In the last few years, Heather Reese-Marshall has put her hands on so many harness racing champions that it is hard to believe that she is just one person. 

The ‘hands-on’ general manager of Crawford Farms, Reese-Marshall enjoyed a grand slam of over-achievers this season. Not only did she help deliver and raise Hambletonian champion Karl and Kentucky Futurity winner Sig Sauer, but she also had a hand in the health and well-being of New York Sire Stakes champions Howlenthehills and The Last Martini.

Despite all of the pressure to bring these high-powered yearlings to the auction ring, she is always pleasant and professional, and never gets rattled. The late U.S. Hall of Fame Communicator Dave Brower used to call her "The General" for her sharp Standardbred acumen and unflappable demeanor.

Born in Rome, New York, about 20 minutes from Vernon Downs, the 36-year-old dynamo is a third generation horseperson on both sides of her family. Both of her grandfathers raced harness horses, as did her father.  In fact, her mother met her father at Vernon Downs when she came down from Canada with horses for Maurice Brooks.

While Reese-Marshall’s first job was riding polo ponies, she used to paddock horses at Vernon while still in high school. After that, she attended Morrisville College for a semester. During Christmas break, she landed a job at Crawford Farms, which at the time was managed by the late Jim Crawford Sr. Fifteen years later, she is still working with the Crawford family and is an invaluable part of the team.

“I still clean stalls almost every day,” she said with a chuckle. “Most people would say and think that’s crazy. But it’s such a mindless thing, I find it relaxing.”

Reese-Marshall is truly hands-on with all aspects of the farm, because if she is not foaling or breeding mares, she is raising and sale prepping the babies.

“I even get some of the racehorses back during their vacations,” she happily recalled. “That’s probably the best part for me -- I truly get to see them from start to finish.”

When asked about the most rewarding part of her job at Crawford Farms, she said without hesitation, “To watch horses like Karl, Sig Sauer and Ramona Hill is a dream come true. To know I was there when they were born, and watched them walk across the sale stage, and then to go on to win races like the Hambo and the Breeders Crown…it’s what we all work so hard for every day.”

So what is a ‘day in the life’ of Heather Reese-Marshall like? Of course, that depends upon the season, she explained. 

“During breeding season, my husband [Chad] and I foal out every mare. So the day sometimes starts (or ends) in the middle of the night. But a usual day would be feeding, treating sick horses or healing wounds, scheduling which horses come in, stay in or get turned out. Then its palpating mares, ordering semen, cleaning stalls, working with the vet, checking over new foals, bringing horses in, feeding again. Of course, we breed mares on specific days of the week too.” 

She concluded, “If we are lucky, sometimes we actually get to sleep! And then we do it all over again the next day!

“Yearling season is a bit more structured, since there is actually a designated time for sleeping,” shed quipped. “Basically, we feed in the morning, horses are turned out for the day, or brought in from being out all night. They go on the exercise wheel and then are groomed and/or bathed. Then we feed dinner to the yearlings and feed everything that lives outside. We finish the day by turning out the ones scheduled for overnight turnout.”

While raising champion racehorses is a lot of hard work, getting that opportunity is something Reese-Marshall is very grateful for. 

“If it wasn’t for the Crawfords, I wouldn’t be where I am now. They took a risk hiring someone so young with absolutely no management experience. They’ve provided me with the horse flesh to be able to put out the champions we have.”

The feeling is mutual, said farm owner Michelle Crawford, “Heather is my everything!

“She has made such a significant impact on our success at Crawford Farms over the last 15 years. I am so proud of her. Heather came to the farm filled with bright ideas and huge ambition that has progressed today into developing Hambletonian winners and Dan Patch champions. Her knowledge of breeding, foaling, yearling prep and just overall horse health and care is second to none. She doesn’t know the end of a day and is irreplaceable to me and is a main reason we are the New York Breeder of the Year! We couldn’t do it without her,” exclaimed Crawford.

Reese-Marshall credits her husband, Chad Marshall, with providing the support system she needs to keep up her torrid pace.  

“He’s there for just about every foaling, no matter how little sleep he’s gotten. It’s a running joke around the farm about how he’s out here building stalls for horses he doesn’t even like. Whether I need a reminder to maybe stop and take a nap, or ‘Hey, you can’t live on coffee and Mountain Dew for six months of the year.’ Or sometimes it’s just a much-needed kick in the butt when I’ve had a rough week…he is always there.”

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring horsewomen and farm managers who look up to her, she stated unequivocally, “Be prepared to work hard.

"You have to earn your respect in this business. Nothing just gets handed over for free. Be open minded, no matter what it’s about. You can learn something new every day. Being kind and respectful gets you a long ways!”

Perhaps flying under the radar in her role raising these champions, Reese-Marshall will be in the spotlight as the recipient of the United States Harness Writers Association Monticello-Goshen Chapter’s Good ‘Gal’ Award at the annual awards banquet, presented by the New York Sire Stakes, on Sunday, Dec. 8 in Campbell Hall, New York.

(With files from United States Harness Writers Association)