Dresden Raceway was represented at a meeting in London on Tuesday, as a proposal was presented that would drastically change the landscape of horse racing in Ontario if approved. Shutting down racing in Dresden would be included in this proposed plan.
However, Lucille Laprise, president of the Dresden Agricultural Society, said she doesn’t know how much weight this proposal carries.
“There was a lot of talk, good points for and against,” Laprise said about the meeting, which was held at the Western Fair grounds in London on Feb. 9. “I think we’ll be fine.”
The authors of the 12-page proposal – Mark Beaven, Mark Horner, Scott McNiven, and Heather Toll – have prepared the report to “help improve the harness racing industry in Ontario.” The changes primarily revolve around race dates and purse levels and is calling for the closure of the Dresden Raceway, the Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia and the Leamington track, in order to make the industry more viable.
Laprise said the group was planning on going to Milton on Wednesday to discuss the proposal to different stakeholders in that area.
“I felt it was a good meeting and I felt like we were well represented… I feel confident,” she said.
Dresden Raceway already has 11 race days confirmed for the 2016 racing season, including:
– Sunday, May 29, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 5, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 12, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 19, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 26, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Friday, July 1, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 3, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 10, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 17, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 24, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Monday, August 1, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
“We’re hoping to apply for a little bit more,” Laprise added.
When the proposal was released and included the recommendation to shut down Dresden Raceway, it definitely surprised her, Laprise said.
“We were shocked of course,” she said.
“Shocked at the news. Leamington, Dresden and Hiawatha… we’ve been doing the best that we could and we’ve all grown, we’re getting better and our fan base is increasing. We’re really fortunate to have the ORC help. We want to continue.”
Laprise added: “The people out this way, the local horsemen, they want to race locally. Not everybody wants to drive to London to race.”
Laprise said they have had good luck at putting people in the seats at Dresden Raceway in the two years they have been operating it.
“We’ve had aggressive betting and fan attendance has gone up every year. Things are looking good here. We’re doing an awful lot of work with the grandstand and the barns. We’ve got a lot of great volunteers and the horse racing is good for the community and for the businesses in town. It’s a win/win for everybody. We need to keep our racing here in town. “We’re doing well. We just want to grow and we just want the opportunity to keep on growing.”
For more background, check out this story: Proposal calls for closure of Dresden Raceway
– Photo credit: Nathan Vercauteren
