While undefeated pacing colt Beau Jangles took his cross-border connections on a ride of a lifetime in 2025, it was driver Bob McClure who had the best seat of all.

"Looking back, I'm very grateful to be the one behind him right now, but I'm sure 10 years down the road as time passes I'll become more and more grateful as the memories deepen. It was a fun ride and hopefully we can go for an encore [this] year," said McClure after Canada's 2025 Horse of the Year also collected divisional honours stateside along with the titles of U.S. Pacer of the Year and U.S. Horse of the Year at the United States Harness Writers Association’s Dan Patch Awards banquet on Sunday, Feb. 22 in Orlando, Florida.

Bred by Tara Hills Stud Ltd. of Port Perry, Ont., the multiple award-winning Cattlewash-Mrs Major Hill colt was based in Canada and campaigned by Hall of Fame trainer Dr. Ian Moore with McClure in the bike for his 12-for-12 rookie season, including a 1:48.3 victory in the Grade 1 Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park, making him the fastest two-year-old ever in Canada. He earned more than $1.68 million for his American ownership group comprised of Graham Grace Stables, Kiwi Stables and Bolton Stables.

With his undeniable talent and captivating performances, Beau Jangles united the world of harness racing as he became the first Ontario-sired two-year-old to be named the U.S. Horse of the Year, and did it without setting foot south of the 49th parallel.

"I think it wasn't just the fact that he was winning, it was the way he was winning," said the 35-year-old Rockwood, Ont. reinsman when asked about his unwavering confidence in the star rookie. "He didn't win races by five, six lengths but he seemed to get such a kick out of letting horses get just close enough to make it a horse race. And what people don't see in the mile was the fact that I had a hard time pulling him up a lot of times. Even the races he won by half a length, I felt like he was drawing away at the wire and I never had any real concern. And then you get into the first turn after the race and he wants to go around again. 

"His depth, his character, his class, his maturity, he just made it so easy to drive him. And even if I did push him harder than I wanted to or the trip didn't work perfectly -- you know, three-wide in the Metro in the first turn -- he never gave you a feeling like he couldn't overcome whatever was thrown at him."

In this interview with Standardbred Canada's John Rallis, McClure discussed being at the right place at the right time to pick up the drive on Beau Jangles at the start of the season and the pressure of driving an undefeated two-year-old as the year progressed. He also discussed his change in plans to hit the road with what he describes as "a once in a lifetime horse" who has shown the potential to live up to comparisons to harness racing's greatest of all-time.

(Standardbred Canada)