Hanover Raceway in conjunction with the Hands On Horses Program and the Ontario Harness Horse Association hosted an open house Sunday afternoon at the Hanover half-miler, with more than fifty eager visitors – many of them first timers to the racetrack - getting a behind-the-scenes look at what racing is all about.

Visitors were treated to a tour of Hanover’s facilities by general manger Gord Dougan before being introduced to trainer Becky Geisel, who went over the basics of what goes into training racehorses.

Some of the visitors had the opportunity to put their newfound racing knowledge to the test by sitting behind a racehorse and touring the oval in a two-seated jog cart with members of the Hands On Horses team and the various volunteers.

Jersey Boy, the stable mascot at the Casie Coleman Stable, even made a guest appearance at the Open House. He was a fan favourite with everyone in attendance.

“Thank you, you just made my year,” stated Garnet Barnsdale, a die-hard fan of the sport who was thrilled with the experience of jogging his first racehorse.

“Giving people the opportunity to get up close and personal with our star athletes out on the racetrack allows them a new appreciation and connection to the sport,” said Hands On Horses program coordinator, Stacey Reinsma.

“In my opinion, there’s no better way to entice people to the track and promote our industry," she added. "As industry participants we often forget about the simple things that made us fall in love with harness racing in the first place, and by taking people out for rides behind our beautiful equine athletes it gives us the opportunity to allow them to fall in love, too.”

The Hands On Horses team, in conjunction with other racetracks, will also host Open House events at Grand River Raceway, Clinton Raceway and the Raceway at the Western Fair District later this year. Visit HandsOnHorsesProgram.com for more information.

So You Think You Can Drive? - an event which allows fans to experience the thrill of jogging a racehorse - will be available on August 18th at Clinton Raceway and August 23rd at Grand River Raceway. Bring a friend or come out yourself for a hands on harness racing experience!

(Hands On Horses Program)