Barry Arnason

As both a horse owner and breeder, Barry has been involved with racing at Assiniboia Downs his entire life.  Exposed to racing as a child through his father, Frank Arnason, who in addition to being a former President of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society and having a stakes race named in his honour, was also responsible for bringing the first Icelandic horses to Manitoba.

Notable horses either owned and/or bred by Barry, include Escape Clause, Hidden Grace, Melisandre, Magic D’Oro, Langara, and Zdeno in addition to many other stakes winners over his years in the sport.

On the business front, Barry owns Arnason Industries, a proud Manitoba based general contracting and engineering firm that specializes in water supply systems, sewage collection and disposal systems, and heavy equipment rentals and services the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Pat Beavis

Pat Beavis has owned a share of thoroughbred racehorses at Assiniboia Downs for over 30 years and is typically at the track two to three times a week.  He is passionate about thoroughbred horse racing and believes Assiniboia Downs is an important part of our economy and Manitoba history.

Pat is the President of DyTerra Corporation headquartered in Headingley, Manitoba. DyTerra specializes in selling fertilizer handling equipment in Western Canada. Pat founded DyTerra in 2000, sold it years later and continues to run it for the current owners.

Pat has been involved in the Western Canadian agriculture industry for 40 years and is committed to supporting our farming community.

Bill Drew

Bill Drew has been a lifelong fan of horse racing. His interest in the sport began when Northern Dancer won the 1964 Kentucky Derby. In 1988, he became a horse owner and has owned both individually and in partnership many thoroughbreds who have competed at Assiniboia Downs. He has also bred thoroughbred horses and served as a director of the Manitoba division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society. He enjoys handicapping horses races and has qualified for the National Handicapping Championship on two occasions.

Bill and his wife own a farm outside Winnipeg where they keep their horses and have raised Manitoba foals. They have provided a retirement home for thoroughbreds and believe that thoroughbred retirement is an important component of owning race horses.

Bill’s goals as a Board Director is to help ensure that horse racing in Manitoba continues to provide the social and economic benefits to the region. This includes ensuring a safe racing environment for horses and a positive experience for owners, backstretch employees, local farms, Assiniboia Downs employees and fans.

Bill is originally from Thunder Bay and has lived in Manitoba for 40 years. Bill and his wife Shelley have two adult children and three grandchildren.

He has management experience primarily in the transportation and agricultural sectors and has also started and operated a successful business.

Lisa Osachoff

Lisa brings over two decades of experience in sales and human resource management. She spent a decade with Western Financial Group from 2012 to 2022, advancing through progressively senior roles up to the C-suite. In April 2022, Lisa joined Wawanesa Mutual Insurance as the SVP, Chief People & Culture Officer, bringing her extensive expertise to the role. She is dedicated to building a strong organizational culture aligned with purpose and values, recognizing that this alignment is essential to enhancing the overall member experience.

Lisa holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Lethbridge and the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation. Beyond her professional achievements, she is an International and Canadian national-level show jumping judge and a member of the Official’s Committee for Equestrian Canada, focusing on devleoping education for hunter/jumper judges in Canada. She has been part of the judging team at Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta, since 2006. Lisa frequently travels across North America for competitions. She and her husband, Ray, relocated from Calgary, Alberta to Winnipeg in July 2020.

Larry Wandowich

Larry Wandowich is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of the Rural Municipality of Rosser and under direction of Council, oversees the implementation and delivery of programs and services in the municipality, which includes both rural lands and the CentrePort lands with the RM of Rosser. Larry has over 31 years management experience with 22 of those years at the executive level. As part of his past leadership journey, Larry was an executive member of Manitoba Lotteries, and subsequently Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. His last position was Chief Community Relations & Marketing Officer where he managed portfolios overseeing the following areas: Community Relations, Partnerships, Marketing Campaigns & Loyalty Programs, and Casino Promotions, Player Development & Recognition. Larry also served on many governance committees; one key committee being the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. Larry has also held executive positions overseeing Corporate Security, McPhillips Station Casino, a Business Improvement pilot program, and had worked on many strategic corporate projects. Having worked his way up through management, he has been exposed to many facets of the casino, gaming and liquor industries.

Larry has a BA from the University of Winnipeg (1990) and an MBA from the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba (2010), with a specialization in Human Resources. He has also earned his CMMA through the University of Manitoba. Larry is a former University of Winnipeg Wesmen basketball player, a past Honorary President for BASA (Business Administration Students’ Association) at the University of Winnipeg, and a past Chamber Ambassador with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

Larry is happily married for 30 years and is a proud father of one daughter. Larry has served as a Board member for the following organizations: Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, St. Boniface Diocesan High School, and Board of Consultors for Manitoba Catholic Schools. Larry is a current member of the Associates, which is a network of more than 300 senior executives that fosters the development of University of Manitoba Asper School of Business students and education.