If anyone sees how removing slot revenues will affect Ontario’s horse racing industry, it is Gail Wood.
Wood is concerned with the impact of a provincial government decision to take funds from the horse industry. Last week, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott met with her and other industry members.
Wood is a past director of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division), a member of the Jockey Club of Canada, past chairman of the sales advisory committee, Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division), past president of Ontario Thoroughbred Farm Managers Association and a founding member of the committee that formed the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association.
Currently she operates farms under the umbrella of Woodlands Farm – something she has been doing for the past 30 years.
The Broodmare farm is in the foaling and re-breeding for the lucrative Canadian Bred stakes program, which includes the Ontario owner and breeder awards. The race farm is involved in raising young race horses by providing a training facility with 5/8th of a mile turf track and a half mile dirt track, including starting gates.
Wood said Arnott is a “lovely man, highly educated and understands our dilemma and the emotions that go with it.”
She noted that prior to their meeting, Arnott had already spoken in the legislature about the issue.
“It’s tremendous that he came out to meet with us.”
While the horse racing industry is not Arnott’s field of expertise, Wood remained impressed that he asked questions to clarify points on specific aspects of the industry.
She stressed the provincial move could mean a tremendous number of jobs could be lost in the rural areas.
She said jobs may not be specifically related to the horse industry itself, but other industries that support it.
Wood cited the example of a mechanic whose livelihood is partly based on servicing the trucks and trailers used by the horse industry.
She did, however, have questions about current Minister of Agriculture Ted McMeekin “who is not acting like a Minister of Agriculture He is either unaware of our situation or being misinformed about what is happening,” she said. “All we’ve heard from him is that we [the horse industry] will survive. It makes me wonder.”
Wood said support for the horse racing industry is there from all the agricultural sectors – with the exception of the Christian Farmers – and that is because of the gambling aspects of the industry.
However, she suspects that group will have even more concerns if the province opens up the gambling field even more.
Wood said Arnott has promised the group 40 minutes for discussion, but ended up spending well over an hour at site.
She said Arnott specifically wanted to speak with people directly involved in the industry rather than those in it as a hobby.
Wood said Arnott will continue to speak up for the horse industry.
“We’re lucky to have an MPP like Ted, who is very much a man of the country.”
She adds that it seems clear Arnott had no intention of stepping back from the issue either.
“I’m proud to have him in our corner.”
She described the actions of Premier Dalton McGuinty as bullying, and, “We should not have to put up with it.”
Wood said, “Iit is not just my particular industry which was shortchanged by this budget. We were totally blind sided by this.”
She considered it naive of the province to think that with a slash of a pen, things can be wrapped up within a year.
“Producing a racehorse is a four year program.”
