' jg; essey 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 2002, within a week at the C.D.P., two 
     
     incidents illustrated an important lesson. 
     
     First, a two year—old filly while jogging 
     
     suddenly began to kick and dislodged an 
     
     experienced horseman from the cart. 
     
     The filly rushed through the open gate to 
     
     the barn area narrowly missing a number 
     
     of people but she was caught before any— 
     
     one was injured. Second, a very similar 
     
     scenario except this time, a driver ended 
     
     up in the hOSpital with broken ribs and 
     
     extensive equipment damage. Both inci— 
     
     dents happened to experienced drivers 
     
     and could have happened to any driver 
     
     but they illustrated something that had 
     
     changed around some tracks. Jody 
     
     explained, “When I started out, you did- 
     
     n’t go on the racetrack with a horse after 
     
     you were here for a week or two. When 
     
     I was 14 or 15, I could only get on the 
     
     track at certain times and with certain 
     
     horses that were good mannered. At that 
     
     time, we were involved with horses for 
     
     10 or 12 years before we got our driver’s 
     
     licence. Now they don’t have to clean 
     
     stalls, clean harness, walk horses or do 
     
     the things that beginners used to do. The 
     
     best athletes in any sport are the ones 
     
     that start at the bottom and work them— 
     
     selves up the ladder.” 
     
    
   
   
    
     A positive change for jody in the industry 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     was the fact that the equipment was 
     
     lighter and more efficient. For example, 
     
     the quick-hitch is the equipment around 
     
     the horse’s torso that is used to connect 
     
     the shafts of the bike to the horse. Jody 
     
     explained, “There is no tie—down to it. 
     
     You don’t have your horse tied in. There 
     
     is more movement so the horse is freer 
     
     between the shafts. All the equipment is 
     
     lighter including the bikes. Now you can 
     
     pick them up with one hand." 
     
    
   
   
    
     With all the positive improvements in 
     
     equipment, nutrition, track maintenance 
     
     and surface, breeding, etc. resulting in 
     
     1:51 miles in the Atlantic provinces, I 
     
     asked jody how our best horses of the 
     
     past like Andy’s Son, Winners Accolade 
     
     or Mtg/9r)» Lee would perform under 2008 
     
     conditions. He answered without hesita- 
     
     tion, “If there were a top class this 
     
     Saturday night, those three horses would 
     
     be there with the best we have today 
     
     even though horses today are bred and 
     
     trained for speed, not for endurance." 
     
    
   
   
    
     One aspect of the game that this knowl— 
     
     edgeable horseman did not want to see 
     
     disappear was the small or half—mile race- 
     
     track. He liked the half-mile tracks 
     
     because he believed they were best for 
     
     the public. The fans are much closer to 
     
    
   
   
    
     “When I ma/ee a decision to commit myself during a race, 
     
     I can’t ta/ee it bac/e. It is a split second decision 
     
     when to move a horse during a race.” 
     
    
   
   
    
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