Fraser Downs Horse Owners Fight Closure Over Rat Infestation Threatening Racing Season

Posted on: June 5, 2025, 05:11h. 

Last updated on: June 5, 2025, 09:49h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
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  • Horse owners say barn closure will derail the racing season
  • HRBC proposes a carbon monoxide plan to avoid shutdown
  • GCE defends closure, citing worsening rodent infestation

A pest control order has thrown horse racing in British Columbia into uncertainty, as owners and trainers at Fraser Downs racetrack head to court to stop what they say is a devastating and unnecessary shutdown.

Fraser Downs, Horse racing, Barn closure, Rat infestation, Pest control
The HRBC says that poisoning the rats with carbon monoxide would be the quickest and most effective way to deal with the infestation. (Image: Shutterstock)

The racetrack in Surrey, British Columbia is infested with “a sea of rats,” which come out at night to feast on horse manure, the CBC reports. The situation has gotten so bad that Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE), the private operator of the racetrack, plans to close the facility’s barns for at least two months to carry out pest control.

Nowhere Else to Go

Fraser Downs isn’t just any stable – it’s the only standardbred racing facility of its kind in the province. With training for the fall harness season due to begin within weeks, local horse owners say the shutdown could derail months of preparation.

With training needed for young horses starting July 1 and races scheduled to begin September 4, the HRBC warns that the closure will prevent animals from being ready in time — and could put the entire meet at risk.

We’ve come up with alternate solutions so that our members are not left with nowhere to go; there are no other training facilities in the province of BC,” Donna Scrannage, a horse owner and vice president of Harness Racing B.C. (HRBC), told the CBC.

HRBC says in its lawsuit that more than 200 of its members depend on access to Fraser Downs during the off-season, including 75 to 100 workers whose income is tied to the training and racing calendar.

According to a memo from GCE, horses were initially ordered to vacate the property by May 9, with the pest control effort expected to last 60 to 90 days. That deadline was later pushed to May 30, but even with a tentative reopening date of August 15, Scrannage says the schedule is unworkable.

‘Gas the Rodents’

The HRBC disputes the need for a full closure and says it has presented alternatives that would allow for some continued use of the facility during treatment. The racing body believes GCE is planning to use poison over a prolonged period, while HRBC has proposed a different approach: carbon monoxide fumigation that would allow horses to return within a day.

GCE says the shutdown is necessary to address a serious health issue that has worsened over time. In an email statement to the CBC, Chuck Keeling, a vice president at the company, accused HRBC of interfering with essential pest control measures.

“We intend to vigorously defend the litigation so that we can ensure the health and safety of HRBC members, our team members, and guests,” Keeling said.