David O’Brien 3“? 
     
     they are lame or have other health prob— 
     
     lems. As a trainer. he took care of each 
     
     of his horses to the best of his ability and 
     
     was not afraid to seek assistance and 
     
     advice when he needed it. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Any horsemans career is filled with 
     
     peaks and valleys. Being second in the 
     
     Dairy Queen and the Barrieau—lVIcIsaac 
     
     gave him quite a thrill. Breaking his 
     
     ankle in three different track accidents 
     
     with about six weeks convalescence for 
     
     each accident was no fun. He hoped that 
     
     one of his future peaks would include 
     
     participation and even victory in the pres— 
     
     tigious Gold Cup and Saucer at home at 
     
     the Charlottetown Driving Park. 
     
    
   
   
    
     I asked David what single. best piece of 
     
    
   
   
    
     advice he would give to a youngster con— 
     
     templating a career in horse racing and 
     
     he answered. “It‘s a good game to be in. 
     
     You have to keep things tidy. If you run 
     
     a clean and tidy show. you can do all 
     
     right. The main thing is to look after your 
     
     horses and your owners. You must have 
     
     them looking good." This gentleman 
     
     practiced what he preached. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Before hanging out his own shingle. 
     
     David worked for and learned the indus— 
     
     try from three astute horsemen— lack 
     
     Bernard. Mike .\rlacDonald and Earl 
     
     Smith. He received his early lessons and 
     
     spent a long while \vith‘laek Bernard. He 
     
     spent a winter in Montreal in the employ 
     
     of Mike lV’IacDonald. 
     
     time working for liar] Smith at the local 
     
     track. lle credited Earl with giving him a 
     
    
   
   
    
     142 
     
    
   
   
    
     3.5“ 
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
    
   
   
    
     He spent a lot of 
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     lot of help in how to manage a stable. 
     
     He said. "i learned about horses from a 
     
     lot of people but Earl Smith set me 
     
     straight in a lot of ways." Indeed Earl 
     
     Smith was the horseman tha: he respect— 
     
     ed most in the Atlantic region. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Since opening the David O'Brien Stable 
     
     in 1997. this driver with the familiar 
     
     white-brown—<)range color.s had high 
     
     praise for Lennie Myers. Art MacDonald 
     
     and Gordie Ford. He poinied out that 
     
     these three workers made an important 
     
     contribution to any success hzs stable had 
     
     over the years. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Both training and driving horses were 
     
     very rewarding according to David. He 
     
     enjoyed training colts and wztehing them 
     
     develop but he also enioyec. the intense 
     
     competition of a race. lie appreciated 
     
     being a trainer and a driver. If he had to 
     
     make a choice. he said he w )uld choose 
     
     driving. At this level in 'he Atlantic 
     
     provinces. many performed both roles 
     
     but were obviously better at one than the 
     
     other. Those that reached tl e elite level 
     
     of the game in New Jersey or Ontario 
     
     were either drivers or trainers. V *ry few 
     
     did both. 'l‘heir reputation was at stake 
     
     every time their horse raced. 
     
    
   
   
    
     I asked David if there was arty difference 
     
     in driving a pacer or a trotttr in a race. 
     
     His experience was that IltL‘I.‘ was a big 
     
     difference because a pacer is usually 
     
     pretty good—gaited and not t>o many of 
     
     them will jump in a race beczruse of their 
     
     hobbles. A trotter is lliit‘tlfl‘ to drive