The I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club’s March contest invited racing fans and industry participants to ‘pay it forward’ by writing us a letter describing someone who has made a lasting impact on them, their involvement in the sport of harness racing in Canada, and on the harness racing community in general
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Ann MacNeill submitted a letter about PEI’s Jerry McCabe and his tireless and enthusiastic involvement in harness racing and, after much deliberation, Jerry has been selected as the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club’s first Heart of Harness Racing Ambassador. Congratulations Jerry!
As a special thank you to Jerry for all he has done for Ann and the harness racing community in the Maritimes and across Canada, the Fan Club is presenting him with a $100 gift card to the racetrack and will make a special Winner’s Circle presentation in his honour at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at CDP. Jerry will also receive a tote bag filled with great Fan Club merchandise.
Thank you, Jerry, for all you do for Canadian Harness Racing. It is people like you that keep this industry rich in history and excitement. Please see below for Ann’s winning submission about Jerry McCabe.
A very special mention also goes out to all other Fan Club members who submitted stories about the special people in their lives that make harness racing in Canada the incredible industry and community that it is.
Entry from Ann MacNeill:
You would have to go a very long way to find anyone in Canada as knowledgeable of the history of Harness Racing in the Maritimes (and beyond) as Jerry McCabe. If you ask anyone who knows Jerry personally, or of him, they will be in resounding agreement. The incredible amount of man hours this man has dedicated, and donated, to amassing historical facts and artifacts related to the sport we love is astounding. The publishers and editors of The Atlantic Post Calls (both past and present), have frequently consulted Jerry for clarification and verification of harness racing facts before going to print. In fact, Jerry writes a much anticipated regular feature column in the Atlantic Post Calls entitled Trackside Trivia.
Calls and emails from countless individuals with questions regarding harness racing in the Maritimes are fielded by this very capable and obliging individual. Inquiries come from general public, from our many racing fans, from industry participants, and from students and parents working on school projects!
Mr. McCabe has helped with nominations to the PEI Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, and it is commonplace for organizers of banquets and symposiums to tap into his vast range of knowledge to enhance their programs in one way or another. Jerry has spent an incredible amount of time and effort collecting and scanning photographs, which now adorn the walls of the impressive grandstand at Red Shores Racetrack at Charlottetown Driving Park. One of the very few race historians in the Maritimes, this highly respected gentleman has also dedicated immeasurable time over the past ten years to building the "Memory Lane Display", which is available for everyone to enjoy during the Atlantic Breeders Crown Weekends at The CDP.
Jerry also works, annually, on the committee that selects the PEI Harness Racing ‘Family of the Year.’ He has written most, if not all, citations for awards presented to harness horsemen/ women over the past ten years or more and his assistance has been invaluable to Paul Murphy in the development of his best selling book ‘Behind The Gate’ (Retromedia Publishing).
Harness racing artifacts that Jerry has helped to collect over the years literally fill two CN rail box cars, where they will securely remain until they can be appropriately displayed in a long awaited PEI museum.
Having willingly donated his time and talent to preserving and promoting Harness Racing in Eastern Canada, we believe that Jerry McCabe is a most deserving candidate for recognition.