The Canadian Sportsman
Keeping You Posted
Back To Keeping You PostedOctober 01, 2009
In our Nov. 27, 2008 edition, The Sportsman brought you ‘Camping For Keeps’ — the story of Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA) youth camps and how many kids from these camps have stayed in the business by helping out local trainers in their spare time.
This year, camp coordinator Liz Waples is happy to report that even more kids have remained interested long after their camping days were over and many successful matches have been made with trainers, who are pleased to welcome these hardworking youngsters into the barn.
Brianne Sloan is one of those youngsters and she’s become a great help to trainer George McClure in Clinton, ON, helping out in the barn every day in the summertime and on Saturdays and Sunday during the school year since she attended the youth camp in the summer of 2008.
So impressed was McClure with the 11-year-old’s eagerness and work ethic — it’s nothing for her to clean 10 stalls a day without complaint — that he recently rewarded her with a piece of Wynsum Margaret, a four-year-old pacing mare he purchased on Aug. 23 at the Summer Sizzler mixed sale.
“I didn’t give her anything,” said McClure. “She earned every bit of it for working so hard all year. “She comes to work every day at 7 o’clock when she’s not in school.”
Just one week later, Sloan earned her first victory as a horse owner, grinning ear-to-ear in the Clinton Raceway winner’s circle (above, photo by Gerald Millar) alongside winning driver and co-owner Dustin McClure after Wynsum Margaret’s victory.
But it was more than just the McClures and the mare that made Sloan’s day. Race announcer Frank Salive made special mention of the youngster in the winner’s circle, while track photographer Gerald Millar specially inscribed the winner’s photo to say, ‘Congratulations, Brianne. 1st win as an owner.’
“Everyone in the barn calls her ‘Smiley’,” said McClure. “She’s always that way, but (her smile) was even wider after that race.”
McClure said there’s also been a further trickle down, with Brianne’s parents, Rob and Sandra, both going out and getting their groom’s licenses after their daughter took such an interest in the sport.
“It’s been great,” he said. “It’s nice to have some good news every now and then.”
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