The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ro | 1 i ~---occupation.-- ----~ Cochrane's have trained horses for 3 generations by Diane Spurrell Horse sense has been part of the Cochrane family makeup for at least three generations. Nelson Cochrane, of Port Perry, and his father, both owned and trained horses, as well as showing them at fairs around the province. - Now his sons, Steve, 26, and Stuart, 21, are up and. coming sulkey drivers at Kawartha Downs, in Peter- borough. 2 z Steve has been training horses for about five years, while his brother has been involved for close to ten. Both started driving in 1978. "You have to be 19 to obtain your driving license, but before that you have to meet a list of qualifications, First you have to hold a groom's license for two years, and then a trainer's license for two more," Steve explained. : "Qualifying - for your licence itself involves a written test, and physical exam. After that you have to drive ten good qualifying runs to prove to the CTA (Canadian Trotting Associa- tion) that you're good enough to qualify," Stu added. Both have decided to make horse racing their lifes father. He was known for trotters, and I guess it just rubbed off," he said. There are more pacers than trotters in sulkey racing simply .because they are easier to develop, so more people lean towards them, "I, myself, like trotters better. You feel more at ease driving them because they have a better gait," Stu said. Both drivers agree that the sport could be classified as being cruel to the horse, but not 80 much that it should be banned. 'Maybe using the whip hurts a bit for a while, and they might be hit harder than they should be at times. But they're hit because 'they're not running to their potential. If the whip did hurt them too much you can bet the management would step in and disallow its use," ° Stu said. His brother agrees, but adds that the brunt of it takes place away from the public eye. abused. I've seen them hit when they shouldn't be. But there is also the cruelty of not feeding.or training them properly. Or if they do something wrong in the barn -they'll be hit. . It's more _ "Some of my: friend wonder why I do it. Sure it isn't as aggressive as foot- ball, or hockey, but it's an art. There's a great techni- que to driving. You don't, just get up behind the horse, and pull the harness." "I.plan to stay in this for life, unless something unfor- seen happens. Training and grooming horses is fine. But driving is where it's at. If I make a lot of money it will just go right back into the business," Stu added. Stu owns a trotter, and his brother owns two. "The reason they're trotters is because of our Township of Scugog Port Cleaners Port Perry Star Port Custom Frames Modern Textiles Mar-Laine Handcraft Boutique Kelly, Jermyn, Zuly, Matthews Guardian Drugs Luke's Country Store Pearse Jewellers Mersco 5¢to $1. Store Pattersons of Port Emmerson Insurance Irwin Smith Music Dor-Jean Fashions Settlement House Levinson's Ory Goods Home Hardware Eleanor's Flowers Galley Fish & Chips D. Muir Walter Kerry Doug Young Wm. Stephens, J. Houthuys Bank of Commerce > behind the scenes. That's because there are fines for abuse in front of the public." Steve says that there are judges at the track to ensure that the horses are not abused and not hit where they can be cut by the whip. "But I think the worst possible abuse is in the lack of care in training, and then expecting them to run forty races in the season." As for the sport being dangerous to the drivers, both believe it to be quite safe. | "It's fine as long as every- one uses their heads. And it's much safer, driverwise, "People tend to be cruel, : ' and I do think the horses are than thoroughbred racing. I, myself, have been injured twice. But that is out of over 700 races. Stu has never been injured," Steve said. "The more times you get up behind a horse, the great- er your chances of injury. It's just an accepted part of the sport," he added. According to the Coch- ranes, no fixing of races goes on at Kawartha. "You'll hear someone say a certain horse should win this race because he trained well, and felt good that week, but as far as being approach- ed to lay back in a race, I've never heard of it," Steve 'said. Stu added that if they were ever caught they would be (Turn to page 7) GRADUATION At the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountant's annual convocation cere- monies held Feb. 14th at Toronto Harbour Castle Hilton, Brent Heard received his C.A. certificate. Brent, formerly of Prince Albert, passed qualifying exams in 1979 and completed the required term of practical experience in 1980. He is presently employed with Deloitte Haskins and Sells at their Scarborough office. To Everyone Who -- Made the Recent Fund Raising Drive for the Band Trip to B.C. a Financial Success! Bill Johnson John & Beryl Pearce - Port Perry Auto Ingredients Unlimited Brook's Feed Store Pentland Jewellery House of Howard Cold Cut Centre Richard's Beauty Studio Becker - Queen St. Bruton's Drug Store Hank's Bakery Royal Bank McDermott-Panabaker Beare Chev-Olds IGA Windcrest Farms Railroadhouse Motel Book Worm Port Perry Printing Fleiler's B.P, Homestead Furniture Peterborough Lumber Dowson's Red & White Canadian Tire Bank of Montreal Stedmans Port Perry Pet Shop Car Wash - Laundromat B.J. Doughnut Shop Gregory's Men's Wear Johnson Ceramics Hair Centre Williams' Gun Shop Gord Lewis Motors Sportsland Port Perry Rent-All Willy & Son Repairs Town Hall 1873 Brock's Dept. Store Port Perry Dairy Bar Wayne's Auto Parts Crandell's Riverboat Vachon Inc. Philp Pontiac Buick Port Perry Florists Ralph Taylor B.P. Ira Carr Construction Siebarth Auto Body Lake Scugog Lumber Kellett's Variety Durham Board of Education Hugh Baird PORT HIGH BAND PARENTS' ASSOCIATION Howard Hall, Pres.; Emme Burnet, Sec.; Tom Mullen, Tres. PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, March 4, 1981 -- 3 Don't close school (From page 1) structuring when a commun- ity is prepared to come to the aid of an indigenous school," the report states. The report also says that committee members did a house-to-house survey of the Epsom area, and found that in some cases new families had not been informed that the school exists. The report says thee has been 'poor communica- tions" between the Board of Education and the commun- ° ity in general, and this has been once of the reasons why the school population has been low. "There does not seem to be a lack of student support for the school, but rather a poor organization of student allo- cation," says the report. Although the Board of Ed- ucation took no action when the report was presented at the meeting February 23, it will be studied by commit- tees dealing with property, transportation and financial - matters. Mrs. Evans said she ex- cts it will be several weeks efore the Board takes act- ion one way or another on the report. The position taken by the Board last August was. that there be no changes during the school year 1980-81, but a further review should be taken in November of this year. Mrs. Evans said that as part of the work done by the committee to prepare the report, a questionnaire was sent to 300 families in Epsom and surrounding areas. The committee received 160 replies, with 121 or 76 per cent favouring a change in bus routes and the school staying open; while another 31 or 19 per cent supported the school staying open with- out a change in the bus routes. Ruby Lou - Charles Carroll Sandals Greb - Tender Tootsie - Clarks Skirts ~ Style-Rite SWEATERS Barbara Sue - Mr. Love Affractions For MEN'S JARMAN OXFORDS Leather Sole - Black or Brown $49.95 MEN'S SUEDE OXFORDS Rubber Soles ARROW SHIRTS... $18.00 * MEN'S DEACON BROS. JACKETS Plaid ... $29.95 Beige ... $39.95- $45.00 PPR SP SP CPP SP SP SP WY SP Sp Wp SPY Vp SPY SY Sp SG Vp a" AW. BROCK DEPARTMENT STORE QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY (Merchandise Not Exactly as Illustrated.) <>