Faith McKenny w 
     
     guess I am particular because I always 
     
     look for Island horses and Island horse— 
     
     men. Owning a horse is something I 
     
     always wanted to do since I was a child.” 
     
     She remembered when an Island driver, 
     
     Joe Smallwood. stopped Sari/s Pride and 
     
     tipped his helmet to her just prior to her 
     
     singing of The Island Hymn in 1982. It 
     
     meant a lot to her then and she would 
     
     always remember it. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Faith McKenney performed this important 
     
     musical function each year for the love of 
     
     it. It was an exciting time. and one year. 
     
     after taking sewing lessons. she made her 
     
     own compulsory new dress for the big 
     
     event. She explained that some years 
     
     everything went like clockwork for the 
     
     big night but there were years when it 
     
     didn‘t and that could be unnerving. 
     
     Proper coordination and planning usually 
     
     resulted in everything going smoothly 
     
     that night. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     116 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     m 
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     Faith believed that the more visuil every— 
     
     thing is for the Gold Cup am: Saucer 
     
     activities then the more the patrons get 
     
     psyched up. Fans remembered past 
     
     years when Fathers of Conftderation 
     
     properly attired would escort eath of the 
     
     Gold Cup and Saucer girls fr( in their 
     
     open convertibles on the racetrack to the 
     
     infield stage of the old judges stand. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Some fans can picture and remember live 
     
     bands performing on stage betw'ten each 
     
     race and for The Island Hymn Some 
     
     even remember when Faith McKenney 
     
     was escorted by the RCMP. thr< ugh the 
     
     multitude of patrons and across tie race- 
     
     track to perform on the infiell stage. 
     
     One year she had to sing a rappella 
     
     because of rain. This talented lzdy gave 
     
     Islanders and tourists four decades of 
     
     uninterrupted and faithful servi‘e each 
     
     year on one of the biggest nights of the 
     
     year. Thank you, Faith McKenney for a 
     
     job well done. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     (EDP racing in the 1980s.