On Friday, Dec. 5, the Quebec Jockey Club (CJQ) announced the appointment of Mr. Guillaume Cayer-Richard as its general manager, a decisive step in the modernization, transparency and revitalization of the harness racing industry in Quebec.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am extremely pleased to welcome Guillaume as general manager of the CJQ," said Sylvain Deschenaux, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CJQ. "His background, vision, and in-depth knowledge of the harness racing industry make him the ideal person to guide our organization into a new era of rigor, stability, and transparency.
"The CJQ is embarking on a significant transformation, and Guillaume possesses not only the experience, but also the integrity, listening skills, and leadership necessary to unite the industry around a common project. We have full confidence in his ability to modernize our practices, streamline our processes, and rebuild a constructive relationship with the entire Standardbred community. On behalf of the Board, I welcome him and offer him our full support in this essential mandate for the future of our sport.”
Active in the harness racing industry since the late 1990s, Cayer-Richard began as a young owner at the Blue Bonnets Racetrack. After a break in the early 2000s to pursue professional commitments in the United States, he returned to the sport in 2015 as a Standardbred breeder, an activity he continues to this day. Since then, he has established himself as one of the most dedicated figures in the Quebec industry.
For the past six years, he has served as Director/Representative of Quebec Breeders on the Board of Directors of Standardbred Canada, where he also served as National Vice President in 2023-2024. He was president of the ATAQ (Quebec Trotting and Pacing Association) and began as race secretary at Hippodrome 3R at the end of the 2024 season, before assuming the role for the entire 2025 season.
Guillaume also plans to combine the duties of general manager and a portion of the race secretary responsibilities in 2026, with the addition of administrative and technical support to ensure a smooth transition.
With extensive experience in non-profit management, Guillaume also serves as general manager of Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt, one of the country's largest winter events. His seasonal schedule allows this role to remain perfectly compatible with his mandate at the CJQ.
“It is with humility, but also with great determination, that I accept the role of general manager of the Quebec Jockey Club," said Cayer-Richard. "My involvement in the industry spans more than 20 years, with a journey that began at Blue Bonnets, paused for a few years in the early 2000s, and then resumed with passion when I returned as a breeder in 2015. I have an in-depth knowledge of the Standardbred industry: its strengths, its challenges, its urgent needs, but above all, its immense potential.
"My objective is clear: to restore trust, modernize our practices, improve governance, and work hand in hand with owners, trainers, drivers, breeders, and partners to build a sustainable, transparent, and forward-looking model. I am committed to working with rigor, openness, and transparency, and to building, with the support of the Board of Directors, a solid organization of which the entire industry can be proud," Cayer-Richard continued. "I look forward to collaborating with the Hippodrome team, the RACJ, our partners, and all the horsemen and women involved in horse racing to write the next chapters of our shared history.”
The Quebec Jockey Club (CJQ) is a non-profit organization responsible for the operation and development of harness racing in Quebec. Owner of the Trois-Rivières Hippodrome, the CJQ has been working to support and promote the Standardbred industry
since 2012.
(Quebec Jockey Club)