On Wednesday, April 11 at Mohawk Racetrack, an eight-member panel of Ontario horse-racing industry representatives gathered at the Campbellville track to discuss the future of the sector in the province.
As an article on insidehalton.com explains, the standing-room-only crowd attending the public meeting in Mohawk's sports lounge heard from OMAFRA transitional panel member John Snobelen and SBOA President Anna Meyers, among others.
“I’m trying to be optimistic, but it’s difficult,” said Meyers, speaking of the devastating impact the Ontario breeding sector has been forced to endure since the spring of 2012.
According to the report, Snobelen stated during a question-and-answer period that there will be some answers in the coming weeks as to how the Ontario horse-racing industry will be "reinvigorated" via the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.'s inclusion of the provincial horse-racing industry into the OLG's gaming modernization plan.
The article states that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is also the province's Agricultural Minister, was invited to attend the event, but declined. Rod Phillips, the CEO of the OLG, was also invited to attend, yet, like Wynne, did not make an appearance.
Snobelen, who offered no details regarding how Ontario racing will be included into the OLG modernization, went on the record as saying, “The industry has to get smaller to get bigger."
(With files from insidehalton.com)
I will be one that hangs
I will be one that hangs on...I have down scaled to a 1/3 of what I had this time last year. And now have formed partnerships, breeding a few mares in hopes that with good mares maybe yearling prices may cover expenses...I question even this...we were saddened with our very good mare lost her full term colt last week...and I'm stuck between thinking it was a sign or an unfortunate blessing...if thats possible
It's obvious from the number
It's obvious from the number of mares being bred this year and from the poor sale of yearlings last year that most of us in the industry have already found it too difficult to remain optimistic. The latest announcements regarding short-term plans for race dates, purses and tracks that will remain viable hasn't done much to help regain that optimism. The wise thing to do, as it stands, would be to get out now while there is something to escape from as opposed to hanging on until the bitter end--an end that looks inevitable from what we are hearing from the Liberal government and the panel. Does breeding even one mare in Ontario make any sense when we haven't got a feasible plan in place past two years?
We've been kept in the dark since last February. Yes, Mr. Snoblen, it's "in the details"---details that we needed last spring through to the present to make life-changing decisions and we continue to wait. Much has already been lost as stated by the other speakers. Time, patience and optimism are running very thin!
In reply to It's obvious from the number by Lynne Magee
Fact is they are making it up
Fact is they are making it up as they go and really don't have a plan. Meanwhile lives are gravely impacted by this wishy washy puppet panel and a Government that is so inept that it hurts to think about it. They have no idea what they are doing.