Trey’s Two Cents Worth: What’s the deal with the Loop?

My number one mission when I joined the harness racing media was to continually promote the sport and treat it like its professional sport to the best of my abilities. There is an abundance of talented drivers, trainers, and horses that fill up programs daily across Canada and the world.

We get the privilege of watching drivers like Doug McNair and James Macdonald ascend to the top in Canada. There are also international superstars like Dexter Dunn and Tim Tetrick, who are genuinely known worldwide. Harness racing also has ambassadors like former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira and NBA Championship Nikola Jokic. I also can’t forget about the four-legged athletes that make this sport go around.

Since this is a professional sport, it is my job as the media to cover it no differently than other sports. If a driver has a bad drive with a 1-5 favourite, that should be discussed no differently than when a starting pitcher has a terrible outing on the mound. If a trainer doesn’t have their horses ready to go, that is no different than an NFL head coach having their team unprepared for a Sunday afternoon game. This level of criticism also applies to the tracks that host the racing. I have always given credit when credit is due. But now it is time to give some heavy criticism that is long overdue.

The harness racing community in Manitoba has been waiting for the completion of the Loop for a few years now, and the constant delays have grown concerns amongst those whose livelihoods depend on it. Early reports indicated that everything was on track for the original opening day of June 25. That was not the case since the new opening date is August 5. Weather and awaiting permits from the local gaming commission have been cited for the delay, but that has been the case for the last two years. What troubles me is the need for more transparency from those in charge of the new track. At some point, the finger needs to stop being pointed out, but a look in the mirror like my colleague, John Berry, wrote about last week.

The Loop is being built and operated by the Red River Exhibition Association. The Red River Exhibition puts together many successful fairs and agricultural-related events. The success that has come from the Red River Ex Summer Fair and other Red River Exhibition events gave the horsemen and women of Manitoba great optimism about the direction of the sport.

It shocks me that the Loop venture has become such a debacle. The racing aspect should be given more attention in other provinces. This is saying something because many horsemen and women can say the attention on the racing from the track is not the best.

The Loop tab on the Red River Exhibition website is a prime example of the need for more priority. The picture plastered on top of the site is not even of horses or horsemen from Manitoba! If someone asked me, I would gladly share one of the hundred pictures I have taken over the years. Or there has yet to be an inclusion of the racing schedule, which indicates that those in charge are not too certain of the likelihood of the new schedule.

The lack of transparency and promotion when we are less than a month away from the new opening day baffles me. As someone who has been a fan of Manitoba harness racing, it is hard to sit back and watch this. Harness racing has been conducted in Manitoba for over a hundred years, and it would be a shame if this is what killed it.

For the sake of the horsemen and women in Manitoba, I hope I am entirely reading the situation wrong, but the sense I get from chatting with people is this is the reality.

Welcome to the big leagues, Loop.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink