In this week’s Rewind, Robert Smith recalls the role once played by newspaper columnists who covered harness racing in days gone by. He remembers one special gentleman who, at one time, penned many stories about events and personalities from our sport.

Way back in time, fans of harness racing often relied on local sports reporters to fill them in on all the behind-the-scenes happenings in the sport. Racing journals such as The Canadian Sportsman covered the results of big races, who was "hot" and who was "not,” and many other important matters, but the rest fell to local reporters who covered specific tracks.

One such person who filled that role admirably for many years was the late John Kinsella, known by everyone simply as “Jack.” For countless years, he covered all kinds of sports for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, and his column, "Kinsella’s Corner," was read and enjoyed by many. He often wrote about people in harness racing circles, especially those who frequented Connaught Park.

At the time of his passing in 2019, the following short piece appeared in the pages of his longtime home publication:

As a young man, Jack Kinsella nearly became a Catholic priest. Instead, he took to delivering sermons on the sports pages of the Ottawa Citizen, hearing confessions inside a two-point box, all the while wearing a bow tie and a dimpled smile.

Old columnists tend to bury each other, so after Kinsella died on the weekend, days shy of 98, we were flipping through his work—Kinsella’s Corner—to make him breathe again. In the 1950s and ’60s, in a city that was really an overgrown village, he was among a stable of sportswriters who were both corner gossips and parlour wits, carrying on a mob conversation in daily instalments.

I recently came across an interesting column from Mr. Kinsella that dates back to June of 1958. Not exactly recent news, but oddly enough, it had to do with a very well-known family whose members are still very active in the sport to this day.

If you’re familiar with the name FRITZ, stay tuned.

Based on his long-ago column, I’ve attempted to recreate Jack’s story. I did not copy his words (other than attributed quotes), but used his research to create a new, slightly different version of his original column.

MY VERSION

Connaught Park is now in its sixth year of hosting harness racing and has managed to assemble a very interesting population in its backstretch. A number of those currently stabled there have been here since the opening in 1953; others have trickled in through the succeeding years. Needless to say, each individual adds to the overall cast that puts on the racing show on a nightly basis.

One fellow who has made his presence known on the track also brings a special note to his bio, if you follow such things. Young William Fritz (he’s never gone by that moniker, as he’s familiarly known as Bud) has a singular distinction: he just happens to be a third-generation horseman, a fact that likely does not apply to anyone else in the current backstretch colony.

For starters, young Bud is just 23 years of age, born on July 15, 1935, in Hanover, Ontario. While he had his heart set on becoming a harness horse trainer and driver from day one, his father Elmer had other ideas.

“My dad wanted me to stay on the farm and manage things, but I wanted no part of it.”

As it worked out, his younger brother Larry wasn’t interested in the horses, so he agreed to take care of things while father and son were away with the horses.

The father might have known better, as his love of racing came naturally. Not only does Elmer enjoy working with pacers and trotters, but his own father does as well. He is still hale and hearty at 70, and part of the Connaught Park crew. (I believe Grandpa’s name may have been Alfred.) They are likely one of the few three-generation families active in the sport.

Although Bud unofficially started his career with horses at the age of 7, he didn’t get to drive in a race until he was 16.

“The only chance I got to drive was when Dad had two in the same race. I’d get one of them, and boy, would I try to beat him!”

It seems the senior Fritz (Elmer) was seldom beaten, and on those rare occasions when his plan failed, he reportedly explained it like this: in typical fatherly fashion, he would say that he could have won over his son if he had wanted to.

When Bud began driving at age 16, he started off with a bang.

“I won with Bette Abbe and later on the same program scored another victory behind Jack Grattan Jr.”

It was at a track near Barrie.

“Then I got real hot. I moved over to Elmira and won all three heats with Bette Abbe. One was the fastest heat of the day.”

Young Bud’s ambition and eagerness to progress in the sport around this time led him to break away from the family operation. Last season (1957), he accepted a job with Ottawa owner Joseph Smith, an assignment that took him to Blue Bonnets in Montreal. There, he enjoyed considerable success with Ben Direct and Champ Volo, two stalwart performers for the Smith outfit.

His new job was somewhat short-lived, as in July he had to return home. His father had to undergo a serious operation, and Bud was needed to keep the farm going. Ben Direct’s winning season continued in his absence, as Murray Waples took over and won several more races, including a stake race at Quebec City. He also took five of six at Batavia late in the season, also for Murray.

Fritz eventually returned to work for Joe Smith, but he had received an offer from Dr. Perrin of Brockville and eventually accepted. The job change brought him back to Connaught, where he was quite pleased with the new role and also began picking up drives from Hugh McBurney of Ottawa. It also reunited him with his father and grandfather.

From this point onward, as most longtime followers of the sport know, Bud carved out one of the most successful careers in the sport’s long history. He and his wife Ethel, both now deceased, raised a large family — four boys and five girls. Many of them have followed in their father’s footsteps with long careers of their own. The tradition now stretches into yet another generation, with stars such as Taylor Fritz, currently a very successful trainer.

Wm. “Bud” Fritz proudly displays the Pepsi North America Cup won in 1990 by Apaches Fame.

His trail of stars is a long one. Perhaps his most famous was Apaches Fame, winner of several top races including the Pepsi North America Cup, but there were scores more: A Worthy Lad, Silver Reign, Annie Ivy, Misty Silver, Tommys Becky, to name just a few.

The above photo shows Bud Fritz (with Ethel just behind him) winning at his home track of Hanover. He is joined by a number of their sons and daughters, as well as their future son-in-law Gregg McNair. (He’s the rather tall, good-looking guy near the middle of the group.)

Bud and Ethel Fritz (far left) are shown with Eileen O’Brien, widow of Joe O’Brien. They were attendees at the first-ever O’Brien Awards dinner, held in 1990 when Bud was honoured as Horseman of the Year.

Quote for the Week: “It seems I have spent a lifetime of mouthing mechanically, ‘Say thank you. Sit up straight. Use your napkin. Close your mouth when you chew. Don’t lean back in your chair.’ Just when I finally got my husband squared away, the kids came along.”  — Erma Bombeck

Who Is It?

Can you identify this young fellow in a photograph taken a few years ago?

Who Else Is It?

Can you identify this young lad? Let us know who you think he is.

(The correct answers will be posted here by Robert as a comment in a few days.)