by Norman Hall

Charlottetown, PEI — There will be a seminar for Island horse breeders and owners on Tuesday evening (Jan. 6) at the Special Event facility in the grandstand at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino.

The seminar, beginning at 6 p.m., will be hosted by the PEI Colt Stakes committee and presented by Norman Hall, long time manager of the stakes program.

Prior to the seminar, at 4 p.m., Hall will launch a new pedigree research website called PM Online at the same venue. The website is designed to provide the research tools and reports that breeders and owners of performance horses need in order to make correct breeding and buying decisions based on pedigree.

Everyone attending the seminar will be able to see how the website operates and will get a three-month complimentary subscription to assist them with their 2015 breeding decisions.

While the focus will be on Standardbreds, persons interested in other performance breeds are welcome to attend since PM Online includes pedigrees and reports for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian and even Tennessee Walking Horses in its four million-plus horse database.

The website is subscription based but will return any profits back to the breeding industry to support a new initiative called “Horses For Autism.”

A representative from Autism PEI will be on hand at the launch to provide information on Horse Play PEI, the first program of its kind on PEI for Autistic youth, along with horse care-giver Yogi Fell, whose Handibear Hills Horse Sanctuary is the location for the program.

Pedigree Matching, Hall’s company, will make a donation to the sanctuary at the launch. Free will charitable donations to Autism PEI in support of The Horse Play PEI program will be gratefully received prior to the seminar.

Also on hand to offer support and comments will be representatives of the Harness Racing Industry Association in addition to members of the Provincial Legislature.

The general public is welcome to attend in support of the PEI horse breeding industry and Autism PEI.