The 2014 National Driving Championship scheduled for Tuesday, August 26 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park, will have a new twist on determining the horses that the eight competing reinsmen will actually drive in the eight championship races.

Rather than the usual format for assigning drivers, Standardbred Canada will conduct a 'draft' for the eight races, similar to a hockey pool style draft. This provides the drivers direct involvement in determining the horses they will drive when they draft their horses.

“One of our racing secretaries suggested the draft concept. We feel it has a lot of merit and adds another interesting element to the competition,” said John Gallinger, President & CEO of Standardbred Canada. “It was well received by the drivers and now puts some of the onus on them. Depending on feedback from this year, it might be something we can consider using at future Driving Championship events.”

“The draft changes everything. Before it was all about the luck of the draw, but now our fate is in our own hands which is really exciting. I really think it’s going to make it more fair,” said Billy Davis Jr., who is one of the Ontario region’s representatives.

Nova Scotia’s Ryan Ellis is also looking forward to this innovative take, “I think that the draft is a definite benefit to the drivers involved in the drivers challenge due to the fact that we have some say in the horses we will be driving. It's a fair way to do it as we all will get the chance to pick the 'fave' or whatever horse we desire.”

Also competing in the 2014 NDC are Brandon Campbell, Marc Campbell, Guy Gagnon, Jody Jamieson, Sylvain Lacaille and Jim Marino.

Here’s how the NDC Draft will work:

• Thursday, August 21 - Horses and post positions will be drawn in the usual manner. Preliminary program pages will be distributed to the drivers.

• Friday, August 22 - The eight drivers will take part in a conference call with officials from Standardbred Canada and Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at CDP to conduct the draft as follows:

  • First, there will be a draw to determine the order of the draft. (first through eighth) That order will reverse after each round.

  • The first driver can select any one of the horses from the entire pool of 64 horses in the 8 races, available in round one. Then the same follows for the second through eighth drivers from the remaining pool of horses. Round two through eight will follow the same format.

  • Each driver must drive from post position 1 through 8. Once a driver selects a horse, that horse’s post position is not available to the driver for his other drafts in the other races.

The NDC will take place on Tuesday, August 26 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park in conjunction with a meeting of all of the province’s Premiers who will be on hand for the event. The event is being hosted with the support of the PEI 2014 Fund as part of the 150th Anniversary celebration of the historic 1864 Charlottetown Conference that led to the creation of our nation.