Behind the Gate as;

The disc that protects the spokes on the bike is a safety factor that is now taken for granted. Ralph remembered what sometimes happened in a race before this important inyention. He said. "The wheel disc is great. I used to see horses get hooked in wheels. They would put their foot right into a wheel during a race. I remember driying Premier] tin/[er who was hard to control and a horse driyen by kloe Hennessey put his foot right into my wheel. How many accidents are pre— yented today due to this safety disc? I do belieye that the helmet is a Very impor— tant safety factor for driyers. I can remember an accident during a race where I landed heayily on my head: I was yery thankful that l was wearing a helmet and not one of those caps that dri— yers used to wear. 1 also believe that replacing the hub rail with pylons is the

greatest change for safety in the history of

standardbred racing.” Imagine. if you can. a race at your track today with a hub

rail. no helmets and no wheel disc!

I asked him what he liked most about horse racing. \\'ithout hesitation. he replied. “I like competititm and I like the animal. 1 like most animals. especially the horse. l also haye made some yery good friends in this industry. I was brought tip on a farm with horses and other animals. I rode a horse to school in my early grades. then. at a different school. I droye a horse and wagon to school. I always seemed to haye been inyolyed with horses. I also played base—

ball and hockey and oned the competi—

Ralph Annear

tion. I still enjoy the competition each time 1 race a horse."

This yeteran teamster planned to reduce his starts behind the gate. He belieyed that it was \‘ery competitiye and required younger blood. lie was training a pacer that he would not driye if she made the races. He would driye his trotters because he belieyed he knew them best because he trained them: howeyer. he would prefer not to be driying at his age. He explained. “I‘ll still like to driye but I really think that somebody else might do a little better than I can now. A lighter and younger person might make a differ— ence." Ralph often used Clare MacDonald as a catch—driyer and would use her in the future. She would haye been driying more for him but she often seemed to haye an entry in the same class as Ralph. lle belieyed that she saw moyes in a race before most driyers.

According to this amicable and hard— working trainer driyer. horses are intelli— gent and competitiye. He explained. ".\ly horses know as soon as they see my trail- er that it is a race day. They know when they win and about the \V’inners‘ (Zircle after a yictory. If you get them defeated too often. they don't like it. Some borss es are more intelligent and some are more competitiye than others. I also like other animals. I haye the dearest little dog you could eyer haye. She is a real companion for me and the horses. She especially likes to accompany us to and from our track when we jog or train.”

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