The Western Fair District would like to take this opportunity to express its support and congratulations to the members of the board of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association for their plan for Ontario’s horse racing and breeding’s future released earlier this week.
Each individual board member, and in particular Chair Sue Leslie, showed great vision and courage to unanimously support this plan for a new industry model in an effort to ensure that the industry remains relevant and competitive albeit contracted on a go forward basis. There was great urgency to craft this plan given the dire circumstances facing all horse breeding sectors in Ontario.
“There seems to be a prevailing notion in the industry that we can simply return to the current model. The government has made it abundantly clear that is not an option and as such is not up for debate or discussion,” noted WFD CEO Hugh Mitchell.
“The OHRIA board under some very difficult circumstances showed great leadership in taking on this formidable and imperative task of rationalizing the industry. Leadership is about making decisions today that others won’t, in an effort to accomplish tomorrow what others can’t.”