When George Fenno III retired after 21 years as a military police officer, he had little doubt about what he wanted to do with his free time. The disabled veteran had just purchased a farm in Bell, Florida, adjacent to the Gilcrest Training Center, so he was well on his way to pursuing one of his life’s dreams.
The sport arose naturally to the 66-year-old native of Maine. Born in a logging cabin in the remote Northern part of the state, he grew up in Buxton, near his uncle Ralph Fenno who raced harness horses all over New England.
George Fenno III continued to dabble with Standardbreds throughout his early years, owning his first horse at age 15 and racing him at nearby Scarborough Downs. He sold the horse a few years later and then enrolled in Blacksmith School. Finding that becoming a farrier was not a perfect fit for him, he immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Fenno spent the next 20-plus years as a military policeman (MP), serving in Germany, Korea and at several Army bases stateside. He met his wife of 43 years, Sheila, while serving his country, and retired with the rank of first sergeant.
However, the horses were always on his mind. While on leave he would travel to visit his cousin and mentor, Tim Fenno, who was a second trainer for Jack Kopas.
“Tim would say, ‘Jog this one, and I will tell you who it is when you get back to the barn,’” Fenno recalled. “I got to sit behind such great horses as Indianapolis, Roses Are Red and Jade Prince.”
Fondly remembering those miles at Roosevelt in the sport’s heyday, after retirement he began working for Kevin Switzer Sr. in Maine. Fenno credits him and the dynamic brothers Heath and Drew Campbell for continuing to teach him about horsemanship and managing a stable.
Fenno, himself a disabled veteran, was sure that his lifelong passion for racing would not only help him stay active, but also be an inspiration to other veterans that may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other disabilities.
“It’s been a tough road adjusting to civilian life,” admitted Fenno. “You never really get a good night’s sleep in the barracks or out on the wall. The uncertainty of rocket or gun fire at any moment takes its toll.”
Now, Fenno credits arriving at his Windsor Fairgrounds barn every morning with improving his outlook and demeanor, as well as helping him to improve and maintain his career-life balance.
“Drug abuse and alcoholism are a detriment to many who have served,” Fenno conceded. “It truly is a struggle, every day. Sometimes it is a challenge just to get out of bed.”
Racing horses has helped, a lot. While appreciating the serenity and beauty of his summertime Northern location, Fenno is really looking forward to this Saturday at Cumberland Raceway where his horse Instant Replay will look to make it two-in-a-row in race nine.
Last week, Walter Case Jr. steered Instant Replay to a decisive 1:58.2 victory at Bangor’s historic Bass Park. The four-year-old son of Lazarus N had six wins in 14 seasonal starts last year, earning $27,300, racing up and down the east coast. While most of his success was enjoyed in the Pine Tree State, winning four in a row at Maine’s commercial tracks, the horse also picked up checks for Fenno at Yonkers, Plainridge and Harrington.
Having trained and driven off-and-on for the past 20-plus years, last week’s victory with Instant Replay was Fenno’s first career pari-mutuel training win. However, he feels that this triumph belongs to all of his fellow veterans.
“Believe it or not, as difficult as it was, it was my time in the Army that has given me the discipline and the strength to get to where I am today,” Fenno stated.
An affable guy who is known as ‘Three Sticks’ around the racetrack, his nickname was bestowed upon him by a Maine racing official due to the large roman numeral three on the sleeves of his black and navy blue colours.
And while Fenno is not the only harness horseman in the state of Maine with a military background, he certainly is a champion for the armed services.
In fact, Mainers have a proud and lengthy history of military service. Certainly no one can forget Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and his extraordinary bayonet-led charge of the 20th Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry that helped secure the left flank on Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg.
More recently, the state is honourably represented by Brigadier General Diane L. Dunn who has assumed her duties as the 41st Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard. A former Maine State Racing Commissioner, Dunn and her husband Jim have raced horses in Maine for decades.
In addition, First Tracks Cumberland principle Mike Cianchette is a Lieutenant Commander in his local Navy Reserve.
However, the history of Maine’s prominence in veterans’ affairs is indeed preeminent. Pursuant to a law signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1965, the state of Maine became the site of the very first hospital for wounded veterans, where the first such Civil War hero was admitted to a facility known as Togus (near Augusta, ME) on Nov. 10, 1866. Later, President Ulysses S. Grant visited Togus in 1873 to review the soldiers who had served under him during that gloomy period in our nation’s history.
Still serving veterans to this day, Fenno credits the current Togus VA counselors with helping to save him. He admits that he was, “not afraid to ask for help,” which is often the biggest obstacle for many of those in his shoes.
“The horses and the counselors at Togus, ‘America’s first veterans’ hospital, help me get out of bed, and give me the courage to ‘push through’ each and every day,” he stated. “They really care!”
Sergeant Fenno knows that a lot of soldiers are in a similar spot emotionally and mentally, but very few get the chance to experience the horse business first hand.
“Working with racehorses forces me to be a better person, and to get up in the morning to feed and care for them,” Fenno confirmed.
In fact, he goes out of his way to engage with any veteran he encounters in his everyday life.
“Get involved with harness racing, or adopt a retired racehorse,” he tells them. “When you touch that animal, your life will change.”
(First Tracks Cumberland)