I have arrived in Finland and the trip has already produced an awesome moment or maybe couple of hours
. When Steph and I made our connection in Germany we got on the plane and who was there sitting next to us but the Maple Leaf brass themselves - Brian Burke and Dave Nonis!
What a thrill to sit and talk with those guys about hockey, horse racing and more hockey. I got a picture taken at the top of the ramp just in case no one would believe me. They are here in Finland to sign a player, but Brian told me not to say who in case it didn't work out. So, just between you and me it's not a forward or a defenseman. GO LEAFS GO!!!!!!!!!!
Well the first day of racing was not very good. You could also say it was downright rotten! The first horse, a Striking Sahbra filly, didn't like how I had her positioned in a vault start and went absolutely wild and nearly pulled me in two. I was scratched in the next, probably because of what the people saw form my first performance, and then had the rail in the big race - the Prix D'ETAIN ROYAL. The purse was 162000 euro and I was a disqualified seventh, whatever that means! The best mount of the day (by all accounts) was Oliver Twist in another vault start, and I got him away cleanly but soon disaster struck as he was off stride around the turn and could never make up any ground on the half-mile track where we went 3100 meters, which is approximately one and a half miles!
Fortunately I still had another drive in the ninth race and I managed to keep an Andover Hall horse named Anthony, trotting for the entire race which I would have thought would have been met by cheers and clapping upon returning to the paddock area but all I got was a nice pat on the back from his trainer who thought I did a fantastic job. That was really all I needed today as my lip was dragging on the ground... and to think that I at least made his day was great to know. Interestingly, the mother of this horse (Chippen) a Meadowbranch Chip mare, was second at this same track (Seinajoki) in the World Driving Championship division and I was also the driver on that day almost nine years ago!
Tomorrow has me traveling to the Tango city of Tampere for a horse expo, and then on to Turku for the races there tomorrow night.