Seeley Spreading Sunshine

Although many people consider horse racing to consist of a mostly older male population, there is certainly a rising youth movement in the business - as evidenced by Sunday's Sun Media Sunshine Girl

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On Sunday, 22-year-old Brenna Seeley of Guelph, Ont. graced the pages of the Toronto Sun as well as the daily newspaper's website, touting a desired career in harness racing.

"I lived most of my life in the small town of Bewdley near Kawartha Downs. I always had horses but only for pleasure, I was never involved in harness racing," Seeley told Trot Insider. "Three years ago I started working at Kawartha and that's where I met my current boyfriend, blacksmith/driver Tomas Dalborg."

Seeley and Dalborg eventually made the trek from the Peterborough area to Mohawk Racetrack, where Seeley eventually found employment in the stable of one of Dalborg's fellow compatriots.

"Lucky for me, Tomas also had a connection to another Swede in this area who would turn out to be a huge help to me - Susie Kerwood. She hired me in the winter of 2006 and taught me everything about being a groom," said Seeley. "She gave me the opportunity to learn about harness racing, be involved with harness racing, and fall in love with harness racing."

That falling in love with the sport has come despite not achieving the desired success as quickly as hoped.

"Since then Tomas and I have had a lot of changes. Last summer we decided to buy several horses and try to make of go of this on our own. But we learned quickly the highs and the lows of this sometimes unstable business," quipped Seeley. "After a few successes and a few more failures we've decided to make a plan. The plan is, work hard, save, buy a farm, and try to give the horses another go. It's what we love."

In order to raise that necessary capital, Seeley also works at one of the world's most famous restuarants.

"So, I thought a great way to make some cash would be to apply for a job at Hooters at the Toronto Airport, and Tomas began to shoe full-time again," noted Seeley. I work everyday in the crowded city and tell my story of my dream to all my customers. Everyone knows me as 'the horse girl'."

It was there at Hooters that Seeley was discovered and eventually made her way to the pages of the Toronto Sun.

"As I'm sure you guessed it's through Hooters that I met a photographer who wanted me to be a Sunshine girl. It's amazing how things can change so quickly," beamed Seeley. "One moment you're cleaning stalls and the next you're doing a photo shoot. The thing is, people would never believe which one I prefer!"

The well-grounded and enthusiastic groom-turned-model has clearly not let the fame of Sunshine stardom go to her head.

"Everyone has a dream, and everyone needs a plan. So though we may only have two horses now, the desire is still there stronger than ever. We are young and we know that you can't have everything you want right when you want it. So we are patient. We do what we can to make our goal come sooner."

To view Brenna's Sunshine Girl photo shoot, click here.