In a move that will not please some Quebec breeders, the Quebec Jockey Club is going ahead with its plan to alter the eligibility framework of the provincial stakes
program.
Starting with the 2011 breeding year and continuing through 2013, offspring born to mares that resided in the province at least 240 days in the year prior to foaling will be eligible to race in special events, regardless of where the stallion stood, provided the mares are registered with the Jockey Club by August 31 of the year following the breeding.
The Jockey Club said its board voted unanimously to make the changes.
The board of the provincial horsemen's association, ATAQ, had voted unanimously in October for preservation of the status quo for sires stakes, which required residency for both mares and stallions.
But the Jockey Club said that would be unrealistic, given the budget limitations and continuing uncertainty of the industry. If the mares are bred to outside stallions, owners at least have another option for their foals if things don't work out in Quebec.
"We couldn't, in all conscience, encourage people to invest when there is little certainty we could have a market for foals of Quebec sires or even a track on which to race," the jockey club said in a statement on its website. "Giving ourselves an interim solution for three years will allow us to eliminate the extreme uncertainty that prevails today."
(A Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)
Normand Benjamin said it all
Normand Benjamin said it all ! Bravo ! 90% of the Horse Breeders of Quebec, Whom were there from day one, Supporting the Jockey Club of Quebec, will be now closing their doors ! We have a problem ! All thoses Breeder who stuck it out, hung in there , hoping and believing , are now faced with another blow ! No Quebec Sire Stakes ! What happen to protecting our Product and our Breeders ????? Our Farms????? and Our Industry ?????
Even if it is a small, Quebec Sire Stake Program , We need it !
We had a meeting in
We had a meeting in september and the big majority (80-90%) of the breeders present explain to the Jockey club members why we shoud keep our Stakes program (circuit Quebec) and what would happen with that proposition. The breeders were not against the open breeding ...they wanted to save the Circuit Quebec first.
With this announcement and like many others breeders in Quebec, I have to say with sadness that my dad and me will close our horse breeding business. Only a few breeders will stay alive in Quebec. The ones who will be able to continue are the ones who breed horses for themselves, train it themselves and/ or keep it as an hobby.
If I were an owner and not a breeder, I might agree with that but considering the negative impact for some others members, I would think twice before expressing myself. When you own a farm it is a very different situation and this is why we do not have the same point of view.
The stakes program in Ontario ( as it is for NY, Penn'..) is very good by itself, people who breed there should assume the risk of breeding there ....not to the expanse of the others breeders. With the situation that we are dealing with for the last two years in Quebec, the commercial breeders can't afford paying high stud fees ... except those who keep it as a hobby.
Even if there would not have been a racetrack in Montreal, we could have done those Quebec stake races on the regional circuit in all the province (there is more than 10 racetracks). With this decision and considering the numbers of breeders who will leave, there will be less horses for the open breeding stakes program and the good ones will go outside of the province which will leave less horses in Quebec.
I also wonder how many americans and ontario people will send their mares here in Quebec for 240 days. Will it compare to the number of mares that we will lose with breeders leaving business?
At the end of it, with all the breeders that will close their operation in the province, it is so sorry to say that it won't be an industry anymore.
We really are a DISTINCT province ..... unfortunately ..... and the only one in the world who doesn't promote his own product !
I certainly do not share the same opinion of the Jockey club but I still wish them good luck ... but specially to the commercial breeders that will try their luck.
Normand Benjamin
Good call! A responsible
Good call! A responsible decision in a challenging time.
JF
good decision , at least you
good decision , at least you could keep your mare, and breed to Ontario, race in Ontario if there good enough, or stay in Quebec.
I am so sorry for what's
I am so sorry for what's happening to OUR Circuit Quebec, to OUR full Quebec colts and fillies, to OUR Quebec.... period.
For my mares and the breeding, it's over for me and probably for many other breeders.
As we explained to the jockey club ( us the breeders) we don't have the extra $ 20,000 to breed outside the province to get nothing more just ''additional expenses''.