This is our sixth feature profiling our Heart of Harness Racing calendar photographers.
June’s Heart of Harness Racing photo is a pre-prom shot of Drew Bernard and MacKenzie MacInnis in Tyne Valley, PEI, taken by Frances Lund of Charlottetown, PEI.
“I took the picture of Mackenzie as she headed to her prom that night. She had to have her picture with her horse and I had to meet her after she appeared in last year‘s calendar. We became good friends so of course I drove up to Tyne Valley to do her prom pictures. Kind of funny...we were both in last year’s calendar with separate shots, and then together this year,” she explains.
Frances’ shot of fans and a horse at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at CDP was the feature shot for August in the 2012 Heart of Harness Racing calendar while MacKenzie and her grandfather Cecil Stewart were the feature shot for July, 2012.
Frances, aka Frankie, got into harness racing after she had a summer job that was based at the track. “I just never left, “ she laughs. Leith Carr, Buddy Sheppard, Buddy Campbell, Walter Craig and Ike Morrside introduced her to the world of harness racing. She took her early lessons on how to jog and care for horses from Paul MacDonald and then worked for James (Roach) MacGregor at Glengyle Farms.
“I painted fences and helped break yearlings, jogged a few ...the chores varied with the day but fencing was a regular one. I then learned the breeding part of the business when we stood Arcane Hanover at the farm. Doug (MacGregor) and I usually handled the mares and foals . After Roach passed away I still helped Doug and took care of some awesome horses. Hickeys Twist was my favourite horse. Doug got him from an old fellow who passed away and left him in his will. He was four at the time. We raced him till he was eleven. He loved the mud. On a muddy night I knew I was going to the winner’s circle!”
Frances also worked with Wally Wood at Woodmere Farms, helping to prep the yearlings for the sale and says some of her best times working with the horses were at Woodmere. Now, she takes pictures of the horses.Frances’ goal is to take the shot that "makes people smile" and horsepeople know those moments.
“You know the mud, you know the win and you know that feeling when you just get beat!”
She was in charge of photography for the school yearbook her last few years at high school and played around with it a bit in college. She was able to get tips from the track photographers at CDP, (Gail MacDonald and Ronota Baglole) and then started to post pictures on her FaceBook page.
“I have made some great friends through my photography. I photograph what I see in harness racing and have a blast doing it.”
