Behind the Gate it? -‘ 
     
     v , 
     
    
   
   
    
     By contrast. his worst moment in the 
     
     game happened on a l-‘riday eyening in 
     
     1979. It was the night that l’rancis 
     
     Mclsaac was accidentally killed on the 
     
     track at Exhibition Raceway in Saint John. 
     
     lie recounted sadly. “I was at the 
     
     Sportsman Club in Charlottetown sitting 
     
     at a table with .\lickey Gallant and Paul 
     
     .\lurphy. At first we couldn't belieye it. 
     
     One of the most accomplished and 
     
     respected driyers in the L\laritimes had 
     
     just lost his life on the track. It made me 
     
     think about many things. especially the 
     
     business I was in." 
     
    
   
   
    
     \V'hat is the single best piece ol adyice 
     
     you would give a youngster who is think» 
     
     ing about getting into the harness racing 
     
     industry? This question had added rele— 
     
     vance to Kenny because he and his wile 
     
     Carol Ann had two children. ;\lichael and 
     
     Shelby. lie answered that the youngster 
     
     must loye horses and continue with the 
     
     game btit only alter getting a lormal edu— 
     
     cation l‘it‘st. He stated that it was possible 
     
     to get a good loundation in the game in 
     
     the Atlantic proyinces but eyentually the 
     
     youngster would haye to leaye here for 
     
     places where there were more opportu— 
     
     nities to make a liying. Their children did 
     
     go to the (1.1).l’. on occasion but a lormal 
     
     education took priority. 
     
    
   
   
    
     This talented teamster gaye a lot ol praise 
     
     to three astute mentors as he learned the 
     
     game. ()yer the years he was thanklul to 
     
     haye worked l‘oryloe Arsenault. lfric "Ike" 
     
     .\1oreside and Marcel liarrieau. lie also 
     
     had high praise lor his uncle. lack 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Kenny Arsenault 
     
    
   
   
    
     ;‘\rsenault who was yery important in 
     
     Kenny’s career. Since the Kenny 
     
     Arsenault Stable opened. he had some 
     
     yery capable people working for him 
     
     including Bob Drake. john MacMillan. 
     
     \V’es Lund. \V'illy Mclnnis. Scotty Bell. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Johnny MacKinnon. Ian Smith. Anthony 
     
    
   
   
    
     MacDonald. \lark MacDonald and Kurt 
     
     Hughes. He pointed out. “Your stable is 
     
     only as good as your help. If you haye 
     
     good help. you will do well." 
     
    
   
   
    
     The person Kenny respected most in har— 
     
     ness racing was \\”ally Ilennessey. They 
     
     were first cousins and once liyed in the 
     
     same residence for one year in Saint 
     
    
   
   
    
     John. \ew Brunswick. They always got 
     
    
   
   
    
     together to talk when \V’ally Visited the 
     
     Island. He had great respect for \X'ally 
     
     and said. “l le is a Very talented person. a 
     
     pure gentleman and a great ambassador 
     
     for Prince lidward island and the Atlantic 
     
     proyinces. I admire how he driyes and 
     
     the lact that he doesnt abuse a horse. 
     
     His success with .llnm' .llulcer reyeals his 
     
     special talent with a trotter. He carries 
     
     himsell so well on the bike and is always 
     
     so clean. He always has a smile and 
     
     always has time for people. llis accom— 
     
     plishments in the industry speak \‘ol~ 
     
     umes. He has taken his game to the next 
     
    
   
   
    
     leyel and set the bar high lor others." 
     
    
   
   
    
     Kenny Arsenault's long—term goals as a 
     
     driyer were to be successl‘ul in the 
     
     Atlantic proyinces. llis goals did not 
     
     include a moye to Ontario or Quebec. 
     
     lie explained. "I am set in my ways so I 
     
    
   
   
    
     don't haye any plans to moye: that‘s not 
     
    
   
   
    
     173