Think back and try to remember what you were doing during your first official week as a Grade 7 student. Chances are you probably weren’t up in an announcer’s booth calling races at your local Standardbred track. Although the scenario seems a bit far fetched, that’s exactly what one lucky twelve-year-old was doing this past weekend.

As an article by The Daily Gleaner explains, the Grade 7 student in question is Grady Hachey, a keen racegoer that sat high above the exhibition races that took place this past Saturday (September 9) at Fredericton Raceway in New Brunswick.

The special program of racing was not a sanctioned race card by the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission. The one-time program was considered a ‘matinee’ or ‘exhibition’ card of racing. Therefore, the program was not officiated by the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission, and entries, results, racelines, times, and money distributed was not recorded by Standardbred Canada.

That all being said, Hachey looked through the binoculars, saw horses gunning for the wire, and made calls, regardless of the official designation that was placed on the afternoon festivities.

Grady Hachey, pictured in the announcer’s booth at Fredericton Raceway on Saturday, September 9, 2017 (Image courtesy The Daily Gleaner)

Hachey called some of the races in 2016. He jumped at the opportunity when it came around again this year. One of the races that Hachey announced on Saturday saw a teenage reinsman close hard in the lane and split horses late for a thrilling victory.

“I really enjoyed that one,” Hachey said. “I thought it was much better than last year... I was much quicker to what I was saying. It was just really fun to be able to do it. To see him come up and split between those horses, that was a very interesting race. I’m glad I had the chance to call it.”

Grady caught the harness racing bug some years ago after his father, Scott, exposed him to the races. Grady was given the opportunity to see many facets of the industry, not just from the perspective of the grandstand and apron. Via a family friend, Grady has been able to muck some stalls and jog a horse. Throw announcing into the equation and the 12-year-old has gotten a relatively well-rounded view of racing for someone his age.

“If I could make driving the horses or announcing the horses, that would be a wonderful career that I would like to have,” Grady said.

(With files from The Daily Gleaner)