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

SE SA Goi HT i f | | | } FER INI Lo A Hla tae nd i A FON Py BR EPR REA A Father, sons train horses (from page 3) penalized. "The penalties are severe. You could be sus- pended for life. And if this is your livelihood, that's some- thing you don't want, There have been life suspensions, so it's not as if it doesn't happen." Their father, Nelson, adds that the people that complain about races being fixed are the ones that have usually lost a big bet. "Weve been called crooked before, but it's usually said in anger. If they lose a bet, it's fixed. If they win, well they call that good picking." Rumors about drugs are also unfounded, Stu says. "Saliva; blood, and urine samples are taken from two horses from each race at the end of the night. But less than 100 in the whole year come back positive. "Sometimes they'll be fined if found to be using an illegal injectable drug. Or it can be anything up to a life suspension. One way or another it will be the trainer being fined, because the horse is in his care." The lowest fine is $200 and can be combined with a suspension. There -is also usually a hearing following the charge. "It's a vicious circle. On one side you have the management giving out lists 'of what drugs can and can't be used, while on the other - side the pharmaceuticals are cranking out all these new kinds of drugs. Manage- ment is continually changing the list. I don't think there's a driver around who knows it off by heart," Steve added. "There isn't a drug that will make a horse go faster. But if his potential is 2:03 and he's hurt, and can only go 2:07, they may use a drug to numb the pain, allowing him to reach his potential," Steve added. Both drivers like warm nights, fast tracks, and dry conditions for racing. "No driver likes the mud. The same with a horse. It's not that they like it more, it's just that they don't mind it as much. You just take what the weather gives you, 'and hope for the best," Steve said. Keep John Eakins. Working For You! ON MARCH 19th RE-ELECT JOHN EAKINS Victoria-Haliburton Liberal Association What makes a good driver? "It's judge of pace, light hands, aggressiveness, concentration, experience and a good horse. If I had to pick the most important, it would be the horse. I don't have that much experience, but give me a horse like Niatross, and I'd be hard to beat. You'd have to make a lot of mistakes to lose with him," Stu said. "It's also knowing when to move, or whether to move. Trying to gauge your horse, and seeing how much strength he has. It's constant, quick decisions. You don't have time to think. You just act, and react," Steve added. The yelling from the grandstand doesn't bother either of these drivers. In tact, they claim not to hear it most of the time. 'Sometimes certain things will bother you. It depends how you feel. If you've given a bad drive, and you know it, you don't like the reminder. But if you've had a good drive, and still came in fourth, the yelling bothers you, but only for a while," Stu claims, ""A lot of the time specta- tors. will yell something stupid because they're mad. But once in a while they'll come up with something 'witty that makes you laugh. Some guys get yelled at a lot. Doug Hie, for one. He's one of the better drivers and nothing anyonc says bothers him. He won't let it," Steve added. "Once you're behind the gates and it could be -30F and you wouldn't know it. The gates open and that's it. It's adrenalin, blood pump- ing, it's just pure excite- ment. Then at the end you'll realize your hands are frozen," Stu added. As for Niatross, the horse that set sulkey racing world records at 1:49:1, both drivers are in awe. "What can you say? That's the closest to a machine a horse can come. 1 didn't think they'd ever break the 1:50 barrier. He went out and did it," Stu said. "That horse has every- thing. God given speed, great style, and stride. But there is nothing behind first for him. If he doesn't win, people aren't going to ask where he placed. They'll wonder why he didn't come first," Steve added. The Cochranes race at five or six different tracks, but the majority of their races take place at Kawartha. "You have to start some- where, and Kawartha has been good to us. We don't have years of experience, but the guys here have given us their horses to race. I don't think we've ever turned down a race without a really good reason. We can't afford to do that. If it gets - around that you're being too selective, the trainers will just stop asking you to drive," Steve said. Sulkey racing is an expen- sive sport, costing an average of $2000 to equip a horse to go on the track. "Horses cost an average of $5000. You've also got your harness, bikes, and feed. Plus your own equipment, such as helmet, uniform, is just right for you. sun " cn Vig he: ay eA You provide the labour... ~~ We provide the know-how. ~Sg « With the high cost of buying these days, building your own home is about the best investment you can make. ¢ Pictured above is just one of 12 beautiful Canadiana designs from y our affordable Home Plan Book. o All plans were created with the Canadian climate in mind, and one gloves and boots. Every- thing has gone up in price. A horses bit was advertised a few years back at $2, now it's more like $30," Steve said. 'Purses have gone up too, but not on a par with expen- ses. Ninety-seven percent of the horses involved don't make money. Only about 3 percent ever show a profit. It's not that bad for us because we do our own work, and don't have to hire a trainer," Stu added. Both drivers say you can't make a living from driving alone. "To make money driving you'd have to go to the States. 1 don't know of anyone who just catch drives. They all own or train other horses," Stu added. There's also an advantage to training and driving the same horse. "You know how he's trained, what his potential is, and how to handle it. It's a lot easier that way," Stu explained. Race interference is very rarely done on purpose. "Ive been interfered with, and interfered with other drivers. But as far as I know, none of it was done on purpose. accidental. "I guess if a guy gets mad enough he could do some- thing, but that's pure stupid- ity. It could injure a whole field of horses and drivers; Stu said. Sometimes there will be a surprise breathalizer test at the start of a racing night. All drivers must take it, and if caught are taken out of the evening races. "He is also fined. And if <dvy ¢ Our expert advice is as close as our front door. We will supply all the materials and service you'll need, at competitive prices, to make your dream home a reality. It's usually just _ PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, March 4, 1981 -- 7 caught a second time, he'll be suspended," Stu said. Steve believes even one drink impairs a driver's judgement. "I've seen guys go out and drive with more than one, but for me it's like being tired. You're not as sharp as you should be," he said. Steve, who graduated from Waterloo's Bachelor of Arts honours recreation program would like to become "independently wealthy." "I just want to stay in the sport, and hopefully improve more each season," he said. For Stu, it's his own stables, and a career in catch driving. "I guess everyone would like to become big, and go to the States, and some have done that. It would also be nice to have a horse that made $50,000 for a couple of seasons. Everyone would like that kind of money, but you have to look at reality. That type of drama doesn't come easily." pe DINNER & DANCE Saturday, March 14th, 1981 GOOD RECORDED MUSIC BY Pete & Bill Reservations & Couples Only. $15. per Couple Phone 985-3281 Reserve Now For this Fun Night! BOOK 0 PLEASE MAIL |. I MEACOPY / To get your copy, complete the coupon below and mail it to us along with $1.50 including postage and NAME LAKE SCUGOG LUMBER CO. LTD. 11 Vanedward Drive, Port Perry, Ontario PHONE 985-7391 0 PORT FERRY LATARN 1SWATER STREET 985-3281 ADDRESS ___ CIty ___ POSTAL CODE ____ TEL. "tp 1 EE BR Sy i handling...or pick up a copy at our centre. Cy 3 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1/1}