the harness racing zine for kids

Transcription

1 the harness racing zine for kids rdec Behind the scenes with Brendan Peck and Muscle Hill Brian Sears poster inside! Marie Hill Youth Writing Award Winner John Campbell Talks Racing Tim Manzi Shows em Up Driving For Youth Inspires Games and more!

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3 Contents Features 10 p. 12 Harness p. 2 p. p. 5 Writer s Block p. 6 Poster Pull-out p. 8 p. 4 Cover Story Life With Muscle Hill: Brendan Peck, son of trainer Greg Peck, gives YB the inside scoop on life with a world champion by Brendan Peck p. 9 Standardbred Spotlight p. 13 Gaming Gallery A Publication of the United States Trotting Association Outside 614 area code: USTA (8782) Executive Editor: Nicole Kraft nkraft@ustrotting.com, ext Youth Beats Editor: Jason Turner jason.turner@ustrotting.com, ext Advertising Director: Heather Dodds heather.dodds@ustrotting.com, ext Circulation Director: Kate Lockhart kate.lockhart@ustrotting.com, ext Art Director: Gena Gallagher ggalla@ustrotting.com, ext Track Talk John Campbell Reins Supreme: Driving legend talks horsemanship, harness racing and getting started by Justynn Brown Award Winners The Horse of a Lifetime, by Kayla Brecht, overall winner of this year s Marie Hill Youth Writing Award Youth Bits Drive for Youth Successful and Fun! by Olivia Kimelman PLUS» What s My Line? Dan Coon talks track maintenance Heroes Tim Manzi, Showman!: Father and son share a passion for horses and commitment to excellence by Richard Poskozim In Every Issue Main cover photo by Mark Hall cover inset courtesy of the Peck family Photographers: Mark Hall and Ed Keys photo@ustrotting.com, ext or 3223 Post Parade Hey, everybody, welcome back to Youth Beats, the No. 1 magazine for and about kids in harness racing, brought to you by Hoof Beats and the USTA. If you ve been following the Grand Circuit this season, there s no doubt you know who Muscle Hill is by now. Not only has he gone undefeated this season, but he s also one of the top contenders for Horse of the Year honors. In this issue of Youth Beats you ll see Muscle Hill like you ve never seen him before, as Brendan Peck, son of trainer Greg Peck, writes about his life with the Hambo champ. And speaking of amazing performances, this issue of Youth Beats also features a pull-out poster of driver Brian Sears, who steered Muscle Hill and many other horses to victory this season, winning more than $12 million. Finally, we re also proud to feature the winning entry in the 13-and-up division of this year s Marie Hill Youth Writing contest a story called The Horse of a Lifetime written by Kayla Brecht, of Capac, Mich. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year! Jason Turner, Editor

4 Cover Story DYNAMIC DUO: Brendan Peck and his father, trainer and media consultant Greg Peck, both shared the spotlight this year as their champion, Muscle Hill, trotted to an undefeated season. by Brendan Peck Brendan Peck, son of trainer Greg Peck, gives YB the inside scoop on life with a world champion Having Muscle Hill in my dad s barn was a really cool experience. Not only was he our best horse, but he is wellmannered. He likes people, other horses and dogs, especially our barn dog, Major. It s a good thing he is so nice, because he was around so many people and went to many different places. Another great thing about Muscle Hill was the really nice owners he had. I already knew Mrs. Patricia Bolte, but I had never met Thomas and Louis Pontone before. I remember I sat with them at the Canadian Trotting Classic and the Breeders Crown. My dad s sister, her husband and his mom came to the Canadian Trotting Classic, too. The Many Faces of Muscle Hill r2

5 Everyone was always happy, because Muscle Hill always won. Sometimes I would go to the barn with my dad. Before the Hambletonian my parents and I stayed at a hotel near the track with Mrs. Bolte. Everyone was wishing us good luck in the race. I couldn t believe how calm my dad acted about the Hambletonian. On Hambletonian day, Mrs. Bolte ordered a stretch limo to take us to the track for the big race. It had three TV screens! Moira Fanning of the Hambletonian Society gave me a video camera to use for the day. It was fun to make a video during the day because I got a media pass so I could go anywhere at the track, including the NBC truck. The front paddock was full of state troopers, flowers, people and media personnel. Muscle Hill was funny because all the stuff didn t bother him at all. I don t have to tell you that the best part of the day was when Sam McKee the announcer screamed Muscle Hill s name as the Hambletonian winner. Everyone connected to Muscle Hill was there, jumping and screaming, He The best part of the day was when Sam McKee the announcer screamed Muscle Hill s name as the Hambletonian winner. GAME FACES: Above, left: Sylvia Hovde, Muscle Hill s groom, and Brendan Peck are all smiles beside Muscle Hill in the Meadowlands paddock before the big race. Above: Amanda and Alyssa, daughters of Muscle Hill owner Thomas Pontone, teamed up with Brendan to do interviews and cheer their favorite trotter to victory. won! It was my favorite day at the track. When we went to the Canadian Trotting Classic, I sat with the Pontone family and their daughters, Alyssa and Amanda. Before the race a woman came to our table and asked if she could interview us before the race. Fifteen minutes before the race Alyssa, Amanda and I went to the paddock for the interview. I jumped the fence to get into the paddock, but Amanda and Alyssa went around through the security booth and they weren t allowed in. But then the woman doing the interview talked to security and they let them in. It was really cool to be interviewed. After that we walked back to our table to watch the race. It was really fun to watch the race because I knew Muscle Hill would win, and when he did, we all sprinted for the winner s circle. There was a lot of media there. I stood right next to Muscle Hill. That was also one of my favorite days at the track. all photos of brendan peck courtesy of the Peck family muscle hill photos by mark hall r3

6 Track Talk What is the hardest part about being a driver? Losing. Taking the horse back after he hasn t performed well and explaining to the owner why you think the horse didn t perform like they thought it would is difficult. Driving legend talks horsemanship, harness racing and getting started Do you have a favorite horse you have driven? My favorite of all time is Argyel Chester, a horse that was born on my 11th birthday. My grandma gave me half ownership for my birthday. Do you have any race day rituals or superstitions? Nope. The only thing I do is make sure I m prepared by reading and studying the program. I like to know exactly what I am up against. by Justynn Brown Not only is John Campbell the most recognizable catch-driver in harness racing today, but he s also one of the most successful drivers of all time. He started racing in 1977 and since then his horses have earned more than $265 million and won more than 10,000 races and he s still going strong! How did you get into harness racing? I grew up with it. I lived on a farm in Ontario, my grandfather started racing in the 1920s, and my father followed in his footsteps. It was just natural I would do the same. When did you first know you wanted to be a driver? I was very young, maybe 7 or 8, and all I wanted to do was be around the horses. What is your favorite part about being a driver? Winning. When you re able to win, it s still a great feeling and never gets old. r4 My favorite of all time is Argyel Chester, a horse that was born on my 11th birthday. My grandma gave me half ownership for my birthday. If you weren t a driver, what would you be doing? I have no idea. I m not qualified to do anything else. Did you have a mentor you looked up to? My father and grandfather both taught me the business, and I am still relying on the lessons they taught me today. What advice would you give to kids who want to get involved in harness racing? I would tell them to learn the business from the bottom up, so that means start by cleaning the barns and the horses. If they are not from a racing family then they should find people who are hard-working and will take the time to teach them properly. Last, I would remind them to never lose respect for the horses and what they have to do to race. What is one thing racing fans don t know about you, but would be surprised to learn? That I am a huge sports fan and have other interests away from the track. photo by Mark Hall

7 Writer s Block The place to share your Standardbred stories with the world! Gate Training Day by Samantha Black It was a hot Sunday morning at the Fowlerville fair grounds. Horses were coming in, workers were setting up races and food, I was setting up my photo table. I was going to take pictures of peoples horses, then print out a 4x6 for whoever wanted one, but it didn t go that way. My mom was in charge of the food. Lots of people brought dishes. There was pop, chips, cupcakes, fruit, jello and hotdogs. My mom was cooking the hotdogs. She got many compliments on her overcooked (burned) hotdogs. They were good compliments. The races finally started at 1:00. There were 21 races. I was in the starting car most of the day, taking pictures of horses. The track was very dusty because the water truck was having problems. After the races I tried to get everyone s photos to them, but it didn t work. Everyone was leaving as soon as they could and I couldn t get the people their pictures. Instead, I mailed the people their pictures when I found out what horses the people wanted. It was hard because the horses didn t have numbers and the drivers didn t have colors. In the end most of the people got their pictures and the day went great. Sweet Horse Treats by Mateer Strong My colt so sweet His name is Blaze and what a treat MWHA halter winner Making me a big, big grinner Next is Essie, who raised a Blaze Will foal again in 300 days My pony Buttercup, at the show With her head hanging low But on the trail her head held high She was bit on the hip by a big horse fly And as it flew across the sky, I let out a big scared cry So Barney to the rescue And his riding experience that he knew From the streets of Chicago A new friendship will grow Last is sweet Annie my newest horse She doesn t go fast on her course I am getting ready to show With a nice slow flow These are the very best of any sweet horse treats Horse Laughs Q: What kind of horse is worth 25 cents? A: A Quarter Horse! Q: What kind of magazine does a horse and its rider both enjoy? A: Horse and Rider! Jokes submitted by Mateer Strong Getting Involved by Wil DuBois My family has racehorses at Scarborough Downs in Scarborough, Maine. I ve been involved in harness racing ever since I was born. I come from a harness racing family. My family has been in the business for three generations on both sides of the family. I m the third. I have loved the sport since I was a kid. But I wasn t deeply involved up until a couple of years ago. When I was about five I was just helping out my dad and mom with little things like sweeping or feeding. I played more than I worked. But then again most little kids tend to play. As I grew older I became more interested in the sport. I was no longer the little kid sitting on a jog cart playing with a whip. I was doing work for my family. Cleaning stalls, watering and finally after a bunch of years I started to jog when I was 11. It wasn t like a pro would because I was just starting out, but at least it was something. I guess I ve learned the most about this sport from my dad (Todd DuBois) and my Grandpa (Gordon DuBois). Although I have learned a lot from my other grandparents and Mom, too. About a week ago I got a little deeper into harness racing. A friend of my dad gave me a horse. The horse s name is Flame And Fortune. Jon didn t have time for the horse anymore, so he asked me if I wanted it and I said yes. It took me a couple of days to get a stall ready for him. He gave me the horse and now the horse is my responsibility. The horse is 13, so he needs extra care. I can t wait until he races again. I like to consider it an early 13th birthday present. ) We love hearing from you! Send your stories, jokes and letters to Youth Beats, 750 Michigan Ave., Columbus, OH 43215, or them to jason.turner@ustrotting.com. camera photo by ed keys r5

8 December 2009

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10 Award Winners M y dad hauled the beat-up gray trailer down the drive to our barn while I scampered behind, watching anxiously. Then I saw it, a flowing black tail flicked over the back of an unknown horse waiting inside. When the vehicle came to a screeching halt, my dad scrambled out of the truck while I waited excitedly by the doors. Who I didn t even get to finish my question before my father responded. He is a 2-year-old bay gelding named Southwind Ranger, he said. Southwind Ranger... I said, pondering the name. I like it. When we finally got him out of the trailer and into the barn he took in his surroundings then nickered to the other horses. Like it... Ranger? I said, thinking of the nickname instantly. Ranger? my dad questioned. Yeah, his nickname. For the next couple of days my dad coaxed me to lead Ranger out to the pasture. Every day butterflies invaded my stomach, but every day Ranger was perfect. One day I was leading Ranger in from the back pasture, when suddenly something smacked me like a freight train in the stomach. I stood still as a statue as I gripped the lead rope my knuckles turning white. I took in a shuddering breath and yanked him into his stall. I curled up on the hay and hugged my knees to my chest as salty tears streamed down my flushed cheeks. When my father came into the barn his expression turned from worry to fear as he saw the mark imprinted on my shirt. What happened? he asked. Ranger k-kicked me, I replied, taking in the full blow of what had happened. My dad took me inside and I rested. r8 Youth Beats is proud to publish this story by Kayla Brecht, winner of this year s Marie Hill Youth Writing Award for writers 13 to 16 years old. The next morning when I went out to the barn my dad asked in his sarcastic tone, Want to lead Ranger? No way, I replied. Over the next few weeks, day after day, my dad asked me the same question, each time getting to be more of a command. A month later... We loaded Ranger in the trailer and took him to Marshall racetrack. We were in the ninth race and as it approached I was a nervous wreck; butterflies were fluttering in my stomach and beads of sweat dripped off my forehead. Ranger shot off the gate like a bullet and into the lead. He maintained the lead through the first quarter; as he led the field to the half the closest horse began to close the gap. Halfway down the backstretch Ranger was in the front by a length. Around the final turn they were neck and neck, as they drew closer to the wire he began to slow. Ranger crossed the finish line, a head in front. He had won his first race; I flew to the winner s circle. My feet never touched the ground. Two weeks later... We took Ranger down to Harrison racetrack and this time he was in the fourth race. There were only four horses in the race, but days of rain had turned the track into a muddy swamp. Two of the horses didn t know whether to trot or run, and the horse setting the pace had a flat tire. Approaching the half, the mud finally aggravating him, Ranger broke stride. When my dad got him trotting again, the lead horse was entering the backstretch. One flick of the whip and Ranger had found another gear. Coming down the stretch to the wire he flew by the other horse and pulled away to win again. Before I knew it I was out on the track, hugging my sweaty little boy. I couldn t believe it: Southwind Ranger, my horse, had just won his second race. Suddenly something flashed across my mind and I couldn t hold it in. Dad, I said. Huh, he replied. Don t you ever even think about selling him, not in a million years. photo by rich johnston

11 Standardbred Kids star with their favorite Standardbreds! Spotlight Hey, What s Your Name? Treat Time! Calleigh Sisk learns how to feed a curious friend. Cody Hollon meets Cody s Honor, now a 2-year-old racing in Florida. Sacking Out Ella Johansson takes a break at this year s Hambletonian. Say Cheese! Hannah Taggart hangs out with buddy Teflon Tim on fair day. + Send in your pics! Youth Beats, 750 Michigan Ave., Columbus, OH jason.turner@ustrotting.com r9

12 Youth Bits by Olivia Kimelman When a group of us met on October 2nd to support the HHYF in Lexington, I was shocked at how many of us from the HHYF Leadership Program had come. We were all there to help raise money in the Drive for Youth fundraiser on Kentucky Futurity Day at The Red Mile. Once we all met up on the apron of the track, we stayed to watch some races. After that we all had to attend an HHYF meeting with the trustees. There we talked about what we thought would make the camps more fun. We also talked about ideas we had toward new r10 Hat! TIP OF THE The Red Mile Management For allowing the HHYF to hold its Drive for Youth fundraiser at The Red Mile on Kentucky Futurity Day! camps and when they could be held. The discussion about the camp ideas took up some time, but we eventually moved on to what was in store for us the next day. It was the first Drive for Youth that the HHYF has held, so we were not sure of what to expect. We knew that nearly all the drivers, and many of the owners and trainers, were participating by donating a portion of their horses earnings to the HHYF, so we set a goal that we thought was realistic. After we talked about the next day s events, we had to decide which job each person would have to be responsible for. Two drive for youth courtesy of hhyf dan coon and harrah s chester by mark hall

13 people would have to put the HHYF flyers on tables in the dining room and three of us would get to go and get the horses (Missy, Roy and Tuffy). When we left the meeting we all knew we had a full, but fun, day ahead of us. The next morning the three who volunteered to get the horses at Brittany Farms headed out with the trailer. Upon returning to The Red Mile everyone who was there to help had arrived and it was go time. We all quickly got to work on brushing the horses before anyone came by to see them. By the time 11 a.m. came around we were ready. The TV was set up in the tent and people were coming by and watching the short Quotes of the Day from the HHYF participants All I know is that it was so amazing, and if I had to do it again I d do everything the same. Mr. Ryder was so helpful and I loved getting to meet everyone on the (HHYF) board. All the people who helped were so amazing. Mollie Fenwick Raising this money helps the HHYF continue so other kids like me can have the fun of learning about harness racing. Going to The Red Mile was a great experience. I like how we all helped together with the fundraising. Samuel Ryder It was a lot of fun raising that money for the Youth Foundation. Thanks to everybody who contributed. Carter Pinske It was the experience of being able to post parade Buck I St Pat on the historic clay an unforgettable experience for me. Philip Antonacci videos and slide shows we had displayed. We all tried our best to answer questions of those who asked and encouraged others to donate. Once the grandstand TVs started showing the HHYF commercial, we were all amazed at how good it looked, and I m sure some were encouraged to come and donate after seeing it. It was also fun parading the horses before each race with trainer Chris Ryder! In the end we raised more than we had expected. We were all exhausted from the day s work and couldn t wait to get back to our hotels, but before we could do that we had to bring the horses back. Once the horses were home and happy we went out for one last dinner together in Lexington to celebrate our success. A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed. What s My Line? Track Design and Maintenance Dan Coon of Charles E. Coon & Sons talks about what he does for a living. How long have you been designing Racetracks? My family has been doing track work for 35 years. How did you learn about track design? I learned from my father. We ve designed tracks all over the world Standardbred and Thoroughbred. What were your most recent projects? We ve done work at the Delaware County Fair, Lexington and Woodbine. One of the most challenging projects we have had is building Harrah s Chester. Part of it is built on a bridge! What are the best track surfaces? Crushed stone is best for an all-weather track. The challenge is to maintain a cushion in freezing/thawing weather. Horsemen/women make the best track maintenance people because of their race experience. What is the best thing to remember when designing a track? You don t have to have a hard track to make it fast and safe for men and horses. Harrah s Chester r11

14 Harness Heroes Father and son share a passion for horses and commitment to excellence by Richard Poskozim I n 1995, 5-year-old Tim Manzi and his brother Matthew were folding paper airplanes out of racing programs as the thunder of hoof beats and rolling wheels echoed around them. As the pounding got closer, Tim pressed himself against the fence separating him from the track at Freehold Raceway. He watched as his father, Hall of Fame driver Cat Manzi, came roaring down the track in the lead. Just minutes later as was often the case Tim was standing beside his father in the winner s circle. They would go to the winner s circle and think they were big shots, said Ellen Manzi, Tim s mother. That was when (Cat) was really very, very busy. He was winning a lot. It was... an extremely busy, exciting time lots of fun for the kids. Tim s early love of horses is still alive and well r12 today, and he recently had the opportunity to work as a Junior Journalist for the American Quarter Horse Journal. While covering the Youth World Championship Show for the AQHJ in the summer of 2008, he worked together with his fellow Junior Journalists to produce behind the scenes videos, as well as write print stories for the Journal. He d been involved as a show person, and he was super knowledgeable about the sort of things that people might be interested in, said Christine Hamilton, a field editor for the AQHA and Tim s supervisor for the program. He just knows that world, and so he was just really good. He s just a real enthusiastic young man, and very professional. The one-week program has led him to consider the world of equine journalism as a possibility while he pursues his education at The College of New Jersey. Although Tim began jogging horses with his father at an better than the other person, that s early age, he credits his equine interests to a summer camp he attended at the age of 9, when he first had the opportunity to ride a horse. Following that experience his mother all he needed. took him for his first Ellen Manzi un-tethered ride on his 10th birthday, where he got his first taste of Quarter Horse showing, and he s been hooked ever since. It was kind of just a question of timing in my life, Tim said. The barn that I went to had the schooling horses... and it also had another operation where you would show Quarter Horses. We were looking for a horse for me and my sister to buy, and they had this one they thought would be a good horse for us, and once we started showing I just couldn t get away from it. Although Quarter Horses are Tim s current breed of choice, he shares the same competitive spirit that has helped his father earn more than 13,000 wins driving world-class Standardbreds. He s a very competitive person by nature, his mother said. Once he found out that there were horse shows and he could be better than the other person, that s all he needed. He just tries to be the best he can be. Once he found out that there were horse shows and he could be photo courtesy of the manzi family

15 Gaming Gallery L Word Search Can you find all eight of these Breeders Crown warriors? Poof She s Gone, Lucky Chucky, Pilgrim s Taj, Western Silk, Higher And Higher, Elusive Desire, Margarita Momma, Mr Wiggles C The Adventures of Awesome Autumn by A. Schmidt m a r n s p p m m a s e o i y a t k g s e g a a a a i e m k c g p l s s p t r s n i n g c o i g m r w i g g l e s o p u r e h g i h d n a r e h g i h e k h c i s a o r e e i s l c e r i s e d e v i s u l e g y w i t n f u m i t r m s h r k r r g h s s i h a o m i s i c e c m r e h a r m m g u f m u w m w o g i k e o a p a o s l s a k h h i c w m n m c o t n i s e y m h i e m o l u p a n l e p h g p i s a s l c i j i w e s t e r n s i l k a k g m For the solution, go to hoofbeatsmagazine.com/youthbeats/puzzles.cfm. µ Photo Finish Help us complete this photo caption and you could win a free T-shirt! Send your caption to jason.turner@ ustrotting.com or mail it to Youth Beats, 750 Michigan Ave., Columbus, OH The Write Stuff! Ask a friend to give you a word for each blank space without letting him or her see the story, then read the completed story out loud for some hilarious results! Horses have to race in all kinds of weather. Sometimes they race when it s, adjective sometimes they race when it s raining and, and sometimes they even race plural noun plural noun when the track is covered in. The hardest part about in bad adjective weather is the horses have to wear equipment such as and, adjective which can help them better and faster. Even the drivers wear verb, which can be pretty uncomfortable! Of course, the fans have to be outside, too! But we plural noun can wear to keep us warm, and carry over our heads to keep us dry. So even weather can t ruin a great day of harness racing. adjective plural noun verb plural noun plural noun plural noun present tense verb adjective plural noun r13

16 * Get into the Race! (And it won t cost you a thing!) Sign up for your free subscription to the harness racing zine for kids! It s loaded with stories and photos from and about people like you, plus games, posters and cartoons! So sign up today! Name Age, * Sign up for your free USTA Youth Membership for youth 17 and under. Benefits include: 4-H and Youth Activities Youth Contests Standardbred Adoption and Placement Career Opportunities Educational Opportunities Address City, State, Zip Send to: Youth Beats 750 Michigan Ave. Columbus, OH And kids, don t just read Youth Beats... get into it! We want your pictures, jokes and letters! Have you ever wanted to have your picture in a magazine? Do you have a great horse story to share with the world? Then send them to us at the address above, or them to jason.turner@ustrotting.com! Youth members can also subscribe to, the world s leading harness racing magazine, for just $16.50, which comes with a free issue of four times a year. Contact us at: Hoof Beats 750 Michigan Ave. Columbus, OH Toll free outside 614 area code: USTA (8782) Fax