Ontario Thoroughbred breeders have experienced several tumultuous years of late and need assurance that they will continue to have input into the industry, and that they will continue to receive the much-needed award money directed to them through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
As this Canadian Thoroughbred article elucidates, some breeders are concerned by efforts to re-direct the OMAFRA award money to Ontario’s Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP committee no longer has any breeders on it, eliminating their vote in favor of the racetracks.
Breeder awards are vital to the health of the industry, as Ontario is already experiencing a serious horse shortage, and awards give breeders some hope of earnings to augment the declining sales average. Every healthy racing jurisdiction has a healthy breeding industry associated with it, and keeping breeder awards with OMAFRA will help to ensure the survival of Ontario racing.
Read the full article on Canadian Thoroughbred.
