Pierre Rochette of La Malbaie, Quebec is the photographer for the September image in Standardbred Canada’s Heart of Harness Racing Calendar.

Pierre captured this action-packed photo at the Hippodrome De La Vallée Racetrack for the famous 5 Milles de Charlevoix, a five-mile, 10-lap harness racing tradition in the province of Quebec that is also considered Quebec’s oldest horse race.

The Hippodrome de la Vallée is located in Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs, in the heart of the Charlevoix tourist region, and is home to the historic 5 Milles race that previously took place at Hippodrome de Quebec.

Rochette, who hails from the Charlevoix region in Quebec, has made his way through life with a camera in his hand. Picking up a camera at the impressionable young age of 12, it has become his passion and an integral part of his daily life.

“It’s only a passion,” Rochette admits. “Photography is a passion for me, not for the money.”

Pierre is known throughout the Charlevoix region as a press photographer. He travels around the region to photograph news stories, events, and fundraising initiatives in the community, which is how he found himself at the Hippodrome de la Vallee to photograph the 5 Milles de Charlevoix.

Rochette has had photos from the 5 Milles de Charlevoix race published In the Heart of Harness Racing calendar on three previous occasions: in 2012, 2013, and 2015.

You can find photos and stories of Rochette’s work by visiting his press page.