A renewed 10-year funding agreement signed by the provincial government and Horse Racing Alberta will ensure the horse racing industry's viability, said the Olds College racetrack programs instructor/coordinator.
“If we didn't have an agreement, we wouldn't be able to carry on,” said Theresa Sealy.
Horse Racing Alberta funds the college's program, so without at least a short-term agreement, the college would be at a loss, she said.
“We wouldn't have a program,” she said.
The recent announcement about the renewed 10-year agreement came as good news not only for the racetrack programs at Olds College but also for the horse racing industry as a whole throughout the province, she said.
“We're just so excited to have a 10-year agreement. A long-term agreement is what we needed to be able to move forward with breeding and education and industry partners to make things happen and know that we have 10 years to make it happen,” she said.
Because of the renewed funding agreement, Olds College will be able to continue offering its racetrack programs, which in turn prepares tomorrow's professionals who will work in the horse racing industry. The college's racetrack courses train professional groomers as well as exercise riders, she said.
“Those are our two main aspects,” she said.
But there is a lot more to grooming horses than just brushing them. Many trained groomers carry on to become farm managers and trainers who work in all aspects of the horse racing industry. Meanwhile, many of the trained exercise riders go on to become jockeys, she said, adding a few jockeys trained at Olds College have even gone on to become nationally and internationally recognized.
“We've been quite successful with our programs,” she said. “So we'll be able to continue that success moving forward with this new agreement.”
A press release announced that the agreement is expected to directly support 1,600 Alberta jobs while also resulting in significant additional indirect economic benefits for rural communities and businesses.
“The outreaching effect that I think they're alluding to are those farmers that are raising the hay and the oats and the grain and everything needed for the industry,” including all the equipment that's required, said Sealy.
“It's more far reaching than just the racetrack level.”
There are a lot of jobs involved in the horse racing industry — there are those who breed and raise horses, those who train and take care of the animals, those who ride them, veterinarians and so on, she said.
Racehorses are professional equine athletes that have to be treated as well as professional human athletes — the animals also require massage therapists and chiropractors, she said.
Sealy has been involved in the horse racing industry for about 25 years, and said she enjoys the competitive nature of the sport as well as “the thrill of the win, of course.”
She also likes the way people come together, and said “it's like a small community when you're working in the industry.”
There's also nothing quite like working with the horses and getting them to become the best they can be, she said.
“That heart-pumping excitement of the animal you look after and seeing them win a race, there's nothing like it.”
Although the government of Alberta and Horse Racing Alberta signed the renewed 10-year agreement, no tax dollars are used, said the press release.
“I just want to make it clear the province is not providing funding for the industry — the industry provides funding for itself,” said Sealy.
Funds are not diverted from government services like healthcare or education. The money is “raised by the industry for the industry” through a percentage received by Racing Entertainment Centres, she said.
“In the past, HRA, a private not-for-profit corporation, received flow-through funding from the Alberta Lottery Fund equivalent to 51.67 per cent of the net revenue from slot machines at Racing Entertainment Centres,” said the press release.
“Under the new agreement, the percentage will be gradually reduced over three years to 40 per cent: 50 per cent in 2016-17, 45 per cent in 2017-18 and 40 per cent beginning in 2018-19 and for the remainder of the 10-year term ending in 2026.”
Alberta's Finance Minister Joe Ceci said horse racing is an important cultural and sporting industry in the province and that the agreement builds a foundation for a sustainable future.
“This renewed partnership with HRA supports rural Alberta and prevents loss of jobs and livelihood at a time of economic uncertainty,” he was quoted as saying in the press release.
The nearest racing entertainment centre in the region is Century Downs in Balzac near Cross Iron Mills. Racing events began in mid-February and continue every weekend until October, said Sealy.
“I would encourage people to come out and see the races,” she said.
