On Friday, June 21, Hippodrome 3R welcomed a special guest as Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, visited the track and enjoyed some live harness racing action.

Poilievre greeted the fans at the Trois-Rivières oval with his wife Anaida and son Cruz, and addressed those in attendance prior to Friday's first race along with François Carignan and Sophie Mongeon of the Quebec Jockey Club and the former mayor of Trois-Rivières, Yves Levesque.

"Thank you Sophie and François, and thanks to all the horses!" said Poilievre speaking in French to the crowd. "My son is fascinated by the horses…even if he’s a little shy. Maybe, someday, he will be part of a race.

"It’s a real accomplishment what Yves (Levesque) did when he re-built this incredible sport in Trois-Rivieres. You did a lot of great things in the region, like the Videotron Stadium, employment creation, the revitalization of the economy in the region. My goal is to do in Canada what Yves did in the region." 

Poilievre went on to say that It was a pleasure to be at the track and to share these moments with those in attendance.

(Standardbred Canada)