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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-07-10, Page 19.,gyp crossrQqds thethe,weeklYbomilit. your Listowei runners, Wingham Advance. Tates sod Want FOP* Conte, derate 4s read by 33.290 pe4Fle the "headland of Midweste Ontario". (Based OH 3.5 readers In each of 0.500 homes.) here's fun or everyone Published ()very week in The Listowel Bonnier, The Wingham Advance-Times- and dvance-Times-and The Ntount Forest Confederate by Wenger Bros. Limited. —Crossroads --July 10, 1975— here s 975 --- A day at the pony races IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR for the Rosses of Woodstock when they go to the races. Mrs. Susan Ross has quite a lob taking care of the kids, while husband Larry and daughter. Wendy race, but she seems to think it's worth it. It's definitely all in the family. "ALWAYS TOPPER" gets a good going over from Wendy Ross of Woodstock. Wendy's father, Larry Ross, has been on the pony racing circuit for three seasons and says "It's just a hobby." "The ponies are now in the' hands of the starter. It's post' time ... The field is now in mor tion ... Here they co -o -o -me!'' The announcement that started' Wa in the measured tones of professional has grown in excite .. ment until the last drawn-out sound of the preliminary. It's on excitement that's contagiousk and spectators find themselves straining forwardto watch the field as the ponies gain speed' urged on by their drivers. ry The scene — The Blyth way; the event — the SaturI r , night harness pony races of the'':. Blyth Trotting Association. The races on this track take:, place every other Saturday evett' ing from May to September. Tee ;r association which sponsors them is small, only about 10-12 mem- bers, but it's membership is ever- growing as * more and more,: people discover the enjoyment oL. pony racing. The Blyth Trotting Association operates under the auspices of the Blyth Agricul- tural Society and has been going strong for six years now. This sport is not unique to the area, The local association is it • self a member of a larger south- western Ontario group called "Racing Bred." There are other member clubs in Dundalk, Watford, Sarnia and Exeter. Still a relatively undiscovered sport in Ontario, it's big in Quebec. And Ontario pony racers look to a day when it will be just tis big 4n this Province. - f'or.. the- time being, 'however, i the pony racers of Ontario dare content with the fun of the sport, and their enthusiasm more than makes tip for their scarcity of numbers. Forty Races a Year Keith Moffatt of Bluevale, a former president of the Blyth Trotting Association, is typical of this breed of enthusiast. He has only one pony, "Peter Pan", but this remarkable animal has won six races this year and placed second twice. The record is envi- able. Mr. Moffatt raced about 22. times last year but said, "This is very .little. It's not unusual to race each pony in about 40 races a year. That's about the aver- age." At two heats a night, the numbers to add up quickly, but it's still quite time consuming. Mr. Moffatt started on his hobby via a feeling common to very many persons: "I've always liked horses:" This was only one step away from a major involve- ment in pony racing, since stand- ard bred racing is too expensive, he explains. To cut down on costs, which are not extensive in any case, Mr. Moffatt makes his own harness and cart. There are no restric- tions on cart weight "but the lighter, the better," he says. There are rules on cart height and width, for obvious reasons, and the spokes on ,the vehicle must be enclosed. Beyond that, the rules are much like in stand- ard bred racing. Mr. Moffatt travels all over in pursuit of his interest, but he re- mains loyal to the Blyth track for most of its races. It's a lighted track, and that gives it a slight advantage over other tracks. But like the others the Blyth race track is a quarter -mile circle, and each race runs two laps. A standard evening of racing might see two heats of regular harness racing, one children's race and a "powder puff" event for the ladies. Children are quali- fied for racing at about ten years old. The ponies themselves, to qualify for the race, must be under 50 inches in height, shoes included, and must have raced • the half -mile in 2.30. There are eight classes of ponies in the races, measured by the time to tun the half -mile. They range from 2.25 and under to about 1.15 and are graded at five -second intervals. "If you go faster than your class two times," Mr. Moffatt explained, "you go into the faster group. There are ponies that will •go it in 1.17. That's steppin' along pretty good." The costs involved in the racing itself are minimal and include a five dollar membership fee to the association, for those who wish to join, two dollars for eligibility, $7.50 for insurance and an entrance fee of one dollar. The Blyth track offers a -winner's purse of six dollars, which might Jcome $20 to $30 on special IS. There it also a blanket prize on "blanket night" that is usually held in July. And then there are the trophies: for the leading men's, women's and children's driver, the fastest pony and the leading visitor. Trotters and Pacers Tricks of the 'trade? • "I wouldn't say so much in pony racing as in standard bred," said Mr. Moffatt. "In pony racing they drive all out all the time .. . they don't set up the race like in standard bred, but we train them very much the same." Niel Edgar of Wingham, another harness pony racing enthusiast, might agree about the training but has a slightly different. slant on ways for winning. Mr. Edgar is this year's president of the jllyth Trotting Association anirthe 1971 winner of the "Leading Men's Driver" trophy. - What started out for Mr. Edgar as "something to keep by brother off the street" has turned into a full-time hobby. It's not an inex- pensive sport, but the costs are nothing compared to standard bred racing. Mr. Edgar esti- mates the costs from scratch: $100 for a pony, $50 for a harness, $75 for a cart and about $10 each month for feed. The most difficult task in all this is finding a black- smith to shoe the pony. It's an art that's not much practised these days, and Mr. Edgar says it can cost as much as $18 to get the pony shod in Goderich. The trick, he claims, is to try to breed a small Shetland pony to a standard bred. Mr. Edgar has two brood mares now, Peaches and Holy Smokes, and a one- year -old called Nemur. There's also a new addition to the stable that will probably be called "Mishap" because that's how he came about. Nemur is almost, but not quite, ready for racing. He got his try -out just recently but, didn't qualify, so Nemur won't race again until he's two years old. Since ponies can live to the ripe age of 20, and there's no age limit on ponies run in races, it's not really much of a setback. What makes Nemur unusual in the pony racing field is his train- ing as a pacer. "Most of • the ponies around here are trotters because it's the natural gait. No ponies are natural pacers," Mr. Edgar explained. To make him a pacer, Nemur wears "hobbles" that keep the legs on either side in step alternately. "Not many ponies'can accomp- lish it," Mr. Edgar said, "and pacing is faster than trotting. It also keeps the pony from breaking into a gallop . he's better trained." That theory is still to be proved, as far as Nemur is concerned, ,anyway, but the training goes on. Mr. Edgar walks Nemur around the track and jogs him daily. Once a week he "works" the. horse as fast as he can go. "If were racing him, two days before the race we do nothing then Saturday just feed him and race him, and rest on Sunday." Back At The Track not unusual for as many as 30 ponies, if not • more, to "be entered in the races at the Blyth tracks. Since some owners have several ponies, there aren't ds many racers at the track as ponies. And there are even less spectators. The'lack of spectators bothers many, pony racers, but the cause is obvious: there is no betting. • "That would be the drawing card," Mr. Moffatt said. "It wouldn't matter if you raced jack rabbits." Like many • racing enthusiasts, he hopes that betting will be' allowed in the next few years. The standard bred racers have the monopoly in Ontario and their permission is needed to get betting into pony racing. 'Until that time comes, Mr. Moffatt con- cluded,, he's in for the fun of it. And "fun" is the keyword. "Pony racing was originated for family entertainment," Mr. Moffatt explained,- and one look at the Satulrday night crowd at the race track makes the point obvious. The Ross family from Wood- stock is a good example. It's the third season for pony racing for Larry Ross, and the whole family comes along to cheer. "We're just in for the fun of it, it's a family thing," Mrs. Susan Ross quipped as she pointed to a trailer overrun by childrtn of all ages, They travel to the"different race tracks, and . it's almost a picnic ;;affair .t, Other regulars in pony racing are the Perry family, Al and daughter Debbie, from London and the Egars from Goderich. They come to race, to meet old friends and pony enthusiasts and jutoy The atmosphere of the track s friendly and informal: the ra know the officials and each other so well that any unease is cast aside. There is some tension during the race. itself, ,bpt even that is dissipated in the' gypsy like mood of the participants and spectators alike. • • "Torchee Dundee looks „;goad today ... How's Paradise Yalley. doing? , .. Have you'hrought that old nag again?" Quips and jokes . fly fast:,, as trailers are set up, ponies curried and hitched. up .to; their carts Some of theveteranslather in one corner to enjoy a cool .drink. , The women visit to chat about week and other races, while to children invade the entire en- campment -campment with joyous .shout* and mischief. There are .certain rules of behavior,but theseaside,' there are no restrictions on the fun to be had. It must be just that fun and friendliness that keeps the pony "nuts" coming back. It certainly isn't the winner's purse, or the trophies, or the non -betting. And -it must be admitted that the pace and excitement of the races are' not really comparable to those at Western Fairway in London or Woodbine in Toronto — but then you couldn't have a, picnic. 'like you do at Blyth. _It's just fun and: fly enter, tainment, and may these always remain unchanged. It's so much for so little. And it's ui Blyth for i everyone. JEAN AND BEN EGAR of Goderich get "Big Banner" ready for he race at the Blyth race track. The Egars are regulars at harness pony racing and there's no doubt they enjoy it .. . they just keep coming back for more. SNAP" IS THE NAME of this timid colt owned by Niel ar of Wingham. Mr. Edgar has two brood mares, Holy es who carries Kim in ,the picture, and the foal's A V�Y y��4A mother, Peaches. Mishap is still too young to race at Blyth, but Mr. Edgar is already forming pians for his debut. JUST BEING NEIGHBOURLY is part of the fun and attrac- tion at pony racing time. Whether it's the children making new friends, or, as above, a group of racing enthusiasts gathering for small talk and relaxation, the mood is cosy and the atmosphere just great.