It’s Industry Day at Grand River Raceway. As always, the crowd is sizeable and enthusiastic. And thanks to a program that includes inflatables, face painting and numerous kids activities, an audience of all ages is on hand.

Far removed from the children’s section, the drivers of Ontario’s Racing Under Saddle program are set up to sign autographs. With only one RUS race on the program, the women dedicate much of their day to meeting and greeting the crowd.

What I see in front of me today is something quite different than anything I’ve witnessed at a standardbred racing event before. Today, the majority of people waiting to meet these talented riders... are little girls.

As they stand patiently, with photos in hand, I realize that these girls are not waiting for an autograph because their Grandpa loves John Campbell. They’re not here because they’ve watched the races and want to meet the winners. And they haven’t been dragged to the table kicking and screaming.

These wide eyed girls stand eagerly in line because in each of these talented female athletes, they see themselves. And they realize that this could one day be their calling.

As the father of a nine-year-old girl, I don’t believe this is a small thing. Seeing strong female role-models competing on the track, and working in harmony with a horse, is a wonderful thing. Doing it in a sport that has a 250-year history of being dominated by men, is that much more important.

A recent poll on the Standardbred Canada website asked the question: Do you support more RUS wagering races across North America. Here are the results:

I would like to see more 50% (739 votes)

I would like to see no RUS events at all 32% (470 votes)

I would like to see the same amount 10% (153 votes)

I would like to see less 6% (95 votes)

Count me as someone in the 50 percentile that wants to see more. To me, it’s about change, variety and a willingness to try new things that the public might enjoy. But more importantly, it’s about the little girls in line that see something in this sport that they’ve never seen before.

As Casie Coleman has shown us, women are O’Brien Award winners. As Mildred Williams has taught us, women are Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famers. But we are far from where we should be.

We have allowed too many decades to pass without figuring out how to resonate with enough little girls. On that tarmac, at Grand River Raceway, I can see the future. And it’s something to be proud of.

Darryl Kaplan
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