Mother’s Day Open House
Do you live in Ontario and you’re looking for something interesting, exciting and different to do for Mother’s Day? Why not visit one of the Ontario Standardbred Breeders’ farm that they have generously offered to open to the public!
That’s right, you can come visit mares with their young foals and catch a glimpse of them, even take some pictures to bring home some memories. One of the participants, Joanne Coville, of High Stakes Farm explains how the idea was hatched, “The idea was suggested at the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association meeting,” she recounts. “Several on the board agreed to host an open house and then the following day someone asked me if I would participate, and I jumped in. I will help out this industry any way I can.”
Coville, who is the better half of top driver Jack Moiseyev, said she is hoping that the Open house helps raise awareness that the industry is far more than “just racing”. “The breeding end of it is really a long-term (financial) commitment that must be made before anyone sees a return”. Coville owns and operates High Stakes Farm - a 30-acre property specializing in breeding, boarding, rehabilitation and racing stock, located in Moffat, Ontario. She currently has 15 broodmares that are all being bred to commercial Ontario stallions such as Badlands Hanover, Kadabra, Holiday Road, Bettor’s Delight, Jeremes Jet, Deweycheatemnhowe and Mach Three. One of Colville’s specialties is naming the horses with catchy names. One of her more successful racehorses, multiple winner Guns ‘N Roses was named after one of her favourite rock bands. “I’m a BIG fan of both - the horse and the band,” she chuckled. Other winners with catchy names that she’s bred include “Wazzup Wazzup” and "Mississipi Hippy". "Pink Kangaroo", who has raced successfully against the top mares in Ontario for years was named after a “girls night out story,” according to Colville - but when pressed for more details, she moves on to the next topic. That must be a good story! “We enjoy racing them, and Jack and I are a good team,” she says. “We really compliment each other as a team.”
Colville has been in the sport of harness racing since she was a young girl - one of those “it’s in your blood” types really and also devotes a lot of personal time to ensuring racehorses aren’t forgotten about and discarded after their racing careers finish. She is currently the Events Coordinator for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society and can quite often be found at Mohawk raceway in the summer at the front gates with a standardbred that has either been already adopted or is looking for a home.
Above all, it’s easy to tell that Coville’s affinity for the horses is what keeps her going forward, even now, with the “gaming” climate still uncertain due to the recent decision by the Ontario government to renege on the Slots at Racetracks agreement which is almost certain to have a detrimental effect on breeders as purses are cut and foal prices drop. “I keep a few riding horses as my real pets,” she explains, “but truthfully, I love them all!”
Here are the addresses of all the farms that are participating in the “Mares and foals Open House”:
High Stakes Farm
9685 FIRST LINE
Moffat, ON L0P 1J0
(5 minutes from downtown Milton)
Tel 905-854-5074
Seelster Farms
33618 Roman Line
R.R. # 3 Lucan, ON N0M 2J0
(40 minutes from London)
Tel 519-227-4294
St. Lads Farm
1078 Countryview Lane
Ruscom, ON N0R 1R0
(40 km east of Windsor)
Tel 519-975-2067
Twinbrook Farms
R. R. # 4 Embro, ON N0J 1J0
25 miles east of London, 3 miles north of Hwy #2 (Dundas St.)
Tel 519-475-4276