And... They're Off

They are beautiful creatures, these horses. Various sizes, impeccably groomed and harnessed, they pace or trot around the track in Summerside, harness racing. It's impossible not to be impressed with their grace and precision of step, as the training kicks in and their stories with their drivers reach a climax.

 

We are at the Red Shores race track in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, for our yearly visit to see the synchronicity of horse and driver. Harness racing is still popular on Prince Edward Island. It has a long history here, not surprising due to the agricultural history of this island.

While the island isn't very big, there are many unpaved roads throughout the countryside, even today. There are still vast stretches of land between farms in rural Prince Edward Island. One can imagine what it must have been like one hundred and fifty years ago. People raced horses against their neighbours as a diversion or sport. Then as areas became more populated, the racing was confined to special tracks. In the 1880s there were dozens of racing tracks on the island. Today there are two.

The track in Summerside is surprisingly busy tonight as we stand by the rail initially, then head to the stands, as the breeze makes sitting outside in the heat more bearable. There is a racing culture here involving rules for the race, the maintenance of the track, the warm-up, the call to the post, the announcer's voice, dramatic and enthusiastic.The people include owners and enthusiasts alike and betting on your favourite is the order of the day. We saved our toonies, two dollar coins, for this occasion.

We are not gamblers. In fact, we find it almost painful to lose money on a bet. However, once a year we bring toonies to the track and place our two dollar bets on the horses. For us, the program guide is the "horse's mouth" for advice on whom to bet. Or, as I like to do sometimes, bet on the most unusual name or the one with the greatest odds.Tonight we broke even which is always the goal, of course, if you don't have a big win. Rick bet six dollars, won $5.90 on a race and picked up a dime on his way home.

Until next year...

Reference:  http://www.peiharnessracing.com/history.html