As Standardbred Canada continues its nationwide spotlight on harness racing's unsung heroes, in celebration of 2025 National Caretaker Appreciation Day, we turn our attention to Amber Campbell, a truly devoted groom hailing from Calgary, Alta.
Campbell shares her compelling story, offering a profound insight into her career in racing and the immeasurable impact the industry has had on her life. Her narrative underscores the dedication, hard work and passion that define our caretakers -- the backbone of harness racing.
Amber Campbell’s first introduction into Standardbred racing came like many in the industry, through her family.
“My dad is Sanford Campbell, so I've been in it pretty much all my life," said Campbell, whose father is a trainer from Calgary with 694 career victories and $3.3 million in purses. "I became a groom in 1992... I was 12 years old. I was the youngest groom to ever be allowed to have a license in Alberta.
"They actually wrote, 'Not valid during school hours' right on my license,'" said Campbell, laughing. “I worked with my family pretty much all of my life until the last couple of years when I've been with James Jungquist and Nathan Sobey.”
Although racing was in her blood and a large part of her everyday life, Campbell didn’t always work exclusively as a groom.
“I actually worked at the Super Store for 25 years, but I was always in the barn. On my vacations, I was always in the barn. When my dad was getting treated for prostate cancer, I took time off and ran his stable for him. It became my full-time thing about three years ago. I'd had enough of the political side of working in the Super Store and I just wanted to get back to the simple life… being around the horses. And you know what? They're the best therapy in the world,” Campbell stated emphatically.
Although being a groom is hard work, Campbell said, “My horses, they are my everything. We've got Mademechangemymind right now... sorry, I'm going to cry right now because she just makes me smile," she said tearing up. "That filly has taken me to a whole different high that I've never been on before.
“Winning the Shirley McClellan [in June] with her was absolutely the biggest highlight I've ever... I had never won anything like that with a horse, or taken care of a horse that has won a stakes race like that before. That was pretty substantial. Considering that Nathan was out, hurt and that he couldn't be in the barn as much that week or be there that night... I put in the extra work and it was pretty much all on me -- that felt pretty great too.”
Winning that race for an employer Campbell truly admires made it all that much sweeter.
“Nathan is awesome to work for. He's the greatest guy to work for. Nothing can beat Nathan. He's truly one-of-a-kind. There's nobody else around the racetrack like him -- he's got a heart of gold, he'll give you the shirt off his back if you need it. He helps you if you need it. He always tells me I'm doing a good job, and if you're missing something, he'll just nicely let you know.”
Campbell makes it clear that all of her horses are her everything, but currently there are two that stand out.
“Mademechangemymind always gives 110 per cent. She and our Open mare, Outlaw Sharktastic -- she's my absolute favourite in the barn… Her and Mademechangemymind are actually 1 and 1A. I really can't pick between them because they're two totally different horses. But those two girls... you know. 'Sharkle' is more easy going. She's good-natured, she'll talk to me and scroll Facebook with me,” said Campbell, with a laugh. "'Taylor' will only come to me. She'll only come to me in her stall. Anyone could go and grab 'Sharkle.' I could leave her with a kid and she wouldn't do anything. 'Taylor,' on the other hand, is more like a one-person child. I'm her person -- she bonded with me. With her they just say, 'Amber, please go get your horse,’” she stated proudly while laughing.
Campbell also helps out at her fiance, James Jungquist, on top of her job with Sobey.
“James got out of it for a little while [during Covid] and did a reset, and we just started rebuilding our stable again in March," she explained. "We bought our first one -- Highclass Custard -- from Nathan actually... We acquired another one from B.C. and then bought ourselves a little two-year-old filly as well... We have a couple that are training bills too... I help with those five as well. I don't come into the barn and get them ready in the morning [because I'm working for Nathan], but I do come back at night and put them all away, so they know that their momma still loves them.”
When asked if she could give a younger person just starting out some advice, what it would be, Campbell said: “Work for good people. Learn from them. Work for good people who are going to get good horses and let you thrive... Find someone who trusts in their grooms. Successful people who have good grooms, trust in their grooms... My dad trusted me and let me do everything and it makes a big difference. Nathan is great for that too. I'm still learning to this day, because everything in the business keeps changing. Every day is a learning curve and every day I'm learning something new about my horses.”
Join Standardbred Canada in showing appreciation for Amber Campbell and all of the unsung heroes of our industry as we celebrate National Caretaker Appreciation Day across our nation.
The remaining 2025 National Caretaker Appreciation Day event is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10 at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
National Caretaker Appreciation Day was launched in 2017 to recognize and reward caretakers in the Standardbred industry across Canada.
(Standardbred Canada Press Release)