was jogging horses by age 14. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Elmer C was the first horse to make an 
     
     impression on Earl. His father was look— 
     
     ing after him for Bobby Campbell. He 
     
     turned out to be a heck of a good horse 
     
     going on to race in Toronto. Earl who 
     
     was 14 remembered Elmer C as hot head- 
     
     ed and difficult to gait but Alan got him 
     
     going properly. Earl drove this horse on 
     
     his father's knees. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Earl first learned about horses and racing 
     
     from his father and grand father, George 
     
     Smith, an accomplished blacksmith. He 
     
     picked up many shoeing tricks from 
     
     George. At 16, this youngster went to 
     
     work for his uncle Emmett Bernard 
     
     where for two years he gained experi- 
     
     ence and knowledge. At this stage, he 
     
     was receiving valuable tips from Walter 
     
     Craig, Bobby Craig, Joe Hennessey and 
     
     other quality horsemen at the Charlotte- 
     
     town Driving Park. 
     
    
   
   
    
     At age 18, Earl made a very important 
     
     decision. He went to work for Bobby 
     
     Campbell in Wiltshire for one winter. 
     
     The following spring he moved to the 
     
     GDP. and opened a public stable. Some 
     
     of Earl's first boarders were Bonny Broo/e 
     
     C for Bobby Campbell, Cart/9’s Best for 
     
     Bob Dawson, Countess Alice, Evangel 
     
     and fame! M for Dr. Preston MacIntyre. 
     
    
   
   
    
     He drove Bonny Broo/e C at the C.D.P. in 
     
     an early—closer and this race was his first 
     
     official drive. It was in the spring and 
     
     there was a big field of horses in this race 
     
    
   
   
    
     124 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     and his mare pulled a ton. He finished 
     
     fourth after being hopelessly caught in 
     
     with her. An annoyed judge called and 
     
     reprimanded Earl. It was an inauspicious 
     
     beginning to what would develop into a 
     
     very satisfying career. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Gartb’s Best was to be this teamster's first 
     
     official winner. The race went in 2:11 at 
     
     the Summerside Raceway. Earl remem— 
     
     bered Gartb’s Best as a smart old horse 
     
     who could almost drive himself. Earl 
     
     eventually accumulated over 2,400 victo— 
     
     ries. For a number of years he concen- 
     
     trated on colts and fillies and he raced 
     
     infrequently during the winter months. 
     
     Earl's fastest recorded win was in 1253.4 
     
     with Pownal Bay Matt. ' h I ' 
     
    
   
   
    
     He described some of his most memo- 
     
     rable horses in the following manner. 
     
     Arrive At Five 1:50.1 was purchased and 
     
     owned by Earl. After breaking him, he 
     
     won handily in 2:00 as a freshman colt. 
     
     He was an exceptional horse that loved 
     
     doing what he was doing. Earl never 
     
     dreamed that he was a 1:50 horse. Arrive 
     
     At Five made nearly $1 million in earn- 
     
     ings for his new owners. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Grampy’s Winner was an excellent horse 
     
     that you could race on the front, behind, 
     
     on the outside or you could tuck him in. 
     
     You didn't have to carry a racetrack with 
     
     him. He earned $100,000 racing in the 
     
     Maritimes for Ron MacDonald and went 
     
     on to take a mark of 1:55 at Mohawk. 
     
     His full brother, Grumpy/s Accolade was 
     
     very similar and went on to take a mark 
     
     Of1:52.3.