It’s just two weeks into my new term as Director of Standardbred Canada and also as elected Chair of the Board. We have 20 new Board members from across Canada and eight returning Directors; these individuals have vast knowledge of our industry and bring many years of experience to the table. There is no question we have a difficult road ahead of us and I look forward to working with each of them to help the standardbred industry survive and even flourish.
Our first Board meeting in January was a review of SC operations, followed by our annual general meeting, and topped off with a wonderful night of celebration at the O’Brien Awards. SC has many different working committees – there’s a By-law/Regulations/Rules & Licensing Committee, a Governance Committee, a Sales Committee and a Taxation Committee. These committees are a valuable part of Standardbred Canada. If any member has any ideas or comments for any committee, I would encourage you to send them to SC at any time. We have our next Board meeting scheduled for the end of April.
I would like at this time to extend kudos to WEG. In these trying times, their handle is up and they’ve just announced purse hikes; they’ve also seen full fields since introducing the guaranteed starter bonus. It’s seems that dropping a day a week has made at least a small difference. They definitely have been doing something right.
Have any of you seen Jeff Gural’s concept for the future of racing? He suggests taking 5% from slot money and using it to market to a new and younger audience, suggesting that this will be a small sacrifice for a long term goal. This certainly sounds familiar –it seems as though the concept behind the SC Racing Development and Sustainability Plan may have offered some inspiration to other parties fighting to save and grow our sport!
For those of you who couldn’t be at the O’Brien’s or watch it via live streaming online, you should know that it was a very emotional night. One of the most moving things to me was the connections of Admirals Express accepting the Cam Fella Award. When Ed & Cheryl Sayfie came to the podium for their thank you speech, they stood there for several minutes as they tried to compose themselves, teary-eyed and overcome with emotion. Ed struggled to get his words out, as the recent passing of the Grey Gladiator is still an open wound, and the whole room was caught up in that moment. It was a reminder of why most of us are in this industry – we really do love our horses.
Another moving moment that night was when Rick Zeron finally won Horseman of the Year. Aside from the fact that it was the seventh nomination for Rick and his first win, to see the joy of his family and how close they are was truly touching. It proves yet again that harness racing is and can be a family-oriented industry.
We have many good and talented people on our side. Let’s remember going forward that we’re all in this because we really do love our sport... and we’re all in this together!
Tammy McNiven
A monthly newsletter from Standardbred Canada’s Chair of the Board of Directors.