"One pool"

Published: June 9, 2013 06:31 pm EDT

Does the recent Globe and Mail article or any rhetoric coming from the current Liberal government give those of us in horse racing any confidence in our industry’s future? No.

Are we assured Ontario will have a viable horse racing industry enabling us to raise our families, breed and race quality horses and stay in Ontario? No.

We saw the Liberal government of the past set out to destroy the industry we love. Today, our current Premier and Agriculture Minister vows to right the wrongs of the past. And while the Liberals play musical chairs with the Premier’s seat, we are left waiting and wondering. As I await the birth of my second child, I’m trying to be hopeful and optimistic. Our family is deeply entrenched not only this industry but in this province. While being hopeful and optimistic, we are all wary of being foolish and naive.

The last 16 months have been a wake-up call for our industry. There is no worse feeling than being a pawn. Horse racing matters most to us, not to political parties, not to racetrack owners, not to the OLG – we should be at the centre of advocating for our future. For our industry to survive and, and actually grow again we need to have a clear and concise voice. One voice speaking as one industry – speaking to government, speaking to the Commission, speaking to the public, speaking with the industry and for the industry. No one in Ontario should be confused about what horse racing is and why it matters to rural Ontario and the province as a whole. We must build a racing model that builds our fan base. We need to shut off the fire hoses and grab our tool belts. We need an open dialogue on how our industry can be built again, hopefully grown leading to the day this mess is undone to some extent. Personally I think we need to utilize the only tool we have always had, Our Product.

Step 1

Ontario harness horse racing is one industry. One pool of horses to draw from with the result being a MUST. We must have competitive races going on the track at every facility, big or small, at all times in Ontario. Jeff Gural has already shown that competitive racing in every form grows the handle, grows the attendance and heightens the experience people have at the facility. We need to do better and we need to do it now.

"One pool"

We have to shed this idea that competitive races can be formed in a few hours. We will need to modernize the way we collect entries and what we do with them. By pooling our entries we can build competitive races easily . By putting a Director of Racing in charge, with a 24-48 hour window with all communication tools at his or her disposal, this task is now doable. We need to recognize this is paramount to our survival. We need tracks to coordinate and work together to improve our product and fan experience level.

This isn’t anything new, it’s just new to us.

A functioning overseeing organization with an experienced Director of Racing could coordinate race track dates, draws, all the while keeping the government apprised of its data and customer feedback.

I see it as simple as this. If we can’t take people from the slot parlours, sit them down at a table and show them their money at work and have them enthusiastic about returning, we are letting ourselves down.

The words of the day are transparency and accountability. people demand it, and governments try to provide it. We can. This won’t be easy but it is very attainable. We all know we have to do better, hopefully we can start to have an open dialogue about how to do it. It's long overdue.

Anthony MacDonald

Have something to say about this? Log in or create an account to post a comment.