Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     no anything and I began to panic. We 
     
     phoned home and somebody rushed the 
     
     trunk 50 kilometers to the track. I was 
     
     nervous that day until we finally got 
     
     behind the starting gate for the race. I 
     
     took Cottage Fran/e to the rear of the 
     
     pack until I got a chance to move him 
     
     with cover. I remember that we finished 
     
     third in 2:15 without incident. I was 17 at 
     
     that time and I will never forget my first 
     
     race.” Fifty—three years later in 2008, the 
     
     competitive juices still flowed when 
     
     Ralph Annear faced the starting gate for 
     
     stakes action or an overnight event at any 
     
     Maritime racetrack. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Cottage Fran/e was the only horse that 
     
     Ralph drove that year while he worked 
     
     for Alfred Lowrey. Alfred drove the other 
     
     horses himself. After six attempts that 
     
     year, he would finally win his first race 
     
     and it would be with Cottage Fran/e. in 
     
     2:12 at the GDP. Since that memorable 
     
     victory this Montague reinsman would 
     
     visit the Winners’ Circle on 578 occasions. 
     
     This was a neat accomplishment for a 
     
     hobby horseman who had driven, almost 
     
     exclusively, his own horses. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In May, 1957, Ralph started to work at a 
     
     feed mill in Montague. In one year, he 
     
     took ownership of that same mill and it 
     
     became known as Fraser and Annear 
     
     Feed Service. For the next 45 years, this 
     
     successful business venture would be his 
     
     vocation and would occupy most of his 
     
     time and energy; however, Ralph always 
     
     seemed to find time to raise, train and 
     
     race standardbreds as a hobby. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Wfifl f 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Ralph Annear 
     
    
   
   
    
     At age 65 in 2005, a major change had 
     
     taken place in Ralph Annear‘s life. He 
     
     laughed in amusement when I asked him 
     
     to describe his involvement with horses. 
     
     He explained, "I am training two two- 
     
     year—olds and two three—year—olds. I also 
     
     have three broodmares and a weanling at 
     
     the farm. I probably should have some- 
     
     body to help me but I enjoy starting each 
     
     day at 3 am. I guess that I have now 
     
     become a full—time horseman." 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ralph and Laurie enjoyed life on a beau— 
     
     tiful farm in Lower Montague. Their four 
     
     children — Janice, Maureen, Ronnie and 
     
     John are now adults and have made their 
     
     own lives elsewhere. His family enjoyed 
     
     and appreciated his involvement with 
     
     horses over the years. The Annear farm 
     
     included a beautiful residence, a well 
     
     organized and tidy barn with eight stalls, 
     
     a half—mile training track, paddocks with 
     
     an open shed and a loveable companion 
     
     dog for the horses. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ralph was asked to list his most memo— 
     
     rable horses and to explain why each 
     
     was chosen. This task required some 
     
     deliberation because he had been in— 
     
     volved with so many horses during the 
     
     past 60 years. Nevertheless, he offered, 
     
     “Maple LeafBramble was fast, tough and 
     
     had great courage. He was my choice for 
     
     a horse. Kimmys sz’m was a good little 
     
     trotter that raced well in the two— and 
     
     three—year—old stakes and became a 
     
     Maritime champion. She was a bad little 
     
     devil. In 2005, Maple LeafHaw/e was still 
     
     quite a horse. He took a record of 1256.5 
     
    
   
   
    
     37