Saskatchewan’s horse racing community is in shock after Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park announced it is permanently cancelling horse racing [in Canada].
“For Prairieland to shut the future of horse racing in Saskatchewan down is numbing,” said Eddie Esquirol, president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protection Association and the owner of 30 race horses.
“There’s 500 people involved in the industry.”
Esquirol said 40 to 50 per cent of people in the industry in Saskatchewan are Indigenous.
He said people are going to be forced to relocate to Manitoba or Alberta if they want to continue with horse racing.
“It’s a real gut punch for the horse racing industry in Saskatchewan,” said trainer Anita Gardipy.
Gardipy’s family has been training horses for many generations.
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