When it comes down to it most 16 year old's are involved in playing sports like hockey, baseball or football and they focus on that. For me, I'm different from the rest of the people my age. I am all about harness racing and I'm proud to call it the sport that I am passionate about. It's something that has come natural to me and I can't get it off my mind. I don't often talk about my interest of harness racing at school due to the lack of knowledge of other teenagers. They don't "get it" and sometimes they say I post too much about horses, which I guess is true. That one cracks me up. I have actually brought some friends to the races over the years and some seem to "spark" an interest in it which really makes me happy. I do have a few friends now come to the races sometimes and that makes it fun doing something you love with your friends.
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| Myself pictured with OnImpulse |
People involved in harness racing have been working very hard to bring more youth into the sport. For example this past summer I was awarded a free membership to United States Harness Writers Association when I was nominated by the Canadian Chapter. The Canadian chapter (USHWA) have been very welcoming to me. Former President Melissa Keith has done a fantastic job with this chapter. Since joining she has kept in contact with me explaining how everything will work and being there for questions. I think it is amazing what they are all doing for the youth in harness racing with the memberships and getting them involved with the chapters.
Definitely another thing that boosts the youth interest is the hands on horses program which go around to different tracks across Ontario with their "Wanna Drive" program. This program gives fans the opportunity to experience what it's like to sit behind a standardbred racehorse which the kids especially love. When Hands on Horses come on kids day at Leamington Raceway, families are lined up to sign their kids up. This years kids day attracted the most youth I have ever seen at a racetrack and the event just seems to grow more every year. The family environment at Leamington has really gained some attention and it has become a fun event for all ages which makes me proud to be a part of that racetrack.
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| Brian Tropea with the Hands On Horses Program! |
I would like to encourage more youth to get involved because they are the future for the sport. I started to gain an interest at 11 years old with no knowledge at all with the sport in September 2013. My grandfather had been in the industry for over 45 years so he started to teach me and bring me around when the Lakeshore Horse Racing Association formed. This association of volunteers brought back harness racing to Leamington in 2013. I applied for a job at Leamington Raceway and was hired for the opening and closing of the gates and using my hand in the infield to signal the start. I also called my first horse race that year at the age of 12 on kids day. Leamington has been extremely good to me, giving me many opportunities to learn and grow. I was thrilled in 2017 when they promoted me to on-track host to talk to the crowd about promotions and my handicap selections in the program. In 2018 my luck doubled and I joined the team of Dresden Raceway doing the same thing that I love to do at Leamington. Overall all the tracks have been very good to me giving me opportunities and I am thankful for that. I have now called at 7 different tracks across North America with 21 lifetime race calls.
Whether or not your interest lies in the promotion of the industry, calling races, training horses or driving in a race, there are many opportunities for youth to become involved. I'm hopeful we will see more youth like me pursuing these interests. What we need is for the industry to provide these opportunities, mentor these youth and show how a career path can followed to stay involved. Thank you to everyone who has and continues to help me!
By Nathan Bain
Twitter-@NBainracing1