Six-time Olympian turned harness racing owner and breeder Mary Hanna tasted success last Friday night when her mare Heavensville took out the Pryde’s Easifeed Maiden Pace at Melton Entertainment Park in Australia.

Hanna represented Australia in the equestrian discipline of dressage at every Olympics from Atlanta 1996 to Tokyo 2021 and has her sights set on this year’s Paris Games.

At the 2016 Games in Rio, Hanna became the oldest athlete on the Australian Olympic Team as well as the oldest competing Olympic Equestrian rider.

The now 69-year-old combined with good friend and fellow owner Emmanuel Baldacchino to breed four-year-old mare Heavensville, who broke through at career start 11.

“My good friend Emmanuel Baldacchino, he has been breeding trotters for many years now,” said Hanna. “We owned the mother of Heavensville together and bred Heavensville.”

Heavensville’s dam, Heavenly Shadow, managed only four starts before retiring.

“We bred racehorses and trotters, but trotters were his first love. He has always been a big supporter of mine. It was because of Emmanuel and his love of harness racing, that’s how I got involved,” said Hanna.

Heavensville debuted at Maryborough in December 2022 and had managed two placings before her breakthrough success on Friday.

“It was very good [to see her win]; we have had a number of disappointments with her because she has had a bit of a difficult time,” said Hanna. “She got quite unwell at some point after a race at Bendigo… it knocked her back quite a bit.

“We decided to take her back and go quite slowly. We think she is back in good form and we will see what’s in store for her next.

“Emmanuel and I are never in a hurry with any of our horses. My views are a bit different to most horsepeople. I am happy for the horse to take its time and mature.”

Success as an owner and breeder hasn’t persuaded Hanna to make the shift becoming a harness racing driver.

“I was allowed to drive a trotter once, but I was terrified. I don’t like sitting behind a horse, I like to sit on top of the horse,” she said.

“I also find it very interesting to watch. It’s a strange thing because it is quiet foreign to what I’m used to doing with horses.”

(Harness Racing Victoria)