The Canadian harness racing industry has been rocked by the blindside of another American-owned casino company shutting down operations at an historic racetrack with the announcement late last week that racing will end in the nation’s capital.

Racetrack operator Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Ontario Racing (OR), recognized by the provincial government as the authority for the horse racing sector in Ontario, had announced on Thursday, April 2 that racing in the nation’s capital at Rideau Carleton Raceway will cease, citing "long-term sustainability of the racing program could not be achieved." 

Harness racing participants in the province, from trainers to breeders who have built lifelong careers and businesses in the industry, were shocked by the sudden announcement that came as they were awaiting the 2026 racing schedule to be released by OR in the coming days after investing thousands of dollars and preparing their stables for the new season all winter. 

"You probably put out $25,000 a month to keep the operation going [in the off season] and there were no races, so my son decided to take the racehorses to Toronto to race them,” trainer Robbie Robinson told CTV News.

"[This decision] just changes your whole life," Brian Scott, owner of South Branch Stables in Brinston, Ont., was quoted as saying in the CTV News report. "We breed our own horses here. They’re raised. We train them. They have a home for life, and then it just changes the scenario. If there’s no racing here, the facility is probably sold, and you move on."

With no racing at Rideau, many horsepeople have been forced to contemplate difficult decisions – both emotionally and financially – of whether relocating to other racing regions is sustainable for their families and businesses. 

"It was devastating to us because that’s what we do for our main living," Rideau's 2025 leading trainer Mandy Archer told CTV News. "We’re one of the families that are split in two. How are we going to sustain that for a long period of time? I don’t know…"

"I’m sitting on a 90-acre farm, I’m in my 60s, our daughter is a partner here and shares in the work and I have a granddaughter through her; I’m not sure how we’re supposed to pick all that up and move to Toronto," trainer and owner Kathy McBride said in an interview on CBC's All in a Day with Alan Neal. "From a business perspective, it’s the end for us. We can’t travel, we can’t relocate. It’s not fair to us, it’s not fair to the animals to be on a trailer for six hours to drive to southwestern Ontario to the GTA to race. 

"Personally, it’s a real kick in the guts. There’s been a lot of tears shed, there’s been anger, there’s been a whole lot of different emotions. As business people, we’re now just trying to make a new plan and try to incorporate our love of horses, first and foremost, into something that we can hopefully share and make economically viable for a few years in the future yet."

At a meeting on Wednesday, April 8 that was hosted by the National Capital Region Harness Horse Association (NCRHHA) and Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA), leaders of the two regional horsemen's associations provided background information on the situation and took questions and recommendations from its membership seeking to save racing.

Gordon McDonald, President of NCRHHA, reported that they were repeatedly assured a commitment to racing in recent months by Christine Crump, President Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa, with significant recent investments even made to the track’s infrastructure, and that up until Tuesday, March 31, discussions about race dates and sustainable racing agreements were ongoing.

"I got an invite to join a call at 3 o'clock on Thursday [April 2] where I was expecting a discussion of a reduced race date and increased purses, and instead got the news that [Hard Rock Ottawa] were given direction from their CEO in the U.S. to withdraw from racing,” McDonald said, confirming the blindside.

Looking for a path forward, leaders indicated that the association would be engaging Hard Rock to discuss sustainable solutions in an attempt to save racing in the eastern Ontario region. It was noted that Ontario Premier Doug Ford's office has been made aware of what happened in Rideau and is reportedly looking into the situation.

Industry participants have since created a Facebook page “Save Rideau Racing” and launched a petition asking the Ontario Government, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp., Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario, Hard Rock Ottawa and Ontario Racing for a public review into the sudden closure, with more than 2,700 signatures as of press time.

As part of its announcement on April 2, OR stated that details would be provided in the coming days about transitional funding for a relocation support program for horsepeople interested in continuing to race at other Ontario tracks. Those details have yet to be released as of press time on Thursday, April 9.

The NCRHHA, COSA and the Save Rideau initiative team shared a follow up to the membership call on Wednesday, April 8 indicating those groups will move forward together with one voice to focus on an effort to ensure the resumption of racing at Rideau. They also indicated a call is expected to take place on Thursday, April 9 between an Ontario Government representative and Save Rideau spokesperson Brian Scott with COSA and the NCRHHA invited to that call should it take place.

The groups also noted that it remains important that they collaboratively continue the discussion with OR to freeze purse funds and race dates from Rideau and to discuss a framework for financial support to the racing community.

(Standardbred Canada with files from NCHHRA, CTV & CBC)