Not even Mother Nature’s fury could keep fans from attending Georgian Downs’ Family Day experience last weekend.
Despite dark clouds and a few raindrops fans lined up to enjoy miniature pony racing, bouncy castles, mini golf and rides around the track with a Standardbred racehorse. In fact, the sign-up list to hop in the double-seated jog cart for a tour of the oval was filled in less than a half hour.
People came from all over to take part in the fun, including one family that came straight from a Blue Jays game earlier that day.
“We were rushing checking the time hoping that we wouldn’t miss our chance to ride behind a racehorse,” said Stacey Marchand.
When asked if it was worth the rush, she said, “Yes! It was great, but it goes by a lot quicker than you think – probably because you don’t want the ride to end.”
Al Whiteside, a newcomer to the track, learned of the event via a radio promotion.
“I won my chance to ride with a horse on the radio and my friend’s wife tried to trade me my ride for concert tickets because she loves horses that much,” said Whiteside.
Over 40 racing fans – young and old – enjoyed the adrenaline rush of sitting behind a racehorse for the first time, and for each of them it was an experience they won’t soon forget.
For your chance to drive a racehorse here are events coming up at a track near you:
Saturday, July 26 – Hanover Raceway (Hanover)
Saturday, August 2 – Hiawatha Horse Park (Sarnia)
Friday, August 8 – Grand River Raceway (Elora)
Sunday, August 10 – Dresden Raceway (Dresden)
Friday, August 29 – Grand River Raceway (Elora)
Saturday, August 31 – Clinton Raceway (Clinton)
For more photos from Georgian Downs’ Family Day event, visit www.handsonhorsesprogram.com.
(Hands On Horses)