The Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association and Standardbred Canada’s I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club are partnering to present a special Mother’s Day Open House Program at five Standardbred breeding establishments in the province.

On Sunday, May 13, these breeding farms will open their gates and farms to the general public from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to showcase their mares, foals and facilities:

High Stakes Farm, Moffat
Seelster Farms, Lucan
St Lads Farm, Ruscom
Twinbrook Farms, Embro

The Open House will give the general public an opportunity to get up close and personal with the mares and foals, pet a foal, get a behind the scenes tour of the farm, and talk with the owners about a day in the life of a Standardbred breeder.

“Our goal is to give our neighbours, and the residents in our communities a snapshot of Standardbred breeding and demonstrate the importance of our industry to the rural community and Ontario’s economy,” said Anna Meyers, president of the SBOA.

“We’ve designed an event that’s both fun and educational,” said Meyers. “This is a great opportunity for people who wouldn’t normally have a chance to visit a horse farm to connect with the horses and the people in our industry.”

All guests who visit the farms will be given an I Love Canadian Harness Racing package which will include a brochure on the Ontario Standardbred Breeding Industry, some swag items and coupons / discounts for the local racetrack.

The mission of the SBOA is to continue to encourage and support the growth of a financially viable and sustainable breeding industry while representing and clearly defining the breeders’ position on major issues to industry partners, government and regulators. It also aims to provide breeders with improved communications and education resources.