Laurie Poole runs a small boarding, foaling and breeding facility bordering on Highway 401 at Muirkirk, ON, about 15 minutes from Ridgetown.
She and her late husband John honeymooned in Lexington in 1982 watching their filly Pepsi Almahurst race at the Red Mile.
Both John and Laurie worked outside the farm but continued to pursue the dream of a fulltime horse business.
Officially, Laurie has been the Treasurer of SBOA for the past nine years. Unofficially, she’s handled the organization’s bookkeeping for some 19 years. Her husband John was a dedicated SBOA Director and its Treasurer for 10 years. But Laurie’s bookkeeping background meant that that part of the John’s role naturally fell to her.
John passed away from an illness in 2003, but Laurie has carried on both the farm operation and as an SBOA Director.
Just recently Laurie has been able to hand over the SBOA’s bookkeeping duties to our new Administrator Aimee Adams.
What is your background in the horse business and what role to do you play in your operation?
The farm has been in the Poole family now for three generations and consists of 90 acres, 45 of which we use for pasture.
John bought his first Standardbred, Joy Almahurst, in 1980 and she became our first broodmare. He went down to Colorado to take the breeding technician’s course then came home and told me how easy it was. Once he showed me how, I don’t think he ever bred another mare on the place.
Today I’m the sole operator– I do the breeding, foaling, semen runs, etc. I do have good help anytime I need it though. My son Gilbert and daughter Christina both work elsewhere but live here on the farm. My oldest daughter Jennifer lives nearby as well.
The kids all grew up with the horses and literally had a shovel in their hands from the age of four. So help is always available and I seldom have to ask twice.
Can you describe your breeding farm for us and how the business operates?
Depending on the season, I have anywhere from 12 to 25 mares around. I own a few myself and take in boarders.
Even though it can be stressful, I particularly enjoy the satisfaction of foaling mares. I’ve found that the Ontario Resident Mare Program has helped that part of my business, particularly, I guess, because I’m not far from the U.S. Border.
I usually foal the mares, keep the foals until they’re weaned and then encourage sending them somewhere else to be raised. I’m not really set up for handling yearlings other than my own.
I do have two yearlings of my own to sell this year and they’ll probably go to the Canadian Yearling Sale at Flamboro.
Usually I sell everything, but this year I’m retaining a Credit Winner- Mombasa filly as a future broodmare. She’s a half-sister to Filly at Bigs (over $800,000) who is the dam of Big Rigs who won the Matron this year. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this filly will be racing in the New York Sires Stakes next year.
How do you monitor mares about to foal?
We have video cameras in the barn that we can watch in the house. Usually my son Gilbert takes the night shift and then I take over at 6:00am. We don’t take any chances; amongst the three of us, we watch them 24/7 when they’re close.
If we have any major problems, I call on the expertise of Ilderton Equine Services.
Who do you think you have learned the most from about the breeding business?
I’d have to say my late husband John. Even today when confronted with a horse problem, I sometimes ask myself, “What would John do here?” But I now have my own experience to rely on as well.
What do you enjoy most about your business?
Aside from the hands-on horse aspect, I’d have to say what I like most is the social contact with all different types of people. I enjoy listening to their take on things and hearing about how they got involved in the breeding business.
What do you consider the toughest part about being a breeder?
For sure it’s watching your yearling in the sales ring bring less than what you’ve shelled out for a service fee.
It’s pretty tough to predict and you definitely need some luck to pick the sires that are still going to be popular when you sell.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years, and that I try to pay attention to, is that at the SBOA Silent Auctions every year, the horses who bring the advertised fee or close to it, tend to be the ones that will be poplar when the resulting yearlings sell.
What is your favourite horse that you have raised?
It’s my preference not to raise horses for others at this point, but my favourite horse right now that we raised was for a customer.
His name is “Leafs and Wings”, and he’s a Rambaran who was small but tough. He won the other night at Woodbine in 1:52.4. I just admire his grit.
What has been your most memorable experience in harness racing?
I’d have to say buying the trotting filly Saxophone 20 years ago at the fall sale, racing her a week later in the Trillium Stakes and winning! It was so unexpected.
Who is your favourite racehorse of all time?
These days it’s Daylon Magician. He was dominant in Ontario and showed not only exceptional ability but courage. I think he has a lot of fans out there.
I have to confess to a certain bias here because we’ve known Dave and Mary Lemon for years and it’s great to see all their hard work paying off. I always like to see the little guy win.
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Previous Q & A with Breeders:
Breeder Spotlight…Tammy McNiven
Breeder Spotlight…Dr. Keith Coquhoun
Breeder Spotlight…Larry Morrison
Breeder Spotlight…Ruleen Lilley
Breeder Spotlight…Bobbi Morley
Breeder Spotlight…Sanford Zimmerman
Breeder Spotlight…Larry Drysdale
Breeder Spotlight….Caroline Thornton
Breeder Spotlight… Walter Parkinson
