This past January the Board of Director’s of Standardbred Canada elected me as their new chair. I am truly humbled to assume this role. For those of you who don’t know me, I can trace my family’s roots in harness racing back into the 1950’s in New Brunswick. I grew up in the industry; my father Mike and mother Susan operated a public stable for many years in New Brunswick before venturing to Ontario in the early 1990’s and returning home in 1997. My uncle Ian and his wife Susan have operated a public stable in Ontario for the past twenty plus years and my other uncle David worked successfully for many years with Bob MacIntosh. Harness racing has provided me with a love and passion for the industry that translated into a career as a veterinarian where currently I own two veterinary hospitals in New Brunswick with my wife of seven years Michaela, and our two children Michael and Lauren.
It is from these roots that naturally flowed my interest in owning, breeding and training standardbreds. It is also from this industry that I have learned the two values I draw upon for success: perseverance and hard work. Horse people all across our beloved country share these traits in common. This industry is not for the faint of heart or the weak of character. It is the sheer determination to succeed that defines us. Whether it is volunteers in a little community in working together to preserve and grow their product, or dedicated horse people in a province that simply casts the industry aside, or a group of men and women who will not cower from government and big gambling business only to stand up and claim what they deserve; our industry will endure. It will endure and when it regroups it will emerge stronger and more unified.
Our industry faced many challenges in 2012. From coast to coast, every jurisdiction in Canada is facing external pressures often out of the industry’s control. Standardbred Canada needs to be at the forefront of education and discussions with the powers that dictate, mainly government. Education of government officials at provincial and federal levels must be an ongoing dialogue that keeps government informed about the economic importance of the industry. We must persevere and we must work hard. I assure you, that the Board of Standardbred Canada will do just that.
DR. MITCHELL M. DOWNEY
D.V.M., B.SC.
Chair, Board of Directors