National Equestrian Park hoping for white knight

A charity associated with Ottawa billionaire Terry Matthews is in preliminary talks to take over the west-end Nepean National Equestrian Park.

The equestrian centre's future is in doubt as the city's finance and economic development committee is expected to approve a motion July 3 to end its lease and stop operating the park after 25 years.

The park offers children's riding lessons and summer camps as well as hosting equestrian events and boarding facilities for privately-owned horses.

But the city said the park is running an annual deficit of $160,000 and officials estimate the city wouldsave twice that amount by closing the park and ending its lease with the National Capital Commission.

The park could get a reprieve, though, as a spokesman for Matthews confirmed to CBC Newsthe Wesley Clover Foundation, a charity connected to the Matthews family, is in preliminary talks to take over the park as a not-for-profit, charitable venture.

Multiple groupsinterested?

Coun. Mark Taylor said there might be more than one interested party in taking over the centre.

"There's likely a number of folks who are interested in operating an equestrian park in Ottawa and we're looking to get out of that line of business," said Taylor.

Competitive rider Beth Mansfield boards two horses at the park and helped build several jumps there.

She said she hopes whomever takes over keeps the not-for-profit approach instead of turning it into a country club.

"Then we're going to lose the recreational aspect, which is so important, and the whole volunteer aspect as well as the therapeutic riding. If it becomes a commercial venture it just becomes like everything else," said Mansfield.