How pint-sized grassroots racing has made a huge splash.

Story by Norm Borg / Photography by James Park

If you’re not racing for purses, you may as well be having a good time. Back in the days of my youth -- many discarded tickets ago-- I distinctly remember pony racing getting its fair share of publicity in industry journals. Much of the racing activity was in the cottage enclave of Huron County Ontario. In fact, next to Sarnia’s Hiawatha Horse Park, there remains a faded billboard on the grounds of what used to be a pony harness racetrack.

Fast forward nearly 50 years, and this outcross of harness racing is enjoying a comeback. Pony racing thrives not only in parts of Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, but also 90 minutes outside Ottawa in the harmoniously bicultural town of Alfred. It’s there that a 5/16ths mile track has been carved out of the beautiful family campground known as Cedar Shade.

On the day I arrive with photographer James Park, it’s the inaugural event. Campers emerge from their mobile homes and make their way with quickening steps towards the oval to bask in the sun. They’re on their way to watch “Les courses des Pony.”

At trackside, there is a montage of pre-race activity not unlike that at any other paddock in North America. It’s just much... smaller. Smaller horses. Smaller sulkies. Smaller harnesses. I see tiny knee boots and hopples set as close as 40 inches. The paddock stalls are no more than cross ties strung between adjoining trailers. The only thing that clearly isn’t pint-sized is the love for this miniature sport shared by its participants -- many of whom have long since tasted success on the heavy weight standardbred scene.

A gentleman, shoulders wider than those of the ponies we’re here to see, extends his hand towards me. “Salut Monsieur Commentateur,” says Michel Allard -- father of dynamic trainer/driver sibling team Rene and Simon Allard that are among North America’s best. Allard displays his racing ponies as they peer over and out the windows of their sleek white trailer. ‘‘I bought my first pony in 1966 in Messina New York for $75,” he says. ‘’From there the passion grew, and soon my sons got involved. That’s how Simon and Rene got their start.’’ The patriarch would go on to win the Junior Free For All class with Majestic Speed, one of three in the race. The other two, it turns out, belong to Allard as well.

Two trailers over is tied a rose coloured pacer -- aptly named Le Reveur or ‘The Dreamer’ -- who stands barely chest high. His owner, trainer, driver and groom, Jean Paul Poudrier, looks straight out of Easy Rider, and he tells me that for years, he was an assistant trainer at Rideau Carleton Raceway for the Filion family. But if you think for a single second that racing ponies is less of a thrill for Poudrier, think again. He’ll tell you without pause that Dreamer has won eight of his last 12 starts. Later that day, the pony would make it nine of 13.

After each race, the winning connections come rushing out for a photo, and judging by the ear to ear grins, you’d think they’d just won The Jug. One such victor is Phillipe Trudeau, the founder of ownership group Standardbred Evolution, which works to attract new fans to harness racing. After coming off the track with his victorious Silver Bullet gelding, Trudeau talked about the aims of the group. ‘’It’s not a full-time job for me, but I love the sport and I want to see it thrive again.” He’s also quick to give credit to the owners of Cedar Shade Campground for their co-operation; racing will be held here again August 5 and August 18, 2012.

I asked about purses. “ Too many hassles with insurance,” says Trudeau. Some of the more established clubs -- such as the one in Lachenaie, Quebec -- do offer purses of $100 to the winner, $25 to the second place finisher, $15 to the show horse and $10 to fourth place. Non-purse events are sometimes run for prizes such as tack. The Lachanaie club, which races at 3:00pm sharp every Saturday afternoon in the summer, also holds stakes races. Trotting pony clubs in the United States hold stakes as well, where entry fees are in the neighbourhood of $15-$25, and purses can be as high as $1200.

The crowd is beginning to grow and much to my surprise, it exceeds expectations. A few of us compare notes and agree that there are easily more than 500 souls on hand to watch the big, itty bitty action. They’re all gathered along the home stretch, sitting on hay bales, lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoying soft drinks and hot dogs for $1.25. A few pound back something called ‘’Liqueur‘’ for the same unbelievable price. I later found out that it’s simply the name of another soft drink. That was a relief. I had worried how could one afford to stay sober at that price.

Sober or not, the fans continued their whooping and hollering all afternoon.

Looking around, I was thrust back in time. Seeing this many people attend a harness racing event, in the middle of... well... nowhere, when they could have been cooling off by the lovely pool or in one of their up-market trailers gave me some reassurance. Surely, if this sort of afternoon show can draw people out in such droves, we must be able to reinvigorate and reinvent ourselves as an industry. The hundreds of smiles around me were surefire proof of that.

Call me drunk with optimism, but think about it. As we move towards the now feared March of 2013 — the day the much lauded Ontario slot program ends — it’s nice to be reminded that our product, our horses, can still bring such joy and excitement to a crowd of fans. Betting windows and purses aside, people love the equine element. There are rough waves ahead, but I’ve no doubt this will be the center of our new robust, healthy, industry. And we can do it all on our own.