The Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-04-10, Page 16Page 14--Lneknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 10, 1985
Harness association names Bill Habkirk senior of the year
Editor's Note: Bill (Habkirk), as he was
known by 'all, of Aylmer and formerly of
Lucknow, was the unanimous choice of the
'Harness Horseman Association", as the
Senior. Citizen for 1984.
Bill and his wife Sadie: have both been
actively engaged in training at their Aylmer
stables.. They were presented with a silver tea.
and coffee service. Bill also received a plaque
from Carling O'Keefe for his achievement.
Bill has been in the rating business since
the thirties, training horses /for Donald
McCharles of Lucknow at that time.
During the forties and fifties the Habkihiks
made their home in Lucknow • where their
children attended school. His father was
William Habkirk, an undertaker in Teeswat-
er; his mother was Maggie 'Graham of
Incknow.
During these years Bill had. leading driver
honours at Zhomcliffe Raceway in Toronto
and Dufferin, Saratoga, New York and Jack-
son, Michigan, among others in the U.S. and
Quebec.
The family are following in/ the racing
business in various ways.
The following feature appeared in The
Canadian Sportsman, January 22 issue and is
reprinted here for the interest of our readers.
If you are a first generation trotting fan or
participant you can undoubtedly pinpoint a
horse, a race or a friend that got you hooked
for life. Fbr the writer and many others in
West Ontario, the horse was a chestnut
trotting( colt called Camper. If you ever saw
him race and win that summer of 1968, you
don't need any explanation.
Bill Habkirk who raced Carper is being
honoured this year by the Ontario Harness
Horsemen's Association as their Senior
Citizen of the Year. It would be impossible to
think of a better choice. Bill and his wife
Sadie experienced the 'lean and tough years
with fair circnlit racing in the 30s and 40s, the
good times when he won driving titles a in
Saratoga, Hamburg and Blue' Bonnets, the
glory•days when Camper was Canadian Horse
of the Year and the days: in between when
good horses and wins were few and far
between.
In the 56 years since he drove his first horse
at Teeswater Pair, Bill has paid his dues with
many injuries, he's broken both legs, both
arms and his back and . suffered a factured
skull to go with the countless "minor".
injuries that go with the territory. But in 1985,
he's . still at it and drove his latest winner'
Ann's Reprise on December 31st, at Western
Fair in London.
.Bill and Sadie, both natives of Kincardine,
Ontario, were married in 1937 (Sadie dainas
she was a child bride) and until 1944 they
were part time horsepeople racing at.the fairs
and farming and running a livery stable. In
the winter of 1945 they moved to New
Liskeard where he trained for Jim Brown until
he hooked up with Wilf Paien>dht.to drive his
horses on the fair circuit.
Bill recalls those early fair racing days as a
tough Way, to make a living but a lot of fun
nevertheless. In some cases the rules weren't
as strictly enforced. In a favourite story he
recalls the race at Tiverton Fair in the early
40s when he teamed Doc Vino, a trotter
owned by. Wilf Paiement.
As he tells it, "I'd finished first and second
in the first heats with Doc Vmo and there
were six of us in the last heat. The track was a
third of a mile long so you had to circle it
three times. There were six horses in it with
Clark McKinnon,, Benny Ruttle, Elmer Ritz
and Geordy McDonald driving. As we went
into the first turn Clark McKinnon moved
over on me and three of us went down in a
heap. My sulky was smashed at the side of
the track and Benny Ruttle of Kincardine was
standing therephis horse had gone down but
his sulky was alright. We hooked the sulky -up •
to Doc Vino and Benny jumped into the cart
and drove her to a third place finish. Doc Vino
was the best overall in the summary and it
had to be the strangest win T ever had,
probably the only race where a horse finished
with a/different sulky -and a different driver."
In 1947 Bill started a public stable by
campaigning Allan Dic kenson's horses. He
raced at Thorncliffe, Buffalo and Hamburg,
shifting to Northville and Jackson in the
spring. He recalls some of the trainer -drivers
who raced the same circuit including Jack and
Jim Melanbater; Keith Waples, :Jimmy
Weiner, Vic Rowntree and Cliff Chapman Sr.,
The Honorable Earl Row was also a
prominent driver at Dufferin and Blue Bon-
nets.
Bill began to do a lot of catch driving at
Blue Bonnets and he recalls that in the 1950s
their stable raced probably three of the best
trotters in Canada With a good stable and a
lot 'of catch drives Habkirk was among the
driving leaders every year at Blue Bonnets.
His expert with the trotter was .enough to
drop the odds with the fans:
It was in 1966 that fate stepped in and Bill
picked out a weanling trotter called Camper
Turn to page 15
South Kinloss families enjoy Easter with family and friends
Doris MacKinnon spent a couple of days
with her granddaughter and her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Frayne of Goderich.
Mr. and Mrs.. Jim MacKinnon and
family of Guelph spent Saturday with
Jim's family, Mr. and Mrs. Fraser
MacKinnon and Murray. The MacKinnon
family were Easter Sunday dinner guests
with Mr. and Mrs. David MacKinnon and
family.
Ira and Elizabeth, William, bene and
children, and W alter and Janet Dickie all
spent Good Friday at Markdale . visiting,
with Mr. and, Mrs. Douglas ,Dickie and
family. They celebrated Allison's first
birthday. Krissa stayed over for the
weekend.
Wendy Forster was home from, Kitch-
ener for the weekend. Mr. and .Mrs. Jack
Forster, Wendy and Gary attended the
Kemp -Henderson wedding on Saturday.
Mary McIntosh had Margaret and Ted
Collyer; Mary and Graham Pinkney of
Ajax, Nancy Maclntyre and family, Olive
Needham and Marilyn and Donald Macln=
tyre and family for Easter dinner on Satur-
day evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank MacKenzie spent
the weekend in Unionville visiting their son
and family, Mr. and Mrs. Rod MacKenzie.
They attended the baptism of their grand-
son, William.
Martha and Mike Sequin off Toronto
spent Easter weekend with Martha's
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Allan Graham.
Dr. and Mrs. Bill Buckton, George and
David of Waterloo spent Easter weekend
with their family, Mr. and Mrs. Herb
Buckton and Mr. and Mrs. John Mowbray
and Duncan.
Donnie Kuntz of Alberta visited with
Kay, Doug and Tracy Stever and visited
with Earl in London hospital.
Brian and. Louise Keith of Toronto spent
Easter with Brian's family, Mr. and Mrs.
Evan Keith and Mr. and Mrs. Murray
Keith and family.
A bridal shower was held at Kairshea
hall on Thursday evening for Yvonne.
Hartemink. Alice Ritchie was the master of
ceremonies. Joan Mowbray and Karen
Ritchie conducted contests and Nancy
Maclntyre read a reading.
Yvonne opened her gifts, assisted by her
attendants, ' Monica Hartemink, Janette
Duiker and Grace Finnigan.
Mrs. Alex Macintyre and girls of
Alliston visited over the weekend with Mr.
and Mrs. Donald Maclntyre and family.
Mr. and .Mrs.. Gerald Mowbray and
family and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Maclntyre
and Sandy visitedon Sunday' and were
dinner guests with Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Bannerman and family of Hickson.
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Clarke visited
with Wilma's sister, Mr, and Mrs. John
Edwards of Gilford on Friday.
Bonnie Clarke of Parry Sound was home
with her family for Faster weekend.
Nancy Anderson of Oakville was .a guest
over Faster weekend with Mr. and Mrs.
Harold Hovrald and girls. Ida Howald was
also a dinner guest with her son and
family.
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