Paula Mason ready for new role

Standardbred Canada announced back in December the individuals who were elected to sit on the Board of Directors.

The newly appointed Western Region Breeder Director Paula Mason is eager to get her feet wet in her new position. Mason has been active in the Manitoba harness racing community as an owner, breeder, trainer, and driver. Her parents, Darryl and Sherri Mason have been long-time operators of the biggest breeding farm in Manitoba.

Not only is she a member of the Manitoba Standardbred Sires & Breeders Association but she also served as director for seven years. Mason graduated from Brandon University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and psychology and is also starting a new job in counselling.

She has done her fair share of multiple jobs up to this point and now is moving up to a bigger role to help continue the growth of the sport. Mason was approached to possibly fill the position and it only made sense to her.

“I’m one of the younger breeders.” said, Mason. “There isn’t always young blood wanting to take these positions. The previous director, Heather Davies, approached me and asked if I was interested. I was definitely interested because the sport has given me so much and this is a way to be able to give back to the sport.”

Mason’s response to how important she feels the western provinces are to the overall success of the sport in Canada and around the world.

“It’s very important,” Mason replied. “Believe it or not, Manitoba is one of the provinces that breeds the most mare in Canada. Breeding in western Canada is hugely important. There is a horse shortage everywhere so the more breeders we can get involved, the more mares we can get bred and the more studs we can bring into the region will all help the rest of Canada and all of North America deal with the shortage. The western Canadian region isn’t any less important that the other regions, but it also isn’t more important. If all the regions work together.”

The current program in western Canada is maintaining itself the best it can. As Mason explains, numbers are not dropping but a bit more needs to be done. “I would say the breeding program in western Canada is fairly stable. From year-to-year we see roughly the same number of mares bred. We do want to see those numbers increase but bringing in more mares and studs to the region would help that.”

In the long term, Mason is hoping to be able to continue the grow the sport and breeding programs, but she knows it will take some time to settle in before making too big of a splash. When she was asked what she is hoping to accomplish, Mason responded, “Since I’m new to the board, I don’t really have an answer to that until I meet the other directors and take in the orientations. But basically, I’m hoping to grow the mare and stud populations in western Canada. I’m also hoping that I can bring new ideas to the table that maybe they haven’t thought of before.”

Mason was also selected to sit on the Standardbred Canada Breeders Incentive Task Force, which is made up of breeders from every province, that is working together to find ways to improve the incentive program for breeders in Canada. Mason will have a lot of hats she will need to wear but she is up to the challenge.

What Mason may lack in decades of experience, she makes up for with passion and dedication to the sport. The breeders in western Canada should have little to worry about with her being the representative for the region.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink