Lovers of NY Harness

YOUTH FOUNDATION GEARS UP FOR SUMMER

The ponies are in training and the kids will be out of school soon. This year’s offering of Harness Horse Youth League sleepaway camps for kids 11, 12 and 13 have the biggest selection of camps ever, with eight different venues for kids to learn about caring for and driving a horse. The camps are in their sixth year with a string of trottingbred ponies standing in for full sized horses.

Youth Foundation Executive Director Ellen Taylor has had 18 years of experience turning kids with little or no experience with Standardbreds or horses of any kind, in to "old hands." Not every kid is going to grow up to be a trainer or driver, but Taylor sees the camps as a way for kids to "become who they really are." She recalls some kids for whom the camps helped build confidence and character, "Jasmine was from a very rough part of Toronto, shy and not speaking to anyone and was terribly afraid of the horses – didn’t even want to go in to the stall. At the time I wondered why she even came. I saw that it wasn’t the other kids that were the problem – it was the horses. I introduced her to Black Monday (one of the ponies); she just bonded with him and then she wasn’t nearly as timid. Then she got jogging and she got her confidence up and by the end of the week she was smiling and laughing. At the same camp, we had Devi, a teeny teeny girl. I think she had been very sheltered, she was very timid around the horses. By the end of the week, she had not only built her confidence up with the horses, but also with other people – she got laughing so hard and was boisterous to the point where I had to ask her to be quiet down!"

Taylor also cites the team-building process as an important part of camp. Not every camper is eager to attack a dirty, smelly stall first thing in the morning, Taylor says. "You have to make sure that some good- natured kid doesn’t end up cleaning everyone else’s stalls. They know that until they would be comfortable laying down in the shavings, the stall is not clean. They know they have to clean stalls in order to get to do the fun stuff. I want these kids to learn teamwork and how to get along. They know if there’s friction, they all get sat down and lectured to, they don’t want that, so they work out their own problems." Some kids are more in tune with the horses, than others, says Taylor. "It’s amazing to watch the kids who just have a natural affinity with animals, some who didn’t even have dogs or cats at home. Then are some who are totally and completely not animal people – they try, but it’s just not them."

With 18 years of camps in the books, some of Taylor’s former campers have taken the next step in racing and are now trainers, drivers or even owners. The family of former camper, Emily, from Pennsylvania, has bought a horse to compete at The Meadows and Emily’s 4-H club is conditioning two of the ponies used at the camps. Jacki’s family has bought three horses to compete at Saratoga. Myles, from Ohio is now a teenager, cares for the family’s racehorse at a fair track near their home. Another camper, Brandon, had his first pari-mutuel win this spring in Ohio.

The 2004 camp lineup is:

June 20 – 24: The Meadows, Meadow Lands, PA, contact Debbie Ross, 724-225-9300

June 27 – July 1: Harrington Raceway, Harrington, DE, Karen Craft, 302-398-7223

July 4 – July 8: Mohawk/Woodbine, Ontario, Canada, Kimberly Hargreaves, 905-812-0168 x 225

July 13 – July 17: Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre, PA, John Zimich, 570-825-6681 or Ron Battoni, 717-975-0774

July 30-31: The Meadowlands, E. Rutherford, NJ, participants selected from prior camps

August 3 – 7: Indiana Downs, Shelbyville, IN, Janie Smock, 317-713-3370

August 18 – 22: Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta, Dan Sifert, dan.sifert@pennwest.com.

Tentative: The Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky

For more information on any of the Foundation’s programs, contact Taylor at 317-867-5877 or hhyfetaylor@iquest.net.

The Youth Foundation makes camps affordable, charging just $100 in tuition and provides scholarships for those that need it. So where’s the money to care for and ship six ponies around the continent to come from?

Youth Foundation board member Luc Ouellette is trying to help meet those bills, with the annual "Luc Ouellette Challenge." Ouellette is donating his commissions from designated days in the month of May, and is challenging other trainers and drivers to donate one race per week for the month of May. He’s also donated a set of colors, helmet and framed win photo of him driving two-time Dan Patch winning pacing mare Worldly Beauty. Now selling on eBay until May 7.

The Harness Horse Youth Foundation would like to thank Luc Oullette, Harness Racing Communications, and the winning bidder for the contribution of $589.99 to the fund.

Happy Birthday Seatrain

The 1975 Little Brown Jug Winner is currently celebrating his 32st birthday at Janet Tuttle's Rocking T Ranch and horse rescue in Maine. Seatrain p,12,1:55 (dam, MARY BRAKEFIELD p,2,2:06h -Sire By MEADOW SKIPPER 1:55.2 $428,020) was the first gelding ever to win The Jug. He earned $825,006 during his long racing career.

Ben Webster's only Little Brown Jug win came aboard Seatrain in 2 heats for trainer Lee Benson. Seatrain was later claimed by "King of the Claimers" Thomas F. Fay Jr. and was handled by trainer-driver Billy Faucher. He was also driven by the late Henri Filion during his Roosevelt Raceway days.

At the ripe old age of 12, Seatrain gave Walter Case Jr. his first driving victory at The Meadowlands.

How old is Seatrain? When he was born...

Ron Waples only had 350 victories

Doug Brown & Dave Magee had yet to start a race

Michel Lachance had yet to earn his first $500.000 in purses

Bill O'Donnell had a lifetime record of 2 starts, $0.00 earnings

John Campbell had yet to win any money

Dave Palone was age 10

Andy Miller was age 3

Chris Christoforou & Eric Ledford were about to turn 6 months old

Tony Morgan notched his first victory.....4 years later

Jack Moiseyev notched his first victory.....5 years later

Dave Miller notched his first victory.....9 years later

Dan Dube notched his first victory...after Seatrain had already retired

Stanley Dancer won the Triple Crown with Super Bowl

Donald Dancer had yet to win a race

Herve Filion had only lead the season in earnings twice

Herve Filion had only won Driver of the Year 3 times

Herve Filion had only lead the season in victories 4 times

Total purse for The Hambletonian was $119,000

On track handle averaged over $430,000

Total handle for the year was over $2 billion

Average attendance was nearly 5300 per card

Total annual attendance was over 25 million

Offstride.com would like to thank Walter Case Jr. for his contribution to this piece. Seatrain was one of his favorite horses and will hold a special place in his heart.

NEW YORK HORSE RESCUE

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For the past 2 years, this Long Island organization has taken in over 90 race horses. They have placed more than 60 of these horses in loving homes across the country and Canada. The remaining are kept on the 50 acre farm owned by Mona Kanciper (pictured above in yellow) and her veterinarian husband. This nonprofit organization is supported by the horse racing industry with donations of money, equipment, and supplies to nurse sick horses back to health before putting them up for adoption.

Pictured above is driver Carmine Fusco and trainer Robert Lasky doing there part to help support this worthy cause. If you would like more information regarding the adoption process or wish to help with a donation, contact:

New York Horse Rescue

PO Box 435

Manorville, NY 11949

631-874-9420 or fax 631-878-3306

All donations are tax deductible

Meredith Higgins

Meredith Higgins is an outrider at Yonkers Raceway on Friday afternoons and also pinch hits for Frank Ambrosini, the regular outrider. She has been doing this for 2 years and loves everything about her job. After having done some stable work and show riding, Meredith became acquainted with Frank and was so fascinated with his job that she would kiddingly say, " I'm going to take your job Frank." After a while, he decided that she was the one. Frank Ambrosini is a veteran outrider since the days of Roosevelt Raceway.

The job of the outrider doesn't stop after leading the post parade. Meredith must watch for horses that are misbehaving and need to be calmed down. Driver's arms become tired trying to control unresponsive horses and need their strength for the race. Some horses get loose and it is her job to chase them down. She also must make sure that all horses come to the gate before the race. The outrider also is the first one on the scene if any accident happens during the race. She rides a quarter horse. This breed is best suited for the task where speed and agility are essential.