The roots of harness racing run many generations deep in the Maritimes. Some of the best riders and horses at the big tracks in Ontario and the U.S. were bred and trained in the Maritimes. What kept the local harness racing and breeding industry thriving were the gamblers. A generation ago, a trip to the track was just about the only option for legal betting. Now there's stiff competition for those betting dollars from lotteries, VLT's and casinos that rake in hundreds of millions of dollars a year in the Maritimes. The result is a two-thirds drop in betting on live racing over the past decade. That translates into fewer races, lower purses and less money for winning ticket holders.
Phil Pinkney knows all about that. He has been racing for 50 years. His father had horses and by the time Phil was 10 years old he knew his way around horses and tracks. When his horse "Steady Nick" won the race at the Truro Raceway recently the purse was 500 dollars. Not quite enough to feed his horse for a month and Phil's share for driving was $25.31. Purses in Ontario are often ten times higher so it's not surprising that the better horses and young riders head for Central Canada or the U.S. to make a living.
However, it's not all bad news for harness racing in the Maritimes. Prince Edward Island still haa a thriving industry. P.E.I farmers bred more than 500 mares during 2002, five times more than Nova Scotia and New Brunswick combined. It seems that the provincial government in P.E.I. decided to support the industry as a long-term investment.
In Ontario, horse racing has become a full partner in the gaming industry. Fifteen of the tracks there have slot machines. That money has transformed racing in Ontario which is now the third biggest farm industry with more than a billion dollars a year in direct spending.
When Nova Scotians look at the experience in other jurisdictions they feel their government could be doing more to help them. This show examines how the gaming dollar slipped away from a once vibrant industry that supported hundreds of people and some of the suggestions that could turn the situation around.
