Harness Racing Women Leading The Way In South Western Ontario

Recently I had the chance to interview some wonderful women that are either trainers or drivers in harness racing and I asked them some questions about how they got into the business, and what it's like being a woman in this business. I wanted to know what advice they would give to other young women entering the sport. I also learned how long they have been involved in the industry for, and what horses have touched their hearts along the way. They told me who taught them the ropes of the industry which has enabled them to get where they are in the sport today. They described some of the challenges for women in the sport that they have faced.

Driver/Trainer Britt Kennedy

Britt |Kennedy pictured 

Britt was born into the business, and she has been at the barn since day one. Her parents are the ones that taught her the majority of the things she knows about the sport today, but she also learned from trainers she has worked for along the way. Britt is always wanting to learn more, so she continues to ask questions from vets and blacksmiths to breeders so she can learn as much as she can. Britt has always wanted to train horses for as long as she can remember. Now driving was always a bit of a pipe dream for her, but today driving horses is no longer a dream for her now it's now reality. Britt gives this credit to becoming a rider in the racing under saddle (RUS) races, which gave her the confidence to become a harness racing driver. She got her first driving win with Winzel this past July at Dresden Raceway. Winzel is one of her favorite horse's along side with Callmeinthemorning who gave Britt her first training win. As you can imagine, these horses are very special to her. Britt told me the biggest challenge she has seen for women in this sport is that their abilities are often doubted. Though Britt owns her success to date, she feels there is a perception that a man must be behind a horsewoman's accomplishments. She says it's not easy, but it's worth it all the way.



Trainer Evelyn Harms-

Evelyn Harms pictured

Evelyn did not get involved in the sport until the age of 25 and she rose quickly in the sport from a groom to trainer. She started out working for Doug Mcintosh and learned the basics from him and driver Mark Pezzarello who taught her how to rate a mile and jog and train a horse. Evelyn has been involved in racing under saddle (RUS) with trotters as a rider at tracks across Ontario. Once she got in the bike and saddle she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in harness   

racing with the love she had for the sport. Her favorite horse is the trotting mare Bop Too The Top, who gave Evelyn her first ever training win. She said the biggest challenge for women in this sport is having the strength to handle any type of horse. It helps to have a connection and practice patience with the horse itself. Evelyn's advice to those entering the sport is to never stop learning more, set goals and work hard to achieve them.

Long time Trainer Cathy Gaudreau-Cathy always had riding horses but that changed when she met her now husband Jim, and their first horse Lone Star Raleigh who was a very tough horse in the claimers that had quarter crack issues but with Cathy's help, overcame it. Her favorite horse was Ac Cob who she had his entire career with 36 wins lifetime, and taught her a lot. Cathy became a trainer 

Cathy pictured with Grand Bay!

when there was very few women trainers at the time. She got her trainers licence because of the passion she had for warming horses up at the track and she wanted to get more involved. Cathy really looks back to the days of being stabled at Windsor Raceway. She remembers when her husband Jim would have to leave to work midnights at a factory and often had to read the newspaper the next day to find out how the horses raced! Imagine no internet and cell phones! Cathy said being stabled at Windsor was like a big happy family racing against your friends all of the time. She feels the biggest challenge she faced was not being a woman in a mainly male sport, but it was just trying to make a living in the business. This is even more of a challenge now Cathy says, with vehicles costing more than they paid for their first farm! She said she really hopes the industry continues to improve so it's around for her grand kids to participate in later in the future.

Trainer Lindsey Kerr-Lindsey started helping out at the barn at the early age of 8 and jogged her first horse at 10.  Her parents Randy & Cindy taught her all the ropes of the industry. 

Lindsey has always had love for the horses and it soon became clear that she would be involved in caring and training for them the rest of her life. Her care for the horses has certainly paid off as she is currently the 5th leading trainer at Western Fair Raceway. Lindsey's first training win came with a horse by the name of Watch And Learn, which was a very special name to her being the horse was named after the saying her dad would always use. Lindsey said there are not many challenges she has faced being a woman in the sport, but she would like to see more women trainers out there. Her advice for women entering the sport would be to never give up. The business has highs and lows so just push through the lows and never give up on goals, as well keep a positive attitude and most of all, have fun. Lindsey is a force to be reckoned with and recently became the first woman to ever win trainer of the year for the Windsor-Essex Wespy awards.

Trainer Ashley Duford-

Ashley Duford pictured on right

Ashley has been in the game her whole life working alongside her dad. She started grooming horses at the age of 10, then eager to prove herself, earned her trainers licence at a young age too. She credits this drive to her grandfather Wilf who would take her to the barn and teach about the horses when she was young. Ashley though owes her experience to her Dad Dennis Duford who is a long time driver. She also learned from some fellow trainers while helping them along the way. Her favorite horse of all time has been Magic Notes, the sweetest mare but Ashley notes that when it came to race time she went right down to business. Ashley's first training win came right at her home track Dresden in May of 2011 which was very special for her. She said the biggest challenge for a woman in the sport is that no matter rain or shine, snow, sick or broken you still have to get up everyday. There are no days off so you have to like what you're doing. Like Lindsey, she also said we need more women in the sport and more young people to keep the business alive.



Driver/Trainer Andrea Leon

Andrea |Leon at Leamington Raceway

Andrea has been around horse racing most of her life. It started with her grandfather having race horses when she was little. Her dad and grandfather are the ones who brought her into the sport and taught her the ropes of the racing industry. She got her trainers licence first, then decided to start driving when they had a few difficult horses that only Andrea seemed to get along with during the race. This along with her fearless nature, encouraged her to get her drivers licence. Andrea has been a harness racing driver for many years, and has paved the way for other women drivers. Rk Patrick was her first driving win at Dresden Raceway, but her favorite horse along the way has been Airport Flyer as well as Njs Trick Pistol who is still part of the Leon's stable. Andrea's advice for other women who are looking to enter the sport of harness racing is to always treat horses with the respect that they deserve. Man or woman it doesn't matter the focus should be on the horse.                                            

I want to thank all these passionate women for taking the time to participate in my blog and answer questions of mine. As well tell the story of being a female driver and trainer in harness racing with the challenges that go with it.                    

- Nathan Bain

My thoughts on engaging youth in harness racing!

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.

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.

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 

Dresden Raceway "Picks" Sunday June 3, 2018

Dresden Raceway

Sunday June 3rd, 2018

Selections by Nathan Bain

#Bainsbestbets

Race    1	3 Nower Power 6 Hoorayforthewinner 4 Victorys Peanut	Coming off a win from a very hot stable. Big recovery last week getting 2nd after that break. Huge front-end win last week but faces tougher.
Race    2	1 Brother Aiden 3 On The Take 5 Senior Player	Very hard not to pick him from the rail. A huge threat, this horse has great talent. One to think about for a bit of value.
Race   3	2 Onimpulse 5 Todays Sports 1 Trudahl	Much better last week and she does draw better. Gets class relief in here. She has speed will just have to behave.
Race    4	2 Grand Bay 1 Bettors Instinct 7 Smile In Style	Two in a row for her? “I think so”. Raced well at Clinton and now gets the rail. Proved herself last week but does draw poorly.
Race    5	2 Lima C Me Rock 5 Stronski 3 Lady With A Weapon	Gets a good post, ready to pop. Will be a huge factor in this race. She will only be tough if she can stay on the pace.
Race   6	1 Sgt Neilgreenberet 2 Write The Check 3 Unchained Desire	Gets class drop and rail; “its go time”. Better then ever. Ignore the early break last start. Came out of nowhere last week.
Race    7	3 I Love Pink 2 Tyrelius Deo 6 Debs New Man	Gets an inside post this week will be near the front. Coming out of Clinton on good form. Solid qualifier last week “beware”.
Race     8	1 Blissfullannmarie 8 Squirt 2 Im Rylan	Strong second last week, gets the best post this week. Was amazing at Sarina and follows out speed today. Always in the hunt.
Race   9	1 UKnow What To Do 4 Spartan Victory 6 Benvenuti	Can strike from “anywhere”. Classy horse will see what he brings to the table. Solid victory last week but does face tougher.
Race   10	4 Lyons Delight 8 Heza Workof art 2 Bunkhouse Brawl	Top dog last week, looking to dominate once again. Easy win last time out, will have to step it up. Never count this guy out.

                                                        

My top choice of the day #4 Lyons Delight in the 10^th race.

My Longshot pick of the day #7 Riversathome in the 9^th race.

                                                                   Tweet me @NBainracing

Small Town Tracks: The Heart of Harness Racing in Ontario

The dusty track, the busy paddock, the cheerful hellos. This is small town racing...and I love it.

We need these tracks to help our industry survive. Each race card at Leamington Raceway, Hiawatha horse park and Dresden Raceway the grandstands are busy. Harness racing fans and families fill these grandstands with lots of excitement, and every race there are long line ups at the betting windows. The crowds at these racetracks could be surprising to an outsider and these communities would be devastated without these fun weekend racetracks to enjoy close up harness racing.

Leamington Raceway!

There is always a great environment at these racetracks with the warm weather full of people and everyone happy and friendly. I would of never been this involved in the industry if it wasn't for Leamington Raceway. My family was always involved, but I wasn't into it as much until Leamington Raceway re-opened. I went out and just loved the exciting harness racing action there. After that I just fell in love with harness racing and have been involved ever since. The next summer they hired me to work in the back stretch. After only half the season, I was asked to help out and provide picks for the program and within a few weeks it was a regular occurrence! The executive could see that this was my passion and on Kids Day they let me announce my first race at 12 years old! This group cares about their local horseman and fans and take care of them all and I really appreciate what Leamington Raceway has done for me. There is always lots of opportunities for other people to take at these tracks with the fun events planed all the time. The on track experiences are unreal with all the people there and the nice weather at our summer meets.

A busy grandstand at Leamington Raceway Summer 2017

Dresden Raceway!

I'm really looking for forward to the 6 months of racing we have in southwestern Ontario that starts on May 5th at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia and kicks off their five month Saturday night racing season. Then Dresden Raceway will start off their exciting season on Sunday May 27th and they will end on Monday August 6th. 2017 was a big year for Dresden as they added their live stream to HPI bet which boosted their handle by over $4,000. Sunday August 5th is the start of Leamington Raceways season at last. I am really looking forward to this since 2017 was such a big year with the on track handle increasing by 26%.

Hiawatha Horse Park!

If you've never visited these tracks before, make this summer the time you will enjoy unforgettable experiences and make amazing memories with your family. You will see how family friendly these tracks make their on track experiences. I want to say a big thank you to all the fans who attend these small town race days. Without our fans we could lose some great rural traditions and opportunities for young people like me to become involved in horse racing!

2017 was a break through year for me, I was very lucky for all the opportunities I was given and all the great mentors who have helped along the way.

It all started in Feburary when I was approached by Hannah Beckett from Trot Magazine to do an article on me in the Next Generation feature for the March edition. She did a fantastic job with it and I couldn't be more happy with how it turned out.

Later in March we took a trip to Pompano Florida to get away from the cold tempertures, Of course I had to visit Pompano Park and was lucky enough to meet Director of Racing and the voice of Pompano, Gabe Prewitt and hall of famer John Berry. We were treated amazing from the minute we walked in by these gentlemen. I got to visit the announcers two nights and even call a post parade. I also got to watch Gabe and Johns live pre game show. It was an unforgettable experience and I am looking forward to going back there this March break!                

Gabe Prewitt and I!

                                                                                

Me with John Berry!

May was also very exciting I got to call two races in one night at Flamboro Downs thanks to track announcer Gary Guy. He liked my first race call I did that night so he asked me to call the next race which was a field of 9 of maiden trotters. It was a challenge, but I wasn't going to turn down that great opportunity. I'm glad I did it because it went pretty well.

Announcing at Flamboro!

The start of the Leamington Raceway racing season was a huge step forward for me as I started my fourth season working there. I worked in the backstretch the past 3 years but this time was different. I was promoted to work up front as the emcee between races and talk about my selections that are at the front of the program to help out the betters. I can't thank the Lakeshore Horse Racing Association enough for all the oppprtunities they have given me, Leamington Raceway is also the place I called my first race back in October 2014 at the age of 12.

Me in action at Leamington Raceway!

Opening day at Leamington Raceway we hosted the voice of the Little Brown Jug, Roger Huston. He was there calling the races for the 2nd year in a row. It was truly an honour to work with him for even just one day, I'm so glad he chose to come to Leamington two years in a row.

                                                          

Me with the voice Roger Huston!

,

The second Sunday of the season, Kelly Steele from the Windsor Star was there to interview me for an article she wanted to write. The next day the full article was in the Windsor Star and it was excellent covering a lot of my history learning about the industry. It was unreal seeing my face on the front of the Windsor Star and a big story a few pages in. What a lucky break!

The same week I was approached by a blogger over twitter who runs a site by the name of Saddles and Sulkies. He asked me a few questions over email and took my answers and turned it into one excellent blog. The story detailed how I got involved in harness racing and definitely helped me get more exposure in the industry.

Two weeks later I got the opportunity of getting to announce at Grand River Raceway in Elora Ontario. It was very exciting to call that 4th race with a field of 9 horses and the winner by the name of Windsong Lord, I was very thankful that Gary Guy let me not only announce at Flamboro And Grand River but he also gave me tips that have helped me in future calls.

Me with track announcer Gary Guy

The next few months were a bit quiter for me as we finished off a huge season at Leamington with a 26% increase in wagering. The final day of racing was cold and gloomy but that didn't stop the crowd of over 1,500 people who wagered over $40,000 all on "track". We have the best fans in Leamington! I'm looking forward to the 2018 season which starts in August and goes every Sunday afternoon until the end of October.

Just when I thought the year was winding down, on December 7th I was nominated for horse fan of the year for the Post Time with Mike & Mike awards. I was up against some pretty strong competition in my category. I didn't end up winning but I came close with over 100 votes I want to thank whoever nominated me and those who voted for me. Thank you Michael Carter and Mike Bozich for running this awards show. Be sure to listen to their online show every Thursday at 11am in the morning. (www.posttimewithmikeandmike.com)

That connection with Michael Carter inspired my family and I to make the trip to Northfield Park to catch the 15 race card over the holidays. I contacted Michael Carter to see if I could visit the announcers booth during our visit and he was more than happy to welcome me up and show me around. Like my other experiences, we were treated amazingly by both track announcer Ayers Ratliff and Michael. They showed me how things worked there and we learned some pretty cool stuff about the racetrack, Ayers was kind and invited me to call a race. I jumped on that opportunity right away and quickly reviewed the program to give it a "go". This was my first time announcing under the lights and it was definitely more challenging. The call was made even more challenging by a sudden snow flurry at the end of the race that pretty much looked like a white out at the wire. I managed to get the call right despite the conditions and learned some valuable lessons. I will never forgot my amazing experience at Northfield Park, the home of the Flying Turns!

The start of 2018 was also great especially on January when I got to go on Western Fair Raceways pre game show with track announcer Sugar Doyle, the pregame show was a lot of fun I got to talk a little bit about our horses and my selections for the night which were posted on the screen before each race. Sugar also let me call the 8th race which was a lot of fun to call that exciting race. He also gave me a book call World of Harness Racing I have been reading it and it is very good and interesting. I cant thank Sugar enough for all the mentoring he has done with me, letting me announce and doing the pre game show. In my mind Sugar is one the best people in  this industry for all he does to help our sport.

In conclusion I would just like to thank everyone once again who has helped me in this industry I appreciate  very much what everyone has done for me. I am very thankful for all the opportunities I have gotten at just the age of 15!, Stay tuned for future blogs of mine on this site.