With a pair of victories each in the Western Regional Driving Championship on Saturday afternoon at Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino, Dave Hudon and Brandon Campbell secured their spots
in the 2011 National Driving Championships.
Alberta representative Brandon Campbell maintained the lead in the standings until Dave Hudon of British Columbia took over in the final leg of the eight-race competition.
A pair of wins early in the competition provided 27-year-old Calgary resident Brandon Campbell with enough momentum to lead the rest of the way before Hudon jumped ahead. Campbell got off to a great start winning the opening leg by six lengths with Latino Hall. He sent the nine-year-old gelding wide down the backstretch en route to a new lifetime mark of 1:53.4 for trainer Debra McCarthy and owner Mark Anderson of Willows, California. After hitting the board in the second leg with third-place finisher Salinger, Campbell clicked with six-year-old gelding Ronny Woo Woo, an eight length wire-to-wire winner who also took a new mark of 1:53.2 for trainer Paul Urquhart and owner Simone Urquhart of Surrey. Campbell also picked up two more thirds with Red Star Fantasia in the fifth leg and Wild Thing in the seventh leg.
Surrey resident Dave Hudon, 47, moved into second place in the second leg with a 1:57 gate-to-wire victory aboard nine-year-old gelding Anover Deal for trainer-owner Clinton Warrington Jr. He maintained his position until briefly giving it up in the sixth leg. However, Hudon jumped back into second-place with another wire-to-wire score aboard three-year-old filly Millbanks Ariel in 1:59.1 for trainer Rick White, who also co-owns with Janet White of Surrey. Hudon then shot up the rail with Aces Double Suited in the final leg to finish second and earn enough points to collar Campbell in the competition.
“I had to make sure I was at least keeping the second spot and the horse responded really well,” said Hudon after Aces Double Suited came flying home.
“Dave caught me today. It was like rolling one down the road and just getting caught at the wire by somebody off a perfect trip,” noted Campbell, who said he was happy to be returning to his home province of Prince Edward Island for the national event.
Hudon and Campbell will join Atlantic Regional representatives Ken Arsenault and Gilles Barrieau, and two representatives from both Ontario and Quebec in the 2011 National Driving Championship, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 7 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park. The winner of the NDC will represent Canada in the 2011 World Driving Championship, a 20-heat tournament, hosted by the United States running from July 31 to August 5.
Showing the spirit of true horsemanship, each driver in the Western Regionals donated their earnings from the event to the Surrey Association for Community Living in the Cloverdale/Surrey area with the racetrack matching their contributions.
The point total at the conclusion of the event is as follows.
Rank – Driver (Region) – Points
1. Dave Hudon (British Columbia) - 63
2. Brandon Campbell (Alberta) - 59
3. Mike Hennessy (British Columbia) - 53
4. Gerry Hudon (Alberta) – 43
4. Jim Marino (British Columbia) - 43
5. Keith Clark (Alberta) - 41
6. Glenn LeDrew (Saskatchewan) - 38
7. Dallas McGee (Manitoba) – 36
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Fraser Downs.
For more information on the NDC, click here.