Successful Open House at Rankins

In collaboration with the Bill Galvin Racing Alliance (BGRA), Beth and Tom Rankin held an Open House event at their Standardbred breeding farm located in St. Catharines, Ontario, for the second year in a row.

The Youth Literary Derby and the Youth Art Derby, both sponsored by the Rankins and organized by the BGRA, were two horse-themed competitions that were promoted during the Saturday, May 25 event. The BGRA website has all of the contest information, including the rules.

More than 200 people came to see the horses despite some bad weather that moved in halfway through the program. With ten mares and ten foals available and ready to engage with their visitors, kids who came to the farm were well-prepared for the competitions.

“I drive by this farm all the time and always wanted to know what breed of horses were here, and who owned it.” was one of the most frequent remarks made by guests. They now know the answers, though.

“I do this to see the smiles on the faces of all ages of kids,” said Tom Rankin. “That means the world to me. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a horse or have access to horses. If we can provide them with this opportunity one day a year, I’m extremely happy to do this. We were expecting 400 guests based on the registration. No doubt, once the torrential rain hit, some people would have changed their plans, but we were pleased with the number of guests who attended!”

Since 1990, when the Rankins began breeding Standardbreds, they have experienced great success. At the St. Paul St. West nursery, they have produced over 300 horses in 34 years of breeding.

“Horses are truly magical animals,” said Karen Hauver, the founding director of the BGRA. “For those of us in the industry who have unlimited access to interact with horses, we can take them for granted. Seeing smiles on the faces of people of all ages and hearing how they feel when they spend some time with horses, even if just for a few minutes, reminds us of the power of the horse. The BGRA directors sincerely appreciate everything that the Rankins and their wonderful staff did to host this event and welcome people to their farm." 

Children also got to participate in a Name The Foal Contest, where they could name any of the seven colts and three fillies they got to meet.

Families, couples, business associates of the Rankins, locals, and even a couple travelling from New Zealand were among the many visitors who attended the occasion.

The Bill Galvin Racing Alliance's volunteer directors were available to welcome visitors, give details about the young competitions, and respond to any inquiries regarding harness racing.