With the 2019 stakes season concluded, many participants in harness racing either head south or ship their horses to warmer climates for the winter. Tim Tetrick is going against the grain and heading as far north as the Standardbred sport can take him.
The leading driver in the 2019 Grand Circuit, Tetrick will be the only North American driver competing in the first Arctic Horse Race event in Rovaniemi, Finland on Saturday, December 14. Known as "the official home of Santa Claus" Rovaniemi is located on the Arctic Circle and the town's Mäntyvaara racetrack is surely one of the most northerly-situated tracks on the planet.
As part of the Arctic Horse Race event there will be a three-race driving challenge, with one race featuring coldbloods and two races with Standardbred trotters.
"It's going to a fun trip," Tetrick told Trot Insider. "Me and Ashley are going to go. Back there in May or June they came to us and offered it. It was hot here so I'm thinking "ok, we'll go'. They said you can go to the North Pole. It should be interesting. My wife is still making fun of me because she knows it's going to be cold there and the average temperature is supposed to be about 22 or 23 degrees. I can live with that.
"It's going to be a dry cold, and there's going to be snow...the only thing I'm worried about is that it's going to be dark for 18 hours a day."
The Arctic Challenge driver competition features Tetrick, Finland's Mika Forss, Jorma Kontio, Jukka Torvinen, Hannu Torvinen, Petteri Joki, Olli Koivunen, Santtu Raitala, V-P Toivanen, Iikka Nurmonen, Sweden's Hanna Olofsson and Italy's Alessandro Gocciadoro.
"I like taking those trips and a few of those guys from when I was in the World Driving Championship are going to be there too so I get to meet up with those guys again," said Tetrick. "And I always like going to meet new people.
"They said I can drive reindeer. I said I want to drive the snow dogs on the sled and they said 'we can make that happen, no problem. I think it will be fun."
Before the races, there will be a free event featuring a wide range of activities for the entire family in the public area of the racetrack including a sulky pulling race, reindeer, pony riding and much more. After the races, the VIP area will turn into an ice disco with Finnish TV star Suvi Pitkänen (aka DJ Suvi B) providing the music for the evening.
The Tetricks will be leaving for Finland on December 9 and returning around the 20th....just in time for Santa to visit their family in New Jersey.
Easy Lover Hanover's
Easy Lover Hanover's connections should ask Mr. Tetrick to take their horse to Finland along with him. ELH is the fastest horse on the planet when the temperature is below freezing!
Enjoy the fruit of your
Enjoy the fruit of your efforts. Have fun, be careful, safe traveling and GOOD LUCK.