Isfgind Expat"!

or i-i—ye:1r~old David ()‘lErien of St. Marys. Ontario. :1 lot had happened since he made his momentous deciv sion to open a puhlic stahle at the Charlottetown Driving Park. This deci~ sion was made only 1 1 years ago. In that short time period. the (I.D.l’. and its

patrons witnessed the evolution oi David

()‘llrien from :1 minor to a major player

on the local harness racing scene. Dav id paid his dues and learned the industry as it should he learned hy starting at the hot— tom and progressing to his present situa» tion. He was a very capahle trainer dri—

ver in Ontario in 30018.

\V'hen David was 11. his lather. Leonard purchased a Pack '/‘/‘1‘/) colt named Par/:2 [Liv/l at the annual 'l‘ruro sale lor David. 'l‘hey broke it. trained it and raced it as a hoarder in the Donnie llughes fitahle. 'l‘his colt was David‘s initiation. Shortly alter this purchase. his dad claimed l’iggs whom he raced in the lack Bernard Stahle.

chases ol' his lather that David was intro-

It was through these two pur-

duced to the equine industry. Par/e /:'.\‘i/ and [ages were the lirst two horses that

he l‘ondly remembered.

David received most ol ltis early training in harness racing lrom an astute and

l’hoto: (iail .\lacl)onald capahle horseman hy the name ol‘ _lacl\' Bernard. llis father \visely chose lack as Figgs‘ trainer knowing that David would then have the opportunity to learn from a very lv’nowledgeahle and versatile horseman who did his own training. shoeing and driving. .»\s a youngster. David respected and appreciated lack because he stated. “lie was one oi the veterans that had been around for :1 good numher of years."

it wasn‘t until “Ni that David began to .»\t that time it was indeed a very humhle hegin—

operate his own puhlic stahle.

ning hecause his entire stahle totalled three horses, l’or Fred Lamont. an Islander living in (lalgary. he had (L'osml'c Chaos. \orman llall purchased l/ll.\.\‘(’_l’ (filmser at a sale for David. The third hoarder was lv’o/JI'H .llzlc for Ho!) .\lacLeod. It was an inauspicious begin— ning hut his stahle would soon grow into a very tidy and well organized stahle of l() horses. At one time. he was going with ll) two—year—olds. David and his assistant. Lennie .\lyei‘s were two oi the

busiest trainers at the (LDl’. :\ very big day for any driver of race horses is the day he makes his first oili—

cial pari mutuel start. David rememhered

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