Rideau Carleton Raceway will end its harness racing operations this season, bringing a close to over 60 years of horse racing history.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa cited concerns about financial sustainability as the reason for their decision, despite having put in “millions of dollars” for infrastructure improvements.
This decision follows several weeks of talks with Ontario Racing, which manages race schedules throughout the province.
Dave Briggs, a communications and content specialist with the organization, mentioned that this closure is tough on those who are closely connected to the south Ottawa racetrack.
“It’s the 14 employees that are directly involved in the racing,” he stated. “It’s the horse people who have raced there for two, three, four generations.”
Hard Rock Casino Ottawa announced the closure of the harness racing program on Thursday. (Jean-Sebastien Marier/Radio-Canada)
Opened in 1962, Rideau Carleton Raceway was once a major entertainment destination in Ottawa, according to Briggs – particularly when horse racing was one of the few legal gambling options available in Ontario.
Currently, there are only 11 harness-racing tracks left across the province. Briggs noted that this decline is due to an increasingly competitive environment.
“There are very few [entertainment options] that are filling the place every night,” he remarked.
While just a handful of employees will feel the impact from ending racing operations, it has broader implications for breeders, trainers and others within the industry.
“One of the great advantages of horse racing is it supports a lot of jobs in Ontario,” Briggs added, pointing out that approximately 23,000 full-time equivalent positions exist in the province.
general manager at Quebec Jockey Club.
Richard pointed out that one major reason behind horse racing’s decline lies within changing gambling trends-casinos dominate while online betting continues affecting traditional tracks. “These are all options you can access from home,” he added. “You can also bet on horse races from home.”</pp Certain sectors like veterinarians,
farriers,
and equipment suppliers will also take a hit due to these developments,
Richard indicated.
Ontario Racing reports they’re taking steps towards helping those who wish relocation opportunities elsewhere across Ontario so they can stay engaged within their profession.
They’re also redistributing prize money initially allocated for Rideau Carleton Raceway towards other tracks around province.
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‘It’s horrible’
The news hits hard for those who’ve been involved with horses for many years. “It’s horrible. This has been a lifestyle for our family,” said Brian Scott, who owns a stable in Brinston, Ont. Horse racing runs deep in Scott’s family history. He got his first horses back in the 1990s while his father started owning horses in the 1960s. The closure of Rideau Carleton Raceway feels devastating for them. “We’ve had this farm. With no racing we’re not going to continue to keep it,” he explained. “So it’ll be sold.”</pp Brian Scott says his family has been training horses for decades. He called the decision 'horrible.' (Jacob Taillefer Racine/Radio-Canada)A Grim Future for Harness Racing
<pp Mark Steacy owns Steacy Stables in Lansdowne, Ont., and shared that he finds this news "very sad."</pp “You never want to see any track go down in our business; especially not a home track,” he commented.</pp A seasoned professional with over 50 years in the field and hailing from a long line of stable owners and trainers himself, Steacy explained how Rideau Carleton served as an essential “starting track” where horses could develop before moving on to larger venues.</pp The closure fits into a larger trend affecting horse racing overall as casinos rise and attendance at tracks drops. “It used to be all about the racing; now it’s all about casinos,” Steacy lamented. “It’s unfortunately been a slow death for harness racing.”</pp This problem isn’t just confined to Ontario. The Hippodrome Trois-Rivières remains Quebec’s only operational horseracing track; racers and trainers there have depended on Rideau Carleton Raceway as well since mentioned by Guillaume Richard,general manager at Quebec Jockey Club.
Richard pointed out that one major reason behind horse racing’s decline lies within changing gambling trends-casinos dominate while online betting continues affecting traditional tracks. “These are all options you can access from home,” he added. “You can also bet on horse races from home.”</pp Certain sectors like veterinarians,
farriers,
and equipment suppliers will also take a hit due to these developments,
Richard indicated.
Ontario Racing reports they’re taking steps towards helping those who wish relocation opportunities elsewhere across Ontario so they can stay engaged within their profession.
They’re also redistributing prize money initially allocated for Rideau Carleton Raceway towards other tracks around province.
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