After an accident in the summer of 2017 left him nearly paralyzed, former driver Stephane Bouchard will return to the harness racing world but employed in a new capacity.

Bouchard has signed an agreement to serve as a U.S. Trotting Association ID Technician, covering the upstate New York and New England territories, areas that were previously serviced by Keith Hamilton for 43 years. After he receives training in late February, Bouchard is expected to be fully operational on or about March 1, 2018.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, who now resides in Malta, N.Y., near Saratoga Springs, Bouchard had a very successful driving career and also served on the USTA Board of Directors representing District 8-A for three years starting in 2009.

Bouchard’s first experience with horses was at age 10 when he followed in his father’s footsteps as a barrel racer in Canada.

His introduction to harness racing, while he was a college student at St-Hubert, came as a regular attendee of the races at Hippodrome Blue Bonnets in Montreal. It was there that he approached trainer Pierre Touchette to ask for his first job in harness racing.

After working for Touchette and later Jean-Paul Gauthier, he was first licensed to drive in 1989 when he got his career off to a fast start by winning 28 of 101 races and recording a .404 UDR in his rookie year.

During his career, Bouchard drove in Canada, Italy and Germany, but came into prominence when he moved to New York and was a top driver at Yonkers and Monticello Raceways.

Among his career highlights that included 8,589 trips to the winner’s circle and more than $75 million in purse earnings, Bouchard was the leading driver in North America with 656 wins in 2003. Also, in 2000, Bouchard was named the recipient of the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Rising Star Award and in 2001, he won the Harness Tracks of America’s Driver of the Year Award.

Bouchard retired from driving after suffering a significant neck injury in a racing accident at Saratoga Casino Hotel on June 22, 2017.

For ID technician services in the upstate New York and New England area, Bouchard can be contacted by calling 914.656.0869.

(USTA)