by Murray Brown

There are those that decry the dearth of youth among those today involved with breeding standardbred horses in particular and harness racing in general. 

In Canada, most specifically Ontario, one of several exceptions to that perception is Jesse Belore and his relatively new Princeton Farms. 

Belore, not quite 40, now heads an enterprise that numbers in excess of 50 generally young broodmares, whose yearlings, in what Belore describes as a watershed year, are poised to tackle the yearling waters in the select sales markets of Lexington, Harrisburg and London.

When asked to explain the rapid growth of his breeding enterprise Belore cited several factors, including, but not necessarily entirely, a strong agricultural background, hard work and perhaps most importantly working with and benefitting from the experience and knowledge of those in several facets of the industry.

Let’s begin at the beginning. How did you find yourself in this business of breeding and raising horses commercially?

“I do have somewhat of a background in harness racing. Both my father and grandfather were judges at Ontario racetracks for many years. I spent a good part of my youth around horses, shedrows, and grandstands. But speaking realistically, my background in agriculture was probably more of an impetus to getting us where we are than anything else.

“Before becoming a farmer, my experience in this life was varied. Among other pursuits I’ve been a gold miner in the Yukon and an English teacher in Asia.

“Our main farm is Carl Jamieson’s former training center in Princeton, ON, thus of course, the name.

“I grew up on a ginseng farm. For those that might question what ginseng does or is, ginseng is a health foods product mostly popular in Asia. Ironically, over 80 per cent of the world’s production is found in southwestern Ontario. It’s generally grown here and exported to Asia.

“We were growing and raising ginseng here in Princeton. As a byproduct to our ginseng farming we boarded a few mares with John Lamers, a dear friend who I sometimes look upon as a sort of adoptive grandfather.

“As time progressed, our horse population grew to the point where we owned several broodmares ourselves. Then calamity struck. Unknown to us, our partner in the ginseng farm drained our bank account of all its money. Four hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars instantly disappeared.

“Obviously, we were in dire straits. We had bills to pay, stud fees coming due and all the myriad of expenses involved in running a business. Enter Adriano Sorella and others. We had some horses on the farm for Adriano and had developed a relationship with him. We spoke with him and instituted a long-range plan. Today Adriano is a trusted partner and friend. We own some 17 broodmares together. We are always looking to increase our involvement. Without his backing and instituting a big push to acquire quality when things were looking very bleak, there’s a good chance we would not be where we are today.

We had some stud fees coming due for Diamond Creek Farm. We told them of our situation. We worked out a plan to delay payment of those. Eventually we escaped the situation we found ourselves in.

We also received great help along the way, especially from David Heffering at Tara Hills Farm. Other noted Ontario Breeders such as Pat Woods from Winbak Farm and Ann Straatman of Seelster were a great help.

“All those helped us enormously, together with our partners, clients and our amazing staff headed by our farm manager Amber Lawson and her assistant Evelyn Harms. In all of harness racing, I doubt that there are two more dedicated people than those two young ladies. The most important cog in our operation is undoubtedly my wife Katie without who’s help and great guidance this effort would have come to naught.”

You said that a great deal of the credit for the rapid growth of Princeton Farms is due to the help and sound advice you’ve received within the industry. Can you talk a little about that?

“There have been several who have helped us. Two that come to mind immediately are Dr. J [Bridgette Jablonsky] and Tammy McNiven.

“Dr. J has been an incredible resource. She has been invaluable in terms of our herd management. When she started helping us, roughly half or even more of our mares didn’t belong on a quality breeding farm’s roster. We became involved in an aggressive culling program.

“She helps us with our bookings and stallion acquisitions. She has also been of great help in determining the exercise program for our yearlings. Our yearlings muscle tone and development are in some great part credited to her.

“Tammy McNiven’s family’s Twinbrook Farms is just up the road from us. Their yearlings always looked great. Ours didn’t look nearly as good. She came over and we explored our feed program. Upon her advice, we upgraded both the hay and grain which we feed. There’s a saying that what you get out is largely dependent upon what you put in.  In this instance, that is the proof in the pudding.

“There was a time when our yearlings suffered in looks in comparison to those of most of the major market breeders. Today, without bragging, I believe they compare positively with those of anybody.”

You have been somewhat outspoken about what you view as the state of the industry, specifically in Ontario. What can you tell us about that?

“That is somewhat true. I hate when people rationalize what they are doing by saying, ‘That is the way it has always been done.’ I’m a firm believer in that most things can generally be improved upon, even if sometimes only by a little bit.

“It’s no secret that the lifeblood of the Ontario racing industry is at Mohawk. Our smaller B tracks such as Clinton, Grand River and London do a terrific job of promotion with the limited means they possess. The tracks owned by Great Canadian Gaming conversely do a terrible job. Actually, based on their inaction with regard to racing, it seems as though they wished they didn’t have racing at all.

“I look upon Mohawk as being somewhere betwixt and between.

“In terms of their inhouse wagering program, they are second to none. However, regarding them reaching out and attempting to develop new fans of the sport, in my opinion, they often miss hitting the ball.

“I’ll give you an example. Last summer, we had a Princeton Farms graduate racing at Mohawk. We wanted to see it race. I loaded up my wife Katie and the kids and off to Mohawk we went. We got there and the place was jammed. We couldn’t get a parking spot. We finally got one and had to walk some distance to get into the track. What was going on? They were having a free fireworks night. There were thousands of people there to enjoy the spectacle of free fireworks. What an opportunity this is to develop some new fans of harness racing, I thought to myself.  What was done? To the best of my knowledge: nothing!

“Instead of having a booth or two offering information on the sport, including how to become an owner and how to otherwise participate in it, there was zero, absolutely nothing.

“Another area in which I believe we can improve is in our nightly racing offering. We have the money here in Ontario. I think the way we distribute it could be improved upon. I’m not saying that my thoughts represent a panacea for racing. Do I believe that if they are adopted, things will improve? Not necessarily. But sitting still and resting on our laurels isn’t in our best interest. At least, I don’t believe it is.”

What is your vision for Princeton Farms?

“In just three words, ‘To get better.’ It’s a long-range view but I want us to be the best, not only in Ontario, but among the best anywhere. I realize that this will take time and money, probably a lot of both. I think we are on the right path. To say that I am consumed with what I do would not be an understatement. My wife, who is my greatest supporter, and my two young kids, are first in my priorities, but the farm, harness racing in general, and just about everything else, are next. I believe a bright future lays ahead.”