Dr. Ian Moore i?

that Stanley gaye to me hecause he was lame. Doc Price was one of the early horses that I rememher well. He was a free for—all horse at that time. It was proh- ahly that association \\‘ith free—foruallers that led to my continued long term asso— ciation \yith free—l’k>r-all horses during the last $0 years. This horse of George Sohey‘s certainly made a hig impression on me.”

During his formatiye years in the game.

this eager youngster had a numher of

qualified and capahle teachers at the track in Summerside. He learned well from mentors like Lester Chappell. George Sohey. Ron .\lac.»\rthur. Basil \X'helan. George Callheck. l)r. Russ l’urness and others. He learned ahout shoeing from Basil \V'helan and for a long

time he \\ould do all of his own shoeing.

As a youngster. lan admired a nttmher of

horsemen. He explained. “I learned most of my early stuff from George Sohey. in the ensuing years. it would he Ron MacArthur and Dr. Russ l-‘urness. I spent the most time with George Sohey and he let me do a lot of things. llis Doc Price was one of the first horses I eyer jogged hut only after learning how to muck stalls. hrush. handage. feed and other important functions required hy horses at the track." lan went to the l'nited States while working for Ron .\lacg\rthur \yith sensational t\yo—year—old trotter. Sir/ca l/(ll/(H‘c’l‘. lan \\'as it and earned $33 a week to look after her. \V'hile there he spent these months in Cecil Champion's

20

= W3

Behind the Gate

barn and learned a lot there. l)r. Russ Furness also had an early and lasting influence on this youngsters career. During his early sojourn to the l’nited States. he encountered Summerside resi— dents l)ale Sohey and Ken Crockett who were both \yorking on the Grand Circuit for Aloe ()"Brien.

In 191. this future Veterinarian was attending the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in 'l‘ruro. That summer he had worked for llughie .\lacl\'ay yyho had IS yearlings and one race mare. Mari/(1 (I'i'I‘I. Hughie \\'as considered one of the best colt men in the business at that time. \V'hile in ’l‘ruro that summer. lan hought \l‘iiigm/ DIN/U from Basil \V'helan for 5223. He

was a dude hut lan got him to the races

Fourteen qualified that year.

and he could pace in 2:17. lan had his first official driye with this horse and he recounted. "I had my first driye with him at the ’l'ruro Raceuay and l finished fifth in 2:1“. I rememher l had a special head— pole on him hecause he was hard to steer. I raced him again and finished fifth in 2:10. I then sold him to Scotty Kane v horse and harness for 5273."

Later that summer lan returned home to Summerside. One night Bill Companion Sr. had two horses entered in the satne race at the Charlottetown l)riying Park. Bill \yould dri\'e_/o/h‘ Don from the rail and lan \yould team .l/(H‘L?P1H'(liie from the two—hole. .1/(1/‘lcl’1/rc/1/e would win that race wire to wire in 2:111 and fully Don finished second by half a length.