President: Taylor D. Burt Secretary: Sheryl Chillson, petiteheartstrings@gmail.com Past President: Shawna Crawford, crawfordqh@gmail.com Treasurer: Rosemary Burt


Directors: Doug MacDougall - jjaneymac295@hotmail.com Janey MacDougall - jjaneymac295@hotmail.com Barb Downer - downer2020@bell.net Dianne Runtz - dianner13@hotmail.com Jenna Misener - mjmquarterhorses@gmail.com Matt Misener - mjmquarterhorses@gmail.com Laura Coburn, laura.winn.coburn@gmail.com - Webmaster Joanne Dorion


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52