Behind the Gate ‘ ‘22? 
     
    
   
   
    
     change. according to .\Ir. (Zraig. came 
     
     when they began racing the whole mile. 
     
     There is always somebody on the moye 
     
     and if you don't move early. you get 
     
     caught in. 'l‘oday‘s horses must be con— 
     
     ditioned to race the whole mile. Another 
     
     change is that years ago we raced horses 
     
     that would barely be safe to jog. .\'ow it 
     
     is different because these types of horses 
     
     are excluded by the judges in the name 
     
     of safety. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Like many horsemen. Bob liked the chal— 
     
     lenge of seeing colts and fillies deyelop. 
     
     He also liked to take a horse with prob- 
     
     lems and work to eliminate the problems. 
     
     These horses are commonly referred to 
     
     as "projects" and Bob was known to wel— 
     
     come them as a challenge. He would 
     
     patiently make change after change until 
     
     the "project" or he was conquered. He 
     
     suggested. ".v\l| horses need the yery best 
     
     of care just as our children do. You only 
     
     get out of a horse what you put in and 
     
    
   
   
    
     there are no shortcuts." 
     
    
   
   
    
     This blacksmith credited the late lack 
     
     Gallant for getting him into the shoeing 
     
     industry. Back in 193‘). he encouraged 
     
     Bob to learn how to make shoes. lie also 
     
     emphasized the importance of being pre— 
     
     cise and accurate in shoeing a horse. 
     
     Older brother \\”a|ter and (Tlaude ()‘Brien 
     
     were also instrumental in Bob's education 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     \Ifl 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bob Craig 
     
    
   
   
    
     and progress as a noyice blacksmith. Ile 
     
     was still learning and would continue to 
     
     learn new concepts in his trade until his 
     
     retirement in 200"; 
     
    
   
   
    
     He remembered Lem .\'eill as one of the 
     
     true horsemen on the Island from our 
     
     past. He also spoke highly of James 
     
     .\Iac(‘xregor. “Roach was one of the best 
     
     horsemen I haye eyer seen. Ile could 
     
     driye a horse and he could train a horse. 
     
     \‘y‘r’lien he put a horse on the track. it 
     
     looked like a show horse." There were 
     
     other horsemen that he respected but 
     
     these two topped his list. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bob once bought Scar/e1 live. a seyen— 
     
     year—old trotter. In her first start for her 
     
     new owner. she won the Andrew l’erry 
     
     Memorial ’l‘rot in Summerside. He took 
     
     pride in winning this particular race: he 
     
     had done it fiye times with three different 
     
     trotters. Scar/e! liz’e made a break in her 
     
     next start and finished last. She was 
     
     Bob's “project." 
     
    
   
   
    
     Included in Bob (Iraig's legacy is the fact 
     
     that he was an excellent and patient 
     
     mentor to promising blacksmiths like 
     
     Bobby .\IacI)ougall. Iirnie ;\lacl)onald. 
     
     Allie Smith and Mike Campbell. 
     
    
   
   
    
     “All homes need [be very best ofcarejnst as our children do. 
     
    
   
   
    
     You only gel on! Qfd horse utbdtyon put in 
     
    
   
   
    
     and there are no Shortcuts. ” 
     
    
   
   
    
     55