Surrey’s loss is the Okanagan’s gain.

After harness racing was unceremoniously dumped from Surrey and the Cloverdale Fairgrounds in 2025, the sport has found a home in Osoyoos.

According to Kelly MacMillan, president of the newly formed Western Canada Horse Racing Association (WCHRA), the Standardbreds will be running again in B.C. as his organisation is bringing competitive harness racing to Desert Park Raceway in Osoyoos this fall.

“We pulled a rabbit out of a hat, turned out he was the Easter Bunny and he was riding a unicorn,” MacMillan said with a laugh. “We’re super excited about it, super happy about it, and very much looking forward to September.”

FALL MEET

Drivers and their sulkies will debut Sept. 13 with one day per week of racing scheduled for both September and December and two days per week set for both October and November. WCHRA plans to have 22 fall races with full details coming out in the next week or two. The agreement they have is between WCHRA, the Desert Park Exhibition Society (DPES), and the town of Osoyoos. MacMillan said they are just waiting for final regulatory approval now.

“This is going to be a great enhancement to racing in the West,” MacMillan told the Cloverdale Reporter. “We’re going to be working with Alberta too and we’re going to make it better for everybody. That’s the goal.”

He said Desert Park Raceway is a “fantastic” race track. He noted the setting is “gorgeous” for both race fans and drivers as the 5/8 oval is surrounded by the town of Osoyoos, mountains, vineyards, and Osoyoos Lake.

SEE MORE: Fraser Downs closes; horse racing over for good in Cloverdale

“We had Mark Horner in—he’s the foremost track specialist in Canada—and he helped us get that track rebuilt,” he added. “It’s in pristine shape. The guys out here have never raced on this good a track. They’re going to love it.”

The newly renovated track will feature a home stretch that spans 810 feet in length. MacMillan explained that 5/8 tracks across the U.S. and Canada usually have a stretch run between 400 and 600 feet, which makes Desert Park Raceway’s stretch one of the longest in North America. He thinks it will produce exciting racing for fans and horsemen.

“The Desert Park (Exhibition Society) has done a fantastic job, mostly through volunteers, to keep the place viable up to this point.”

MacMillan noted that the WCHRA is a newly formed not-for-profit society run by those who race the horses. He said it’s fully supported by Harness Racing B.C.. of which MacMillan is also the president. He added the WCHRA was set up to ensure the continued success of the Standardbred industry in B.C. and his group is committed to safe, competitive racing.

“There’s going to be growing pains, but everybody seems to be excited about it. And everybody’s on board. That’s all we need.”

DPES

In a press release sent out about the announcement, Rebekka Lim, DPES president, said her group welcomes the WHCRA to the South Okanagan. She said they’re “excited” to become the new home of harness racing in B.C.

“Desert Park has a rich history as an equestrian hub, and this racing program is a perfect addition to the horse-centric activities we host on the property all year round,” Lim said. “It’s a huge win for our facility and for horse lovers across the province.”

The announcement is some good news in what has been a storm of bad news going back nearly a year for drivers, horsemen, and owners. Standardbred racing was dropped from Surrey’s Cloverdale Fairgrounds without warning in 2025 after decades of racing at Fraser Downs.

After a rat infestation in the barns on the Cloverdale Fairgrounds was remediated, racing was supposed to go ahead in September, 2025. But two weeks before the fall meet, the City of Surrey yanked the lease back from Great Canadian Entertainment (the group running the Elements Casino and Fraser Downs at the time) and racing was cancelled. The track was immediately dismantled, including taking down recently installed LED racing lights and big holes were dug in the oval. In December, the backstretch barns were demolished.

As for MacMillan, he said it’s an exciting new chapter for the horse racing industry—one that can help heal the deep wounds that were inflicted in Cloverdale from both the way the City of Surrey yanked the lease back, cancelling their fall races, and the with the end of racing at Fraser Downs itself after 49 years.

“If that nightmare (in Surrey) is what it took to get us here, it was well worth it,” MacMillan said. “I’m thrilled with Desert Park. We’re in a town that wants us. We’re now being operated by horsemen for the industry, not for profit.

“We’ve turned the page after getting dealt a vicious blow with no warning. There’s a lot of work ahead, but we have a path to follow and we see a positive way forward. And we’re going to rebuild the industry.”

For more info visit, wchra.ca.