Don't be surprised to hear the name Knox MacNeil connected to harness racing in the future as the 16-month-old is absolutely smitten with Standardbreds, as shown in this incredibly endearing video.
According to Knox's mother, Sasha MacNeil, he certainly comes by his infatuation with horses and harness racing honestly, coming from a long line of industry participants.
"My grandfather, Danny Mac Eachern first started with training and driving and my dad Hugh has been around horses his whole life," MacNeil told Trot Insider. "My brother, Ali used to work with Jack Moiseyev [in Ontario], he was training up there for a few years and he just came back. We come from a long line of horsemen in the family; I think it's in the genes."
Many industry participants have family ties to racing, that's not uncommon. Knox's passion for horses, however, is off the charts.
"It's one of the only words he says: horse. Right now it's Dada, Mama and horse. I have a big picture of a horse in his room and he kisses it goodnight every night before he goes to bed and every morning. That's the first word when he wakes up: horse."
Whether it's going to the local track in Inverness with his grandfather or spending time at home with family, the love this toddler has for horses and harness racing is both refreshing and heart-warming.
"He just goes crazy, he wants to follow them as soon as I put him down. No fear...he wants to go in the stall and get right up with the horses," said Sasha. "My dad would watch the races on the Standardbred Canada website, and my dad would have him sit on his lap while he watched them. And he would move as if he was driving the horse and make noises ('click-click-click') like he was driving. He started that a few months ago.
Not a Standardbred Canada member herself, Sasha MacNeil readily recognizes that she'll likely be joining the organization and the ranks of harness horse ownership in the future, along with her son.