The exodus has begun

Published: September 24, 2013 09:00 am EDT

Over the last year we have watched as the "transitional panel" explained how awful we have been to our patrons while what was supposed to be our life blood and oxygen to a business built on wagering was neglected.

I for one agree.

I went to a panel meeting with a group of gamblers. I have received emails from patrons of our sport across North America both agreeing, disagreeing, some happy to talk and others angry because "I didn't agree with them".

For the most part, a metamorphosis was inevitable, is inevitable, and I optimistically invite it. But, do I believe we can transform to any vision of what the panel has in their mind in a few months?

No.

Let's not be ridiculous.

Tearing down walls and putting in windows, creating transparency and truly having accountability where none has existed.......this is easy to say and difficult to achieve.

I believe it will happen but we have to want it to as much as we need it.

As some point this will turn into a case of "do as I say not as I do." People have asked for transparency in government since government began.....do you see any yet?

We have to start showing instead of being shown. We have to start fixing our own issues now, not because someone showed us how or told us where to stand.

We have many issues to address. I think we may have missed a huge, yet very fixable problem right in front of us. We have an unprecedented exodus of our own breed happening and if we can't slow it or curb it, we may be in a worse place than any of our industry pessimists could have predicted.

If we don't find a way to keep our three-year-olds graduating from what was a horrible 2013 Grassroots program in Ontario, we will be labelled as nothing more than a toilet for North America’s unwanted and/or unproductive horses.

I thought implementing a three-tiered system for the OSS with the bottom level being a claiming level so there may be some sort of churn might be the way to go.

A good question could have been where would the money come from?

The $800,000 under payment of this year's OSS program from the ORC may have been a good place to start?

But maybe that isn't possible?

We have spoke about addressing issues with the customer and making our business more fan friendly, but what about our side?

We still have yet to index a pool of horses for Ontario racing so we still have the same watered down product we always had. Maybe worse.

By building a Fall and Winter Ontario program, with full, competitive fields and racing focused on getting our Ontario horses raced on a regular rotation, the need to "dump them" as soon as the program is over may diminish.

The bad taste from the Grassroots program has to be addressed but if a chance to get money back from within this province exists, the likelihood of our horses staying put is greater.

I have spoke to the panel and also to Ian Fleming and WEG about getting a system in place where we can build full competitive fields across Ontario.

It's about time we help each other fill in the cracks.

We shouldn't need a government appointed panel or the commission to tell us how to race?

We don't need the commission to tell a race secretary how to fill fields.

I am asking the ORC to step back away from a system they have proven for two years now DOES NOT WORK.

Implement an ABC system that has proven to work, index our Ontario horses, actually communicate with our trainers and start putting on the best product we can.

Stop waiting for someone to hold our hand and do what we know is the right thing to do. It's very affordable, and the upside is substantial. The government may worry about timing announcements right for impending elections and continue to drag their feet but we don't have to.

This is still our industry.

To say "Time is of the essence" is an understatement.


The views presented in Trot Blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Standardbred Canada.

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