Hugh Mitchell earned widespread respect as a hockey player who stood up for his teammates and what he believed was right. He’s done the very same throughout his time in horse racing.
Whether it was during his days in the Ontario Hockey Association with the Windsor Spitfires or suiting up with the University of Guelph men’s hockey team (he had tenures as captain with both clubs) the feisty forward, small in stature, big on grit, never backed down from an opponent.
Skating circles around the competition wasn’t his forte. For the tough-as-nails kid from southwestern Ontario, it was about doing whatever it took, in his mind, to take on whatever challenges that came his way.
It’s a mindset that Mitchell carried with him to a horse racing career that dates back to the 1960s.
“That’s an interesting observation between my hockey life and horse racing life,” Mitchell mused. “I’ve never really looked at it that way. To be honest, I wasn’t the most highly skilled hockey player. But I believe we are all a product of our upbringing. I was always taught that the only thing to fear was not doing the right thing. You always endeavour to do what you believe is right, no matter what the personal risks or consequences are.”
For the past 13 years at the Western Fair District in London, Ont., Mitchell has guided the racetrack’s operations through a myriad of highs and lows, including the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program.
He’s also held prominent roles within the horse racing industry, namely, as the Chairman of the Board of Harness Tracks of America (HTA), and current member on the Board of Directors for Ontario Racing, where he was also past Chair.
Along with his role as a member of the Board of Governors at Fanshawe College where he was a past Vice-Chair, Mitchell is also a past President of Tourism London, and Director of both the London Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions. Earlier in his career, Mitchell worked for Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) as Senior Vice President of Racing, from 1998 to 2005.
“I like to think I’m a strong team player because if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have made too many hockey teams,” he said with a laugh. “And if I wasn’t someone who would step up and set a standard of how we treat each other, then I probably wouldn’t have played much hockey and I probably wouldn’t have had the career opportunities I’ve had in this great sport of racing.”
From mucking stalls nearly 50 years ago to his current role as President of Western Fair, there has been one constant for Mitchell.
“I love the game,” he said. “And I’ve learned a lot from it. I’ll never be able to give back to racing what it has given to my family and I, and what I’ve been able to learn along the way. I owe that all to racing. It’s the truth. I could have gone a lot of different directions, but would have failed miserably. And I’m only as good as the people that I’m working with, whether it’s here at Western Fair, Woodbine or Ontario Racing.”
The time to hang up his tack, so to speak, is drawing closer.
Mitchell has given up his Western Fair CEO role, but maintained his standing as President for another year.
“Change is so important to our industry and being able to embrace it,” he started. “Not just embrace it, but champion it. No matter what the business, there’s an element of crisis going on in the marketplace. That’s been going on for years, that’s what going on now and that’s the way it will be in the future. But I find that exciting. Sure, it’s stressful, but I’m an optimist. If we can work together, I think there is a way forward.”
It’s a point of view he acquired from his university days, most notably, in the form of two words that have stayed with Mitchell, a mantra of sorts he reminds himself of often.
“When I was at the University of Guelph, in my first year, I took a business management course,” he recalled. “The first day, the professor walked in – back then there were blackboards, believe it or not – and there are 300 kids in this theatre-style seating. There was a class textbook we had to buy and he was telling us over the course of the next 16 or so weeks, he was going to teach us as much as he could about the fundamentals of business.
“The most important lesson we were going to learn, he said, is in two words, and it will be worth all the tuition you paid for this course. He went to the blackboard and wrote, ‘Confront Reality.’ He told us that to be successful in business, be brave enough to do that. I never forgot it. It’s helped me in good stead in both my personal life and my business life. I’ve always been of the view to confront reality, deal with it and make the best of it. When you do, you’ll sleep better.”
For a former player who delivered and dodged his equal share of right hooks and uppercuts, taking the odd one on the chin, be it on the ice or at the racetrack, comes with the territory.
“You have to be rather unselfish to be successful,” he offered. “Racing, for example… it’s not about any one racetrack or about any one sector. It’s about us all benefitting and hopefully, thriving. You can’t look at the industry as a whole and try and preserve what you have. It works against each other. We can’t have a successful industry unless we work together. I’ve never been shy about stating my views. Hopefully, I haven’t been unfair in my critique of situations. I don’t have many regrets.”
Instead, Mitchell maintains a genuine belief in and steadfast hope for horse racing in Ontario.
When talk turns to the sport’s future, there’s an unmistakable change in his tone, akin to a hockey player rousing his teammates before they take to the ice.
“I look at our industry, the way we’ve evolved over the decades,” began Mitchell. “This is a very resilient industry across all sectors – racetracks, breeders and horsepeople. There are some extraordinary, committed people who are passionate about the business. That is our greatest strength, our resiliency and passion for this great sport. It’s bit like hockey in that way. This industry is full of people who have a great work ethic, are committed and have a love for the business. One of the big reasons I have such an affinity for this sport is because it is made up of survivors.
“We also have a lot of support from government, more than people want to admit or give credit for. For a lot of reasons, we have legitimate support from government. That in itself is another big plus and it’s a huge reason to be optimistic.”
Mitchell also points to WEG as a major player in seeing horse racing thrive, not merely survive.
“Honestly – and this is where I get a little controversial – I believe WEG is another reason for the industry to be optimistic. WEG is fundamentally a horse racing organization and they have proven it, in my experience, time and time again. They are unyielding in their commitment to racing. I’ve witnessed that first-hand, and I believe it to be one of our biggest assets going forward… WEG’s commitment and willingness to support the industry is yet another reason for me to be optimistic about horse racing’s future.”
Until it’s time to retire, Mitchell, as always, will continue to roll with the punches.
“I guess that’s the way I’ve always done things,” he said. “In hockey, horse racing and life.”