SC Rewind: The Long Winter Months

In this week's Rewind Robert Smith talks about the long winter season that horsemen of old faced before the days of year round racing

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As recently as 50 years ago, the actual harness racing season in most parts of the country was shorter than the "off season". Faced with the prospects of long periods of no income and continuing monthly bills, it was a situation that beset many in the horse business. This combined with the natural burdens of winter and its inherent weather problems, made the winter months seem even longer than they actually were. It was at times the "survival of the fittest" as the old saying goes, but somehow most people made it. Their survival was surely based more on the love of the sport than on economic principles.

Once the racing season came to a conclusion which was usually around the time of Canadian Thanksgiving, horse owners and trainers returned to their winter quarters. Hopefully enough money had been made and carefully "salted" away to last until the next year's opening day which was often not until around the May 24 holiday. The daily routine of training the seasoned campaigners and the breaking of colts and other "green" horses consumed each day. In regions of the country where snowfalls were frequent and heavy, horses were often hitched in sleighs or "cutters" as they were commonly called, sometimes as teams. As a very young child I had the pleasure of many miles ridden in a cutter with my father's trainer who at that time was Benny Larocque, a native of Carman, Manitoba. At the age of six when school years started, I was none too happy to give up the routine I had come to enjoy.

People found things to do and ways to put in the time, although life was not always easy. There were tales of snow drifting under the tack room door and another of a fellow who could wear his socks in eight different positions to hide the holes. A lot of conversing around a pot bellied stove was a favourite pastime. Tales of races and memorable horses from days gone by were rekindled and even sometimes enhanced to entertain someone who just might not have heard the story before. It was common for the racing journals to carry very detailed reports from training centres. Quite often the entire population of a Town's Fairgrounds would be detailed, listing all of the horses in training, their owners and current training situation. Frequently a commentary on the stable's past accomplishments and other incidental information was included. I always love to read these old reports.

Here are a few excerpts from one such write up penned by the legendary H.E. Wicks in the 1940's.
The Weston contingent under Vic Rowntree never looked better. Abbe Patch looks like a stud. Archdale Grattan looks fit and ready. The Tillsonburg boys had the first track that showed dust and every stall is full. Len Owen's stock is big and fat and ready to be heaved on a little. That little giant of the reins "Chappy" Chapman has a stable that will dump many a bushel of oats into the bin before the snow flies and there is not a dud in the bunch. In Derby Town Wilmer Hillock has the old red warrior Lastic Grattan fit and sound. The Wes Litt string and the George Purvis barn never looked better ....... And so on .

The story is told of a trainer who was wintering at a small town north of London, Ont. A fairly well to do owner had placed a colt in this gentleman's care for the winter as he would be away until spring. One stipulation was that the colt was to be given two raw eggs with each evening's feeding, always believed to give a horse a rich coat. He even showed how to set out the eggs near the feed box each day, just to be sure they weren't forgotten. The owner had made financial arrangements with the local storekeeper to keep his horse supplied with eggs. In the spring, the owner returned and was quite anxious to see what progress his colt had made. He looked around the stable and had an uneasy feeling about the eggs as the two on the ledge outside the stall looked rather dull and dusty. A further check led him to confirm what he had suspected. In a rather dejected voice he allegedly said " I wonder who bought the bacon ?...." Barney Hughes could have never envisioned that his tales would live on this long.

The opportunity to travel to a warmer climate for the winter season seldom happened but was not unheard of as shown in the picture that accompanies this week's Rewind. While it is undated I have reason to believe it was probably taken during the winter of 1945-46 based on a few other details. The photographer was Fred A. Boschetto, track photographer at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. Someone had the foresight to write the names of the people and the horses on the reverse side of this old photo. I am always amused by the fact that so many people wore neckties (even one bowtie) back in those days, even while at work in the stable. Also the standard felt hat that was so common is in evidence and worn by almost everyone in the picture. This photo obviously took some arranging and it appears as though if a Canadian was at the Hollywood Park track they were invited for this photo "shoot". Several provinces are represented and even one rather young lad identified as "Dinny LaRochelle" got in the picture with a guiding hand on his shoulder. I am relying on whoever made the notes as to their accuracy. If anyone in the reading audience knows any further details of this photo I would appreciate you sharing them.

Here are the names of the people and horses as recorded from left to right:

J. Guyette with Moonbeam 2:09 1/2, Dean Dempsey (Carberry, Man.), Wilbur Apthorpe (Chatham, Ont.), J.J. Brady, Harry Elliot, J. MacMillan, Wm. Fraser (Ridgetown, Ont.), H. LaChappelle, O. St. Ament, Dinny LaRochelle, Honorat LaRochelle, Phil Dussault, Chas. Trimble, Ted Ketcham, Geo. Tracey (Regina, Sask.), G. Bruyere with the horse Adage 2:02.