Adam's Elixir

Published: September 27, 2008 03:04 am EDT

If racing seeks a solitary cure for all that ails it, I have the answer.

Well, kind of. There is, of course, no magical, quick fix to turning the ship around. But, I have a poetic diatribe about one of the key ingredients — a little something which we all can (and should) contribute.

Let’s call it Adam’s Elixir.

Most of you don’t know Adam Mauntah. He’s a smart, mild-mannered lawyer (yes, really) from Ottawa, ON. I met Adam in July when he was a finalist in Grand River Raceway’s Announcer Contest. He may be an aspiring race caller, but he is first and foremost a fan. A big one (in spirit, not stature …. I mean he’s average size … anyway …). When he talks about harness racing, he gets that proverbial glow about him that people often associate with pregnant women (who aren’t wrenching sick).

He gets a spring in his step, and a smile that spans his face. The guy just loves the races: loves to watch them, loves to talk about them, loves to play them. He’s a living, breathing testimonial for the sizzle that sells an entertainment product like ours.

Tomorrow, Adam will make a seven-hour trek to Wallacetown to call six races at the Wallacetown Fair. (That’s about 700 kilometers, for those of you counting at home.) His gas expenses will likely be higher than the total purses on the card, and his payment at the end of the day will be little more than a hotdog and a bag of cotton candy. He was hired yesterday via email and cleared his schedule to make it happen. But he’s tickled to death about it. He’s jumping out of his skin with jubilance, in fact, and THAT is the key ingredient in Adam’s Elixir.

Enthusiasm. If you don’t have any now, you probably once did at the start of your association with harness racing. If that’s the case, you need to find a way to rejuvenate it. I believe enthusiasm can move mountains, and Lord knows racing has some big, and poorly positioned rocks. It’s never too late to refresh your enthusiasm for harness racing — it’s a beautiful, vibrant industry that offers plenty of reasons to get enthused. You just have to drink it up.

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