Equine Artist Earns First Training Win

It seemed to be only a matter of time before the multiple talents of 29-year-old Brianna Fenn of Mt. Brydges, Ontario would extend to the racetrack. In just her second lifetime start since gaining her trainer’s license she came up a winner with nine-year-old pacing mare Botown Flyer at London’s Western Fair Raceway.

“Because of being involved with the standardbred adoption societies to donate the equine glass art pieces I create in my studio here, perhaps I was best known until now to industry people as an artist,” Fenn says. “Getting my trainer’s license is something I’ve had in the back of my mind for quite a while. I've always enjoyed working with the horses and jogging them. I decided to go through with getting licensed when my boyfriend, Chris Polifroni, surprised me with this mare as a birthday present last August.”

Polifroni, originally from Sudbury, was in the bike for Fenn’s first lifetime training win.

She trains from a base at Hidden Creek Farms outside Mt. Brydges west of London, Ontario, which is owned by her parents Barb and Brian Fenn.

Along with donating her equine glass art creations for the fundraising causes of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society, Fenn gained a whole new circle of friends and followers of her work at last September’s Little Brown Jug.

“I guess she saw something about our cause and needs from a press release. Her talent and generosity are just overwhelming,” says Dot Morgan, the Executive Director of New Vocation Horse Adoptions, based in Laura, Ohio. “Not only did she create two very unique and excellent pieces of standardbred glass art for our fundraiser this year at the Little Brown Jug which brought in hundreds of dollars for us, she personally delivered the pieces because they were fragile and because of her pride in them. In my view Brianna is a real go-getter and a huge benefit to the industry. I saw her working at the Standardbred Canada booth at the Harrisburg Sale last month too and she did a great job for them.”

Just before getting her trainer’s license this year Fenn also volunteered for two years to work with the Harness Horse Youth Camp initiative.

“I understand I don't have the usual resume for a trainer," Fenn offers. "A typical day now is to get the work done with Botown Flyer and a two-year-old I’m breaking, Marley Madness and then move into the studio,” she explains. “I really enjoy creating glass art of all horses and different kinds of subjects but my specialty and first love is the harness horses. Now I get to train them too and taking this step and winning is especially satisfying and exciting. I count myself among the very fortunate to have more than one career involved with harness racing.”

(Western Fair Raceway)