Carol and Bryn Robertson are horse breeders who have seen the ups and downs in the industry.
Both agree one of the major “downs” came with the provincial government’s decision in March 2012 to cut the province’s slots at raceway revenue program, which annually generated about $345 million for the industry.
After the government announcement two years ago, the couple briefly considered throwing in the towel.
“Because of what the government said about racing we said ‘no more,’ but we stayed anyway,” Carol said.
The industry is restructuring with transition assistance from the province of about $400 million over the next five years. The couple hopes it will be enough to improve the overall industry picture.
The Robertsons have lived on and owned their 100-acre, Hillerin Farm for almost 48 years, breeding horses and showing them, and then getting into quarter horse racing about 18 years ago.
Now both retired, the couple can devote more time to breeding and racing horses. Right now they’re focusing on their latest race hopeful, One Famous Glass, a four-year-old gelding from a strong line and already an award winner.
Owned by Carol, her daughter-in-law Jaime Robertson, and local veterinarian Dr. Chuck Hall, the horse won Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. top honours for 2013, including top three-year-old gelding, high point three-year-old and Horse of the Year.
One Famous Glass was also named by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) as the 2013 Champion Canada Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Gelding. The award is given in each of the 10 regions in the United States, Canada and Mexico to the horse that owns the most points in his category.
The offspring of sire One Famous Eagle and dam Quick Glass, One Famous Glass – known to the couple as “Eagle” – is expected to get in two races in the U.S. this year before coming home for the Ontario racing season.
“We call him Eagle because One Famous Eagle is one of the top studs in North America,” Carol said. “Bryn took him back to Oklahoma City in January and we’re hoping to have him racing by March.”
South of the border, the horse is being trained by Clint Crawford, one of the top trainers in North America.
Bryn is listed as the official trainer, while Carol is listed as one of the owners on the quarter horse licence, which is required at tracks here and south of the border.
Their son Michael, a professional farrier, is also part of the team associated with Eagle.
“It is a family operation,” Carol said. “You have to be licenced in each state and province that you race in (and) you have to be fingerprinted to get your licence.”
Just recently they went through the fingerprinting aspect of licencing.
The Robertsons were impressed with Eagle’s pedigree at the annual yearling auction at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City, which is considered a premiere location for buying top-rated horses.
The auction offers anywhere from 800 to over 1,000 yearlings for sale in September.
“The yearling sale is just amazing,” said Carol.
Armed with a book containing the pedigree of each yearling offered at the auction, they first saw Eagle in a stall and had him walked to get a better look at him. They felt the yearling looked “really, really good.”
The yearling’s sire was champion in his own right, posting $1.3 million with seven wins. Eagle’s brother, One Dashing Eagle, posted six wins as a two-year-old with winnings of $2 million.
“He was a world champion,” Carol said.
One Famous Eagle is now a syndicated stud horse.
“It’s very hard to get a breeding to him,” Carol said, noting they considered breeding one of their mares, but the cost was out of reach.
The perceived demise of the industry has also meant purses have been cut, making it difficult for those with race horses.
In quarter horse racing the purse is generally split between the top five horses in a race, based on times.
Eagle posted six firsts, one second and a fifth in eight starts in 2013, earning $65,000.
“If you had taken that back to the year before he would have earned $200,000 to $250,000. He had the most wins of any horse in Ontario,” Carol said, referring to purse sizes prior to the provincial government’s 2012 elimination of the slots program.
With changes in the size of the purses, the couple has taken on a different way of assessing their race horses.
“In essence it’s a ‘three strikes you’re out’ rule,” said Carol.
If the horse fails to win a portion of the purse in its first three races, it is evaluated by the couple to see whether they should keep working with it or sell it.
“We can’t afford to let the losers drain the winners,” Carol said of the decision to sell off horses that don’t perform or have promise that they could perform.
“Why would you buy a race car and run it for nothing?”
Carol said as a small breeding operation the couple has to take into account all the costs associated with racing, including feed, licencing, association membership, stall fees and jockeys.
In the case of Eagle, expenses are split between the three owners, but “so are your earnings,” Carol said.
“We got rid of five or six horses last year,” she added.
She’s the first to admit she doesn’t like to sell off horses she has grown to love.
“I hate getting rid of horses, but you have to do it,” she said. “You want to make sure they have a good home.”
Carol relays the story about Home on the Bayou, a horse that achieved AQHA Superior Race Horse status. They considered selling, but because of the horse’s personality, they just couldn’t part with him.
“I just felt if we sold him and he didn’t produce what was going to happen to him?”
Today Home on the Bayou is enjoying living on the farm.
Another horse that holds particular favour with Carol is Had to be Fandango, a mare with lifetime winnings of around $150,000.
“We retired her last year, to become a broodmare ” she said. Fandango also achieved AQHA Superior Race Horse status. “She is a big mare with a lot of heart and personality.”
The couple has seen the breeding industry drop-off since the government announcement led to reduced purses, but they hope their business will find a niche in a market Carol says “has gotten considerably smaller.”
Carol and Bryn will continue their efforts in an industry they love, despite recently coping with the loss of an indoor ring destroyed when the roof collapsed.
They remain hopeful that the industry can survive.
“Whether we will come back from that we don’t know,” the couple said of the industry’s future.
