Horses feature: Collapse of Quebec horse racing industry creates ripple effect

Renowned horseman Yves Filion claims he was all but born in a stable alongside the horses he loves.

One of Quebec's preeminent Standardbred breeders and racers, Filion is a second-generation racehorse breeder who has spent his life dedicated to horses. He now runs Bayama Farms, a racing stable in Saint-Andre-d'Argenteuil, near Lachute.

However, the collapse of the Quebec Standardbred horse racing industry has had a devastating impact on horse breeders and racing barns.

Over the past three years alone, Filion has had to reduce his stable from 117 horses to 70 and his staff of 15 employees to about three.

"The expense is too much so I have to reduce," he said. "I have already gotten rid of 20 horses in the last year and more may have to go. Right now, there are no races here (in Quebec), so I am keeping my best horses here and breeding them with Ontario horses to race there. From here to the end of the winter, if we don't hear anything, it could be the end."

Last October 2, Quebec finance minister Raymond Bachand declared the government's intention to withdraw public money from the horseracing industry, which was previously injected through provincial video lottery machines.

"The government no longer has the money to give to this industry, because people are no longer going to the tracks," said his press secretary Catherine Poulin. "We have been injecting millions upon millions of dollars into a declining industry [...] Over the past 14 years, over $450 million has been injected into this industry."

The impact of the closure of the Quebec racing industry has had a ripple effect that has led to the closure of many stables and sent thousands of horses to the abattoir for slaughter.

"We don't have enough quality to race against Ontario horses," said Filion. "The average horse can't race elsewhere, which is why the government has compensated us for the closure of this industry. Three years ago the Quebec government said the industry would be saved. We continued to invest in foals that no longer have a place to race."

According to Filion, the racing competition in Ontario is fierce, while Quebec subsidy programs have encouraged its horsemen to breed within the province and support their fellow breeders.

As a result, the average Quebec horses are not fast enough to perform elsewhere.

The Quebec Ministry of Finance has provided a $9.2 million breeder-aid program to compensate for some of the money spent breeding and training Quebec foals that were born between 2007 and 2008. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the maximum compensation per foal is $7,650. Additional subsidy programs will be made available to help transition Standardbred race horse breeders into new enterprises.

In Filion's case, compensation could offset the cost of breeding, feeding and training 25 foals. Each year, Filion spends hundreds of thousands of dollars training and maintaining his horses. He supports farmers who raise grain and hay, he supports tractor dealerships, veterinarians, local stores, shops and businesses, he employs people and he maintains an active business with relations across Canada and the United States.

"If they close the racetracks there will be a lot of unemployment surrounding it. If the government decides to completely close everything it's a big loss for me. I have put my entire life into this and all of my money. The first thing I would have to do is to send as many horses away as possible. At the offset, at least 35 to 40 horses would have to go. To prepare, I have already bred my ten best broodmares with Ontario stallions to increase the quality of my stable while I also decrease the size."

At the moment, Filion is taking things day by day. Working from 7:30 in the morning until 2 a.m. the following day, he follows a rigorous schedule that is dedicated to keeping his horses in good racing condition and his business afloat.

His eight siblings are each involved in horse racing and the industry's collapse has deeply impacted them all.

"When you wake up in the morning and you're in a hurry to get to work, it's because you love what you do," said Filion. "I don't count the hours and I invest my money back into my business by buying more horses each year. Now I have no choice but to cut back."

Due to the quality of his horses, Filion has managed to sell many of his horses for a fair market price by continuing to race and win on Ontario tracks. Of the 20 horses he has had to eliminate in the past year, two had pre-existing injuries that sent them to the Lachute Flea Market and from there to the abattoir; two others went to a farm in Hudson to be used as riding horses; and the remainder were given away or sold.

"We've been waiting almost two years and most of the stables have gone broke. Out of 100 foals bred here, maybe 20 can compete on the Ontario tracks. As a result many stables that were already foundering didn't stand a chance. We continue to have hope and are waiting for a solution," he added.

According to Filion, Standardbred horses are easily trained for personal use and for riding and make ideal pets. Their reputation for being high-strung is largely due to a rich diet and heavy exercise regimen. The benefit of welcoming a former race horse onto your farm is that they have been conditioned to train and are an ideal size and stature for riding and use with carriages. Many Standardbreds are sold to the Mennonite people for use as carriage horses, while others are being sold to the Prince Edward Island racing communities.

"Two hours after racing one horse, the owner said it was good for nothing," he recalled. "We put a saddle on him and were riding him within the hour. Every horse is an individual and needs to be treated as such."

Cost of owning a racehorse too heavy for owners to bear

In the current market, some Standardbred race horses bred in Quebec are being given away, others are sold for a few thousand dollars and many more are being sent to the abattoir where their value is based on the price of their meat, which is exported as a delicacy in Europe and used in the creation of dog food.

Only the fastest and best breeding lines are currently retaining their price value. Here is a list, according to Yves Filion:

• Cost to purchase 18-month old, American-bred, Standardbred racehorse 'So New York': $72,000.
• Average veterinarian fee per month, per horse: $200
• Purchase cost of a sulky bike for harness training: $3,500 U.S.
• Cost to feed and bed a racehorse per month: $320- $350
• Cost to train a single horse per month, if you are capable of doing it on your own: $1,000.
• Cost to train a single horse for a customer, accounting for food and board: $1,500
• Cost to rent a stall at the racecourse: $350 per month.
• Cost of feed at the racecourse: $6 per bale of hay.
• Ferrier costs for shoes: $400

TOTAL Cost on average: $6,306

Sale price for a Quebec bred standardbred racehorse following the collapse of the Quebec harness-racing industry: $100 to $1,000, depending on whether it is sold for meat