Two years ago, trainer Roger Hamm captured headlines after being brought back to life on the racetrack by paramedics. Yesterday he captured his first training victory since 2005, proving that the road back to the winner’s circle can be long, but worth the journey
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Ironically, the horse that Hamm trained to victory in Sunday’s fourth race at Dresden Raceway is a four-year-old gelding named No Way Back, who is out of a mare named No Fuel Left. When it comes to Roger Hamm, neither is true.
On August 20, 2009, at Hiawatha Horse Park, paramedics Casey Porteous, Krista Law and Darren Spitzig watched as Hamm, then 68-years-old, collapsed and fell from his sulky shortly after qualifying Glenmount Diane in the night’s third qualifier.
The paramedics reached Hamm only to find him VSA (vital signs absent). Using a defibrillator, the team brought him back to life in a dramatic on-track rescue.
While Hamm hasn’t driven in a qualifier since then, his name was back down as a trainer by April, 2010. His first win came in the maiden class at Dresden with Tom Hamm in the racebike.
To view the harness racing results from Sunday at Dresden, click the following link: Sunday - Dresden Raceway,
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