DRIVER S EDLearn how to earn a USTA driver s license

Transcription

1 DRIVER S EDLearn how to earn a USTA driver s license Family Guy Ron Burke p. 4 l Youth Bits p. 10 l Man of Steel p. 12

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3 Post Parade p. 4 p. 5 p. 8 p.12 p. 2 Feature Story License to Thrill: How to become a licensed harness driver by Becca Marrie Industry Pros You Be the Judge: Becoming a harness racing regulator by Becca Marrie AND IN EVERY ISSUE p. 6 Poster: To Dream On p. 10 Youth Bits p. 14 Gaming Gallery In this issue... Track Talk Family Guy: Trainer Ron Burke carries on the family tradition by Jessica MacMurray Standardbred Spotlight Featuring kids and their favorite Standardbreds Harness Heroes Man of Steel: The wild world of farrier Steve Stanley by Becca Marie I ve always thought being a catchdriver sounded like a pretty cool job. And while I ve never had the opportunity drive a horse, I can tell you that the people who do it every day for a living definitely seem to love their work. One of those people is 19-year-old Joe Bongiorno. Joe earned his Q/F license and started competing in races at the age of 16, and if you think that sounds like something you d like to do I have good news for you our feature story is all about how you, too, can earn a driver s license. With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work you might just find yourself in the driver s seat. We also have a story for you about a 10-year-old girl named Meadow, who, with the help of her brother and sister, is working hard to raise money for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation. I d like to thank all of you who sent in submissions for our recent Caption Contest [March 13]. The response was terrific and we ve published some of our favorite answers on page 13. Is one of them yours? If not, you can be sure we ll be doing this again in the near future, so I hope you have your pens and pencils ready! Jason Turner Youth Beats editor A Publication of the United States Trotting Association Outside 614 area code: USTA (8782) Hoof Beats Executive Editor: T.J. Burkett tj.burkett@ustrotting.com, ext Youth Beats Editor: Jason Turner jason.turner@ustrotting.com, ext Advertising Director: Heather Dodds heather.dodds@ustrotting.com, ext Art Director: Gena Gallagher ggalla@ustrotting.com, ext Webmaster: Autumn Ryan autumn.ryan@ustrotting.com, ext Photographers: Mark Hall and Ed Keys photo@ustrotting.com, ext. 3288

4 How to become a licensed harness driver by Becca Marrie License TO Horsemen are known for working long days, but you would be hard pressed to find a busier person than 19-year-old catch-driver Joe Bongiorno. I wake up at 6:45 or 7 a.m., go to the barn in Saratoga, take care of my parents horses they have 15 right now come home, have lunch, relax, take a little driver s nap, go to the track, drive all night, and do it all again the next day, he said. But Bongiorno doesn t mind the long hours or the hard work because he is living his dream. When I was 14, my dad owned a horse for Buzzy Sholty, and Buzzy asked me if I wanted to drive her and from then on I knew I wanted to be a driver, said Bongiorno. When Bongiorno was 16, he got his qualifying license and started qualifying horses that day. At 18, after he had won 10 races, he earned his provisional license. THRILL I was just anxious to get my qualifying license, said Bongiorno. From (age) 16 to 18 I was just waiting so I could drive professionally. I drove the day I turned 18. Many professional sports don t offer 16- or even 18- year-olds the opportunity to compete at the highest level at such a young age, but harness racing is one that does, which is great news for kids like Bongiorno, and others like him who are anxious to follow their dreams. The process of becoming a licensed harness driver is simple, but certainly not easy. The first step for anyone seeking a license is to become a member of the U.S. Trotting Association, said USTA Registrar T.C. Lane. After that, perspective drivers have 2 race shot courtesy of lisa photo l bongiorno courtesy of himself

5 LICENSE TO THRILL iii ii i i i i I was very excited. A lot of people get nervous. I think my dad was more nervous than I was. JOE BONGIORNO ii ii ii i i i to complete an application. For beginners, including anyone over the age of 16, there are two different types of licenses available: A qualifying and fair license (Q/F), which is valid for qualifying races, fairs and matinees, and a matinee license (M), which is only good for non-pari-mutuel, matinee races. An M license only requires the applicant to submit four references, while the more extensive Q/F license requires applicants to pass both a written and practical exam, as well as an eye exam. The process of obtaining a Q/F license takes approximately four to six weeks. Besides the basic qualifying questions, we request references from other professional drivers, verifying the applicant s experience, said Lane. Typically references are people they grew up with or who know them. They re [the references] acknowledging that they [the applicants] have first-hand EARLY START: Joe Bongiorno, 19, has been sitting behind horses since a very young age. According to USTA rules, amateur drivers as young as 16 can earn a Q/F or M license. knowledge. We always encourage applicants to reach out to references and ask them if it s OK. Once references have been verified and approved, applicants must complete a 100-question written exam covering the rules of racing and horsemanship. Exams are graded on a pass or fail basis. If the applicant does not pass the exam they have to wait 60 days before trying again, and another six months after that if they fail on the second attempt. After passing the written exam, applicants must pass a practical, hands-on exam as well. Applicants are required to physically harness a horse, get them ready to compete, and then complete a training mile in a specified time under the supervision of a USTA representative. The last requirement for licensing is the successful completion of an eye exam. After obtaining a Q/F or M license, drivers might also seek a P license, which allows them to compete at pari-mutuel or betting events. Drivers must be at least 18 before this license can be issued, and the candidate must have had at least 12 qualifying starts within a year or 15 qualifying stars within two years. Many of the sport s younger drivers and trainers, such as Bongiorno, started early and earned their license as soon as possible. By the time they receive their P license at 18 they already have years of experience under their belt. But making a name for yourself as a newcomer is not an easy task. As one of the youngest drivers at Meadowlands Racetrack, Bongiorno has at times experienced, and continues to experience, difficulty gaining people s respect. When you re this young some people don t think you re capable, said Bongiorno. But other people may think you will be a little more alive behind their horse. However, what Bongiorno lacks in experience, he makes up for in attitude. I was very excited. A lot of people get nervous, said Bongiorno. I just went out there; I think my dad was more nervous than I was. It wasn t tough. I ve always felt comfortable behind a horse. And starting so young gave Bongiorno another edge, too. I ve been sitting behind horses since I was a kid, said Bongiorno. I sit behind a lot of horses. Every horse has a lot of quirks and you learn something different every day. Since he started driving in 2010, Bongiorno has won 263 races and earned more than $1.6 million in purses. But he s always striving to become better, and he knows that he s still got a lot to learn. I just have to stay humble and work hard every day, said Bongiorno. As long as I keep working hard, I ll be successful.

6 Track Talk How did you get into harness racing? My father, Mickey Burke, had horses. In 1981 he decided to do it full time and it just went from there. When did you first know you wanted to be a trainer? I knew right from when I started racing and I got too big to be a driver. Did you have a mentor that you looked up to? My father, for sure. What is the hardest part about being a trainer? Probably the hardest part is things like horses going lame and other disappointments like that. Ron Burke has been around horses his entire life. His father, Mickey, is a prominent harness trainer and when Ron grew too tall for the sulky, he decided that is what he wanted to do, too. Ron has had an outstanding career as a trainer. In 2012 alone his horses had 906 wins and earned more than $19 million in purses. For his career, Burke has more than 3,600 victories and $74 million in purses! Do you have a favorite horse that you ve trained? There have been many, but the one that comes to mind is Maltese Artist. Are there any other jobs in the industry that you think you might like to try? I would like to be director of racing at a racetrack. I think I could do that and I would enjoy it. What advice would you give kids who want to get involved in the business? Be prepared to work very hard when you start. Get around as many horses as you can. The more you do, the better you get at it. Trainer Ron Burke carries on the family tradition by Jessica MacMurray 4 burke by mark hall

7 Industry Pros YOU BE THE JUDGE There are many ways that harness racing enthusiasts can participate in the sport, from training and driving to breeding, grooming and shoeing. But one of the most important, yet sometimes overlooked, jobs in harness racing is that of a judge. The primary role of a judge is to enforce the rules and regulations at a particular track. They also approve licenses, hold hearings, and issue fines and suspensions for rule violations. Michael Hall is the presiding judge for the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission, currently serving at Harrah s Philadelphia. He has also worked at Raceway Park, The Meadows, Pocono Downs and Pompano Park. Hall s love of harness racing began at an early age. His father and uncle owned horses, and he spent a lot of time around the barn. He saved up his money and bought his own horse at the age of 15. He worked his way up to becoming a horse trainer and then attended The Ohio State University s agricultural branch. He trained his own stable for a number of years and was chosen, in Hall pass: Michael Hall, presiding judge at Harrah s Philadelphia addresses the drivers of the 2011 World Driving Championship. Becoming a harness racing regulator by Becca Marrie 1990, to intern as a judge for the U.S. Trotting Association and the North American Judges and Stewards Association. After his internship, Hall began working as a judge at Northfield Park, in northeastern Ohio. I was training horses in Maine, and on the particular day I heard about the internship, it was 20 degrees below zero, said Hall. I thought that working in an office would be better than running around in circles outside. Hall has been a judge for 23 years and said he enjoys the (mostly) 9-to-5 schedule that comes with the job, since races at Harrah s Philadelphia are in the afternoon. I do really like the job, and I really can t see myself doing anything else, he said. I like dealing with horsemen and fans of racing; in good situations and bad. You can gain something out of every situation. Typically, Hall comes into the office and starts his day by checking the entry boxes for horses that will enter races later in the afternoon. Then, along with the race secretaries, he supervises the entries and drawings of post positions. He conducts the post-position draw and works in the office until about a half-hour before the races begin, at which time he heads up to the judges booth where he watches each race to make sure the rules are being followed. After each race, he checks the photo finish and posts the order of finish on the tote board. Once he reviews the race, if there are no problems, he declares the results official. However, if problems occur, he has to look into the situation and decide if there needs to be any disqualifications. Although judges typically enjoy their work, sometimes the job can be difficult, Hall said. Whenever you re dealing with people s money, sometimes they have a skewed view of a particular incident because there is a chance that our decision will cost them money, he said. So, you have to be able to deal with people both when they are in a good mood and when they are not. For kids who are considering a career as a harness racing judge, Hall firmly believes that they first need to learn how to take care of a horse, from cleaning out a stall to training and driving. This will give you a good background and show you all the things you need to know to be a successful racing judge, he said. 5

8 TO DREAM

9 ON JUNE 2013

10 J J T A Standardbred Spotlight A C Standardbred fan Bridget Speidel enjoys a frontrow seat at the Geauga County Fair races. Isabela Fitzgerald, 6, helps jog We Got It All, a 3-year-old filly from the Erv Miller Stable. WANT TO SEE YOUR PICTURE HERE? Send it to Youth Beats: 750 Michigan Ave., Columbus, OH 43215, or jason.turner@ustrotting.com.

11 This awesome drawing (left) was done by Darlene Yoder of Millersburg, Ohio. And thanks to Jeremiah Martin of Ephrata, Pa., (above) and Danny Gingerich of Cub Run, Ky. (left) for these cool pics.

12 Youth Bits HELPING HANDS: Harness racing fans and siblings, Meadow, Lexi and Parker Twaddle, help raise money for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation by collecting feed sack labels. get a large number of labels we send them in. In addition to the HHYF, the Southern States Special Horse Organization Winner s [SHOW] program supports other equinerelated charities, too. These organizations earn 25 cents for each proof of purchase seal from Southern States, Legends and Triple Crown horse feed bags, or $10 per ton on Southern States, Legends and Triple Crown pelleted feed. For bulk feed purchases, participants must submit the original customer copy of the delivery ticket to the organization of their choice. Making a Difference 10-year-old spearheads fundraising effort l by Keith Gisser Ten-year-old Meadow Twaddle has been around Standardbreds her entire life. Her dad is trainer-driver Tim Twaddle, who has won nearly 2,000 races as a driver. Even at such a young age, Meadow has already owned four racehorses, and when she s not out on the soccer field, she s usually at the barn. But recently she s added one more very important project to her growing list of activities. Meadow, along with her sister, Lexi, and younger brother, Parker, have been collecting labels from their Southern States Feeds feed sacks in order to help raise money to support the Harness Horse Youth Foundation. Southern States recently introduced a program to benefit the non-profit organization by offering financial resources to the HHYF in exchange for labels from their products, and the Twaddles are doing everything they can to help. When my girls heard about the fundraising efforts they became quite interested, said Tim Twaddle, who currently trains 15 horses at The Meadows. Meadow took the lead on the project. She loved the idea of doing something to help other kids get involved [through the HHYF] because of her love of Standardbreds. I help out at the barn whenever I can, said Meadow. I help feed the horses, clean the race bikes; even stall cleaning. When we 10 Although HHYF Executive Director Ellen Taylor had been receiving envelopes full of proofs of purchase for some time, she was surprised to learn that the sender was only 10 years old. Until recently, I had no idea of Meadow s age, she said. I assumed she was much older. Her packages of feed tags arrive every six weeks or so, and are always neatly trimmed and organized. I look forward to meeting her one day as her actions have been an inspiration for me personally, and they are greatly appreciated by our organization. That meeting might very well take place in the near future. I know I want to be involved in harness racing in some way, maybe not full time, but I definitely want to go to an HHYF camp, said Meadow, who is less than two years away from being old enough to attend. It s an important thing that they do and I am going to try to encourage everyone at The Meadows to donate their seals. Twaddle, along with his wife, Sophia, are proud of the effort Meadow and her siblings have put forth. Meadow has such an interest in the future of our industry; it gives me a tremendous feeling of pride and satisfaction that she has taken that interest, said Tim. Plus there are her other activities and she is a model student. We think what she is doing is great. twaddles courtesy of hhyf

13 What s Your Pleasure We all know what great racehorses Standardbreds make, but after their racing careers are over many go on to become great riding or pleasure horses. There are several state-affiliated Standardbred pleasure horse organizations. The SPHO of New Jersey is a non-profit organization founded to promote the Standardbred racehorse as a pleasure riding and driving horse. The SPHO of New Jersey features an extensive show series, retraining clinics, ride, drives, parades and exhibitions to promote this versatile breed. They also promote national and in state year-end awards programs. Monthly meetings are open to all members and the newsletter keeps everyone updated on all SPHO activities. All horse lovers are welcome, even if they don t own a Standardbred. Their website is The SPHO of Massachusetts offers a horse placement service and retraining tips, and also provides outreach to the public at various equine-related events. The Mainebased group is very active in promoting its philosophy that all Standardbreds deserve the opportunity to live a full, complete life in a safe environment. Like the other SPHOs they offer placement and adoption advice, as well as retraining both for riding and driving events. Visit the Massachusetts SPHO at and the Maine SPHO at The Florida SPHO was formed in 1997, and despite being physically isolated from much of harness racing (there is only one harness track within 1,000 miles of Pompano Park) the organization offers team riding practices and retraining for both trail riding and dressage. Their website is: l Did you know: Four champion Standardbreds pacers Won The West, Western Dreamer and Staying Together, along with trotter Mr Muscleman are on display at the Kentucky Horse Park s Hall of Champions along with Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing stars? l Did you know: That Won The West (below, with trainer Ron Burke) and Western Dreamer were both sired by Western Hanover? l Did you know: The film How the West Was Won, made in 1962, starred John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart? l Did you know: John Wayne was also the name of a trotter who was foaled in 2001? He earned just $6,714. Jimmy Stewart was also the name of an unraced pacer who was foaled in l Did you know: Staying Together s sire was Panorama, who was also the sire of Western Dreamer s dam? l Did you know: Staying Together was foaled in 1989, the same year the movie Staying Together (which has nothing to do with harness racing!) came out? The film features well-known stars such as Sean Astin and Stockard Channing. The Ohio SPHO is a very active group, offering an extensive calendar of horse shows for riders and animals at all levels of experience and ability. They also do public outreach at a number of events. Check them out at So, if you can t get to the races as often as you like, maybe you can get to a horse show or other event featuring our versatile Standardbreds. SPHO by erin hamer l WON THE WEST BY MARK HALL

14 Harness Heroes Man of Steel The wild world of farrier Steve Stanley l by Becca Marrie If you re self-motivated, love horses, stay physically fit, and are not afraid to get dirty, then becoming a farrier is probably a career path you should consider. We maintain the horses hooves for whatever discipline or activity that they are doing: gait, traction, no shoes and just trimming their feet, or therapeutic situations, said Steve Stanley, who has been a farrier for the past 40 years. For Stanley, becoming a farrier was an easy decision: he was following in his father s footsteps. My father was doing it when I was a kid and we were always around horses, so it came very simply to me, he said. Like Stanley, most farriers have apprenticed under other, more experienced farriers to learn the trade. But even if you have no previous experience around horses, you can still become a farrier. Just call [farriers] or go to a racetrack and ask around, said Stanley. There are a lot of ways to get connected. There are also schools across the country specifically designed for training people who want to become farriers. But even when you re out [of school] you have to work with an experienced farrier for horsemanship, shoeing, and practical experience, said Stanley. Like father, like son: Steve Stanley became a farrier like his father and has been shoeing horses for 40 years. There is plenty of opportunity for a farrier to learn and progress throughout his career, as long as he remembers that the purpose of his job is to help increase the quality of horses lives. You have to enjoy horses to do it all the time, said Stanley. That s probably the main part. Stanley, like most farriers, generally works eight hours a day. However, during the busiest part of the year, farriers can work upward of 12 to 14 hours. A well-established farrier who is working full time and stays busy should make over $100,000 annually, said Stanley. But, he added that since farriers are largely self-employed, they are responsible for their own insurance and retirement. Another important thing to keep in mind about this job is that it is very physically demanding. Sometimes horses do hurt you, said Stanley. You have to maintain yourself physically to do this job. And horses can be very taxing on you. Stanley himself has been injured several times, mainly from being kicked and bitten. It s not like you get hurt every day or every week, said Stanley. But it can happen, and it will happen. But for Stanley, the benefits of this career definitely outweigh its less-grand aspects. You get to work for the people you choose to and go to different places every day, said Stanley. It s not a bad gig. And being a farrier can also be very rewarding. If you learn something, apply it to a horse, and watch that horse do something amazing, that s a situation you ll never forget, said Stanley. 12 stanley PHOTOS COURTESY OF HIMSELF

15 Word Search DRIVE ME CRAZY! Each of these elite drivers has won the title Driver of the Year. Can you find them all? Tim Tetrick, Jody Jamieson, Dave Palone, Tony Morgan, Luc Ouellette, Dave Magee, Jack Moiseyev, John Campbell, Herve Filion The Adventures of... Awesome Autumn by A. Ryan, Caption Capture Here are some of our favorite answers from the chapter seven caption capture contest. Great job everyone! I M SUPPOSED TO WEAR THAT? I THINK IT S 4 SIZES TOO SMALL. Lisa Miller of Topeka, IN GIVE ME THE HAT AND LET S GO! Danny Ray Detweiler WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WEAR THAT HELMET? Jeremiah Martin C MON, LET S GO RACE! Norman Gingerich MAN! I SCARED THE HELMET OFF THAT WOMAN! Anonymous

16 Get into the Race! With a FREE subscription to Youth Beats Getting connected to the No. 1 magazine for and about kids in harness racing is easy! Just send us your name and address and each quarter we ll send you a copy of Youth Beats, filled with games, photos, posters, stories and interviews with your favorite harness stars. Name Age Address City, State, Zip DECEMBER 2012 Marie Hill Winner p. 5 Justin Huckabone p. 9 Send to: Youth Beats 750 Michigan Ave. Columbus, OH Marie Hill Winner p. 5 Justin Huckabone p. 9 DECEMBER 2012 BUCK I ST PAT BUCK I ST PAT Girl Power Girl Pow Remembering lady trotters that really rock! Remembering lady trotters 11/15/12 11:11 AM YB_Dec12.indd 1 er that really rock! YB_Dec12.indd 1 11/15/12 11:11 AM Subscribers can also sign up for a FREE Youth Membership with the U.S. Trotting Association Benefits include: l 4-H and Youth Activities Youth Contests l Standardbred Adoption and Placement l Career Opportunities l Educational Opportunities Are you on Facebook? So are we! Check it out: