Optimism grows about health of Maine standardbred industry

No matter who you talk to in Maine’s harness racing community, the recent formation of the state’s Standardbred Industry Advisory Council is the latest piece of good news for an industry that appeared headed for the glue factory just five years ago.

“I’m very excited about this council,” said Dr. Robert Causey, council member and associate professor at the University of Maine’s department of animal and veterinary sciences. “I’m very optimistic. My perspective is from [UMaine’s] horse program, and up until now we’ve been on neonatal life support, and from this [council formation], we’ve been able to better interface with the entire industry.

“After our first meeting, I felt very encouraged about the future of our program and having an industry that is coming together behind us.”

Causey is one of 15 members of the council, which has Bangor Raceway general manager Fred Nichols as its chairman.

“It’s a resource that I hope anyone in the industry who’s experiencing difficulties would contact for help,” said Nichols, who has served as Bangor’s director of racing for the last 13 years. “We would also like to establish a harness racing museum eventually somewhere in the state of Maine.”

Council member and publicity director Karen Vachon says the council can promote and unite the standardbred industry statewide but especially in southern Maine, where support and visibility are not as high as in other areas of the state.

Council member and Old Town resident Nonni Daly, who is also a horse owner and member of the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Maine, also has a positive take on the council.

“I think it’ll be an awfully good thing for the industry as a whole. We’ve had fragmented little groups for awhile now and this may the vehicle we need to bring everyone together,” she said. “I think it can be a great vehicle for pointing out all the good things about the industry, maintaining its historical significance, and preserving its heritage in this state.”

The council held its first meeting just four months after the idea was proposed by Bruce Wiersma, the outgoing dean of UMaine’s College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. It has already formed four committees: education, to increase public knowledge of the harness racing industry and how it impacts the state; legislative, to work closely with lawmakers on any legislation affecting the industry; public relations and promotions; and research to keep owners, breeders, and anyone else involved in the industry aware and updated on and help support any other research benefiting the industry.

Causey is convinced the council’s effect will be nothing but positive for UMaine’s equine program, which has been traditionally short on funding and support. He thinks it will also help stem the tide of Maine standardbred horses leaving the state in pursuit of higher purses. Now with a drastic infusion of cash into the industry from the net profits of the Hollywood Slots casino in Bangor, things are coming together.

“There’s still quite a lot of work to do. The industry was definitely in a state of stable decline and heading downhill, although slowly, but that trajectory has definitely turned around,” Causey said. “Just walk through Bangor Raceway and you’ll see how much of a difference there is.”

Causey said he thinks the council should open the channels of communication and make it easier for people in the industry to network and solve each others’ problems.

“At the very least, it’s a great way to get people to put their heads together and come up with solutions,” Causey said.

Nichols hopes the council promotes the sport and industry to the point that it injects more youthful participation, especially among race officials.

“We have an aging demographic on the regulatory end of it,” Nichols said.

That’s ironic, considering how Maine has had a significant influence on harness racing officiating in the past.

“At one time, according to race official Roger Smith, the majority of the harness racing officials throughout the nation had been trained in Maine,” said Daly. “That’s an example of the kind of thing we can promote and preserve, history-wise, through this council.”

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net