Friday night the harness race season wound up in Yorkton, with a good crowd attending the eight race card

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Dave Nussbaumer, the director in charge of the races with the Yorkton Exhibition Association said the night which saw Tyler Redwood drive Barona Fivehundred to the best time of the meet at 1:58.4, simply put an exclamation mark on another season of growth for the port in the city.

“Excellent. There's no other word for it,” he said when asked how the season went. Nussbaumer said the success shows people in the city have become fans of the sport.

The main reason it well it that the community of Yorkton has embraced harness racing,” he said, adding that includes the support of business in sponsoring feature races, and the growth of the fan base.

In terms of fans, Nussbaumer said it is not simply Yorkton people either. He pointed to a promotion which had eight fans names drawn. Three of those were from Manitoba, one from Regina, and another from outside the city.

“These people are coming out and enjoying harness racing on a regular basis,” he said.

The year was also marked by the opening of a new parimutuel building, and concession. Nussbaumer said that was a definite plus for the atmosphere of the races.

“It's been a huge improvement,” he said. “It just makes us look more professional.”

With the race season now over, Nussbaumer said they will begin to work hard on improvements for next year.

“The first priority when we meet with the government is to increase the purse support for the horse owners,” he said.

Nussbaumer said they have already begun those discussions, and have a met scheduled the first week in October to put a plan forward to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Commission.

“We're putting a formal presentation together from the aspect of horse owners and what they need to make a living,” he said

Nussbaumer said as a former horse owner he can appreciate that the size of purses at the meet is limiting potential growth.

“I can do the math. These people can't make a living at the at the level of the purses right now,” he said. “You can't survive on these purses.”

To grow the money has to increase.

“If we want this industry to grow in the purse support has to grow,” he said.

Nussbaumer said the reality is that purses this year were the same as four years ago, and that just doesn't make sense when you look at the cost of things.

Nussbaumer said the local association wants to see at least 16 days of racing again in 2010.

“Would we take on more? Well we're certainly set up so we could handle more more and more days,” he said, adding they want their 16 days, and more, should the government move to expand the number of days of racing.

Racing action for the province now moves to Marquis Downs, opening tonight with a first race post time of 7:05.

(A Trot Insider exclusive by Calvin Daniels)