Terri McLeod McNair of Guelph, Ontario, is the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club’s Zoom Photo Challenge winner for September.
'Meet My Horse' was the theme for our September Challenge, the final and most popular Zoom contest for this year.
Terri was able to capture a unique moment between her Dad, Roderick McLeod, and his old buddy Jimsboy. “I took my Dad up to see Jimsboy in Goderich this summer. When he was brought out to the paddock he walked right up to my Dad and that's the only picture I caught of that pair of old friends. Jimsboy is fortunate that he will always have a place to live out his life. He was the greatest horse to enter ours!”
The son of Orbel GG made over $500,000 during his career and is now 18 years old and enjoying leisurely days at Ravenwood, a retirement farm near Goderich, Ontario. Rod, who is 87 years young, and his wife Joyce McLeod (now deceased), bred Jimsboy and created a lot of family memories from travelling around the province to cheer him on in the Ontario Sires Stakes in 1999 and 2000. Rod and Jimsboy share the same birthday -- June 20. The McLeods first got involved in racing with an older pacer named Vics Vote back in the early 80's, loved it and stayed involved. A love for the trotters and the purchase of a broodmare named G G Jenna resulted in Jimsboy.
Terri got involved in racing, right out of high school, and worked for Ken Hardy at Windsor Raceway, where she met her husband, Gregg. They traveled between all the small tracks (like everybody in the horse business did), and eventually settled in Guelph, Ontario, where they raised three kids, Amy, Doug and Scott.
Fast forward to the year 2015, and Amy, Doug and Scott are all very involved in the industry. Doug is one of Canada’s leading catch drivers, Scott worked for Grand River Raceway and Standardbred Canada and Amy works for her Dad. Terri now works as a Personal Support Worker at St.Joseph's Health Care Centre in Guelph.
In July, Terri’s Dad moved from Windsor to Guelph. “He’ll be getting out to the races more now that he is living in the heart of the racetracks in Ontario,“ Terri suggests, “ He watches the races faithfully every night and cheers on his grandson Doug, or his grandson-in-law Billy Davis Jr. and I still get to the racetracks when time permits...it's in your blood.”
Congratulations to Terri and thanks to all of the entrants, including our five other Zoom finalists:
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Anne Marie Veilleux, of Saint-Hughes, QC, and 11 year-old Wedding Crasher (aka Crashou)
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Christa Patriquin, of Truro, NS, and two-year-old Rowan on her wedding day July 1, 2015.
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Jennifer Vincent of Regina, SK, and 24-year-old Hornby Sette
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Dawn Ellis of Truro, NS, and five-year-old Watersides Kipper
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Kimberly Hale, of Campbellford, ON, and her nine-year-old standardbred mare Houchiegouchiemama
Next week, we’ll feature the final Zoom Poll where you’ll have a chance to vote for the overall Zoom winner for 2015.