Harness racing is a sport that has its dangers, but longtime horsewoman Jackie Beelby is doing her part to keep the drivers and horses at Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie, Alta. safe and sound
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An article in today's Daily Herald-Tribune profiles Beelby and the importance of her role as the track's Outrider.
“I’m there to help keep the odd horse calm before a race," Beelby told the Daily Herald-Tribune. "If one happens to get loose, for some reason, I do my best to track it down. Sometimes there’s a horse that may need a quick adjustment to it’s gear. These are things I can do.”
“Warren Grant’s spill in Edmonton in the winter of 2006 was kind of scary,” she recalls. “I remember Kelly Ducharme going down at the start of a race in the mid-’90s as well, in Calgary. I’m so concerned about the drivers out there and, of course, the horses too. You have to be prepared.”
To read the Daily Herald-Tribune article in its entirety, click here.
(With files from the Daily Herald-Tribune)