As mentioned during Thursday’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) announcement discussing details of the Long-Term Funding Agreement,
Ontario Racing (OR) will assume responsibility of the Enhanced Horse Improvement Program (Enhanced HIP), starting on April 1, 2019.
The existing Enhanced HIP program will be cancelled and will be incorporated into an enriched HIP fund contained within the amended Long-Term Funding Agreement
Enhanced HIP was previously managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
As part of its mandate, OR, the province’s horse racing industry association which represents racetracks and horsepeople associations across Ontario, will continue to support the breeders and horsepeople with the new HIP funding, worth $10 million annually.
“The amended Long-Term Funding Agreement will help provide horsepeople with the support and confidence needed to ensure stability and their long-term success in the business,” said Katherine Curry, Executive Director, Ontario Racing Management (ORM). “The additional HIP funding will continue to be utilized to improve the quality of racehorses in Ontario and to promote breeding and ownership of Quarter Horse, Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses in Ontario.”
The strategic direction of new HIP funds will be contemplated by the province’s racing and breeding stakeholders at Ontario Racing’s board committee level and approved by the OR Board of Directors, led by John Hayes, the organization’s Independent Chair.
To learn more about the industry programs, benefits, criteria, components and eligibility, visit ontarioracing.com.
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