Jordan Ross experienced a number of “firsts” as a result of participating in last week’s World Driving Championship (WDC), which featured four days of competition in three Western European countries. Some of the firsts were related to travelling overseas for the first time, others to the racing, such as going in a clockwise direction at two of the tracks.
The best “first,” though, came on the third day of the event when the 25-year-old Tennessee native won at Hippodrome de Wallonie in Mons, Belgium, and got to have family and friends join him in the winner’s circle.
“I enjoyed it,” Ross said about the experience, which included stops in Wolvega in the Netherlands, Gelsenkirchen in Germany and Mons before returning to Germany to finish in Berlin. “It went fast. We were travelling, racing, then going to a different place, but we got to see a little bit everywhere; they would take us on a little tour.
“Everything was beautiful over there. People were walking, riding bikes, everyone was friendly. We tried a lot of different things. I would love to go back.”
Ross completed the 10-driver competition, won by the Netherlands’ Rick Ebbinge, in seventh place. Ross had a total of 10 top five finishes, including two seconds and a third in addition to his victory.
“It wasn’t bad,” said Ross. “Everyone told me I was driving a lot of longshots, but it was fun. It was a great experience.”
Ross won with Lotus Ev at the distance of 2,300 meters at Hippodrome de Wallonie. Ross got away third and was no worse than fourth during the race. He was able to follow cover around the final turn before moving three-wide for the stretch drive. Lotus Ev won a battle with Nordic Warrior, driven by Australia’s Peter McMullen, to earn the victory for Ross.
McMullen was the first to congratulate Ross after the two crossed the finish line.
“It was exciting,” said Ross. “Everybody was congratulating me, telling me I drove well.
“Just to get a win was a main goal coming over here, so it was a very fun moment.”
Ross’ triumph in Belgium came driving in a counter-clockwise direction, which is the norm for racing in North America. The two tracks in Germany hosting WDC events, though, raced in a clockwise direction.
“It actually wasn’t that bad,” said Ross. “We knew we were going the wrong way, but it didn’t feel like it. Once you get a couple races in there, you don’t really think about it. You’re so caught up in racing, you just go. It was like a regular race. You’re focused on the competition, so you’re not really worrying about it.”
Ross said many of the trainers with horses in the competition spoke English, so communicating wasn’t too difficult.
“The people here have been very nice,” Ross said during the competition. “They tell me about their horses, how they like to be driven and to just go out there and have fun.”
In addition to the racing, Ross enjoyed the camaraderie with the other participants.
“We hung out a lot and did stuff together after the races,” said Ross. “And we talked about the racing, how it was different.”
Ross, who drives regularly at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana, was joined by family on his WDC journey, which made the trip all the more special. The group remained an extra day in Berlin to do additional exploring before returning to Tennessee on Sunday. Ross was back in action at Hoosier Park on Wednesday.
“We don’t get a lot of chances to hang out because I’m up here [in Indiana] now, so it was fun to be able to spend time with my family,” said Ross. “They supported me throughout the tournament and we did a lot of sightseeing. I liked Berlin the best of all the places we visited. It’s very nice. Everything is in walking distance.”
Ross was introduced to harness racing by his grandfather, Graham, who trained a stable of 15 to 20 horses that raced primarily at the Illinois fairs. Ross was hanging around his grandfather’s barn at an early age and became immersed in the business. He has won 278 races and guided horses to $3.14 million in purses since the start of 2022. Overall, he has 409 victories and $4 million in purses.
Prior to heading to the WDC, Ross said representing the U.S. in the WDC was “amazing” and “I’m honoured to get the chance.” He was grateful to all who supported him.
“It’s the experience of a lifetime,” said Ross. “I’m blessed. I’m very blessed.”
(USTA)