Heartbreak, sadness, shock and disbelief are just some of the words best used to describe the emotions of those involved in the racing industry following a Monday evening blaze that claimed the lives of more than 40 horses at Classy Lane Stables in Puslinch, Ontario.

“We’ll just have to rebuild and carry on. There (were) no human lives taken, which we can be thankful for,” said Jamie Millier, who co-owns the training centre with his wife, Barb. “It’s just very unfortunate that we couldn’t get the horses out.”

“It’s devastating,” added Barb Millier. “We have top trainers there, this is their livelihood. This is not just a business to them, they live and breathe the horses.”

Among the trainers dealing with the aftermath of Monday’s tragedy was Cambridge, Ontario resident Dan Lagace who claimed the monetary impact of the fire paled in comparison to the pain of losing so many horses.

“As trainers, you lost everything. You lose all your equipment, so it’s hard to know what you’re going to do next,” said Lagace who had seven horses in his care. “The financial loss, you can build to get over. But knowing that they’re lying there, it’s heartbreaking.”

Kris Di Cenzo echoed Lagace’s sentiments.

“I don’t really have a clear head right now,” he said. “Just a bad day, bad night. I don’t know what to say.”

He and his girlfriend, Chantal Mitchell, had 12 horses housed at the training centre.

Everybody in the horse racing industry is encouraged to donate funds to the affected horsepeople via an official GoFundMe page that has been set up by the Central Ontario Standardbred Association. For more on the COSA initiative, or to contact COSA, click here.

(With files from the Toronto Star)