In the mid-1990s, racing under saddle, or RUS (better known in Europe as monte), tried to get a foothold on this side of the Atlantic in the form of the Boots and Saddle Series, but it was, at that time, a passing fad. Today, however, RUS is once again trying to gain traction in both Canada and the United States. And the fad, this time, looks as though it just might stick.
Story by Debbie Little / Photography by Vicki Wright
As the warmth and sun of summer turned to the cool evening breezes of autumn in 2011, a sport foreign to most North American harness racing participants was beginning to emerge on both sides of the border. In Canada, an exhibition under saddle race was carded on Georgian Downs’ flagship Xtreme Day. In the United States, the Fall Harvest Festival at Yonkers carded one too.
Strangely enough, these two races came about independently — and simultaneously.
“Under saddle was kind of always on the radar screen for us,” says Jackie Warner, Marketing & Public Relations Manager at Georgian Downs. “It’s tremendously popular in Sweden, and we have a group of ladies in Ontario that come from that area of the world and they’re very experienced with this. We were absolutely thrilled with the race. It was one of the highlights and of all the things we did on that crazy night, racing under saddle got the most comments in terms of email and feedback, and it was all positive. I know everybody loved it,” adds Warner.
The RUS road to Yonkers, however, was less anticipated.
“They [Yonkers] came up with the idea of having an exhibition race,” says Helene Gregory, Swedish-born wife of prominent New York Sire Stakes driver Jeff Gregory. “I was asked to pull a group of horses and riders together. That was the first time I rode monte. I’d seen it in Sweden and Norway and France and I thought it was right up my alley. After that race I started thinking that this is something we should really pursue and maybe fuel some interest in harness racing again.”
Gregory found a kindred spirit in Alan Leavitt of Walnut Hall Ltd., and together they planned the reintroduction of saddle racing to American shores.
“There were some hurdles that we had to overcome, and some of them are still out there,” says Leavitt. “But the first thing we needed was somebody who’d put on a race and [the new Meadowlands Racetrack chairman] Jeff Gural said he would do it. He understood the potential. He said, ‘When would you like it?’ and I said, ‘Hambletonian Day’, and he said ‘I’ll do it.’ ”
But getting a race scheduled is one thing. Making it look professional with an eye to one day developing it into a wagering event is a whole other kettle of fish. “Mike Tanner, USTA Executive Vice President, and Phil Langley, USTA President, have both been terrific,” says Leavitt. “I told them that we needed a USTA license and they created one. It requires a written exam followed by a practical test. The only people that will be allowed to ride in any of these races in the U.S. will be those holding a USTA rider’s license.”
In the beginning of July there were a dozen riders licensed. By Hambletonian Day that number had grown to 33.
And indeed, Gregory and company had been focused on making everything perfect for Hambletonian Day, but news of the sport’s developments travelled quickly, and before they knew it, race requests started coming in. “Goshen wanted to have a race for Hall Of Fame Day,” says Gregory. “They were hoping for five horses and Jennifer Connor from Blue Chip Farms came up with two sponsors for a $2,000 purse. And when the entry box closed there were 14 horses entered! The positive interest has been overwhelming. I did not expect that at all.”
Coincidentally, Hall Of Fame Day at Goshen was Canada Day north of the border, and Swedish trainer Rinna Rekila had a race planned for that night at Mohawk.
“I think right now, at this time, it would be really good to have something new to get people to the races because the future doesn’t look so good, especially in Canada,” Rekila admits. “I think so many people from overseas are here now and they know it’s pretty successful there. And there it’s for purse money and they can bet those races. In France it’s as good as harness racing. All the best horses and top drivers go under saddle.”
With her goal to host a race that would be viewed well by the public, Rekila and her group spent a lot of time trying to find horses that would be appropriate to race under saddle. “It’s tough to get horses and we would like to test ride them some if no one has ever ridden them, because even if it’s a good horse, some can’t trot under saddle so well,” she says. “We don’t want to get horses that make breaks all the time because under saddle they’re worse to handle than with a cart.”
The two races at Goshen were the most anticipated of the weekend and did not disappoint, as Jenny Melander riding Keepin The Chips set a North American record of 2:00.3 for trotting under saddle on a half-mile track.
Mohawk’s Canada Day race was won by Marielle Enberg, aboard Ive Got It All. “I’m from Sweden, so I pretty much started with it there,” says Enberg, who also won the under saddle race on Xtreme Day 2011. “I got my license for driving at the same time as my under saddle license. We have pretty much one under saddle race every race day back home.
“I really hope that it’s something that gets started here,” she adds. “It’s going to be a lot of work to get it going because people know so little about it. We have to try to get more people involved and interested.”
On Hambletonian Day, owner/trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer dropped Blacktuxwhitesocks in the box with the hope of breaking Moni Maker’s under saddle mark of 1:54.2, set in a time trial at the Red Mile in 2000.
“I watched under saddle racing in Scandinavia and Europe and I really enjoy watching it,” says Smedshammer. “So when they said they’re going to do it on Hambo Day, I wanted to create a buzz; I brought Malin Berås over from Norway. She’s the best rider in Norway, and she’s attractive and gets a lot of attention.”
Berås, who has 55 under saddle victories, also drives and won her last race in the bike prior to coming to the U.S. to compete. “The experience has been very good I love being here. I’m comfortable here,” says Berås. “This is huge for me to come here and ride on Hambletonian Day. It’s just awesome!”
Sponsored by Blue Chip Farms, Winbak Farm, Walnut Hall and Big D’s, the $15,000 purse was the largest prize ever offered in a North American race under saddle (RUS). Although it was a non-wagering event, it could be argued that it contained some of the fastest and richest trotters ever assembled in one occasion for riders. With combined harness earnings of $3,789,000 the field had average earnings approaching $400,000. In addition, 8 of the 10 starters boasted records of 1:55 or faster.
Unfortunately for Smedshammer, Berås was off the gate at the start of the race, giving them no chance to challenge Moni Maker’s mark. But Helene Gregory, riding Master Pine (who won the race by a head in 1:57.2), went the fastest under saddle race mile ever recorded in North America, regardless of gait.
“I was tickled to death that there was a tight finish like that,” Gregory says. “Before the race I didn’t think I was going to win at all, because there were some nice horses in that field. I told all the girls: ‘I hope everybody stays safe, everybody stays flat and we show a good race.’ I think we accomplished that. Me winning was just a big bonus. It was very unexpected.”
Two days after the Hambletonian Day triumph, Mohawk staged its second under saddle race, won by Emily Hughes aboard As Yall Like It in a sparkling 1:58.4.
In both events, the ladies put on a competitive race — though their focus is always on safety.
“It’s really easy for a horse to go down if you ride up too close behind them since they stretch out much further back without the bike. It’s easy to get hooked in the other one’s leg,” says Enberg. “So that’s why we don’t want any inexperienced riders. You need some practice. And when we have these races it’s so important for us that it looks good. It has to look good and look exciting.”
It’s also for safety’s sake, says Leavitt, that you are not allowed to ride pacers under saddle in the United States. “A question came up about using pacers and I felt very, very strongly that it could not be pacers,” says Leavitt. “If a horse under saddle, a trotter, makes a break... he just breaks and he runs. If a horse with hobbles on makes a break, that’s when they get tangled up and go down and God forbid we have anything like that.”
In Canada, there currently are no such restrictions, and in June of this year, a pacing under saddle race was contested in St-Hughes, Quebec, and more have been carded for other fair events throughout the summer.
A second race at the Meadowlands — on closing day (August 17) — was won by Tina Duer riding Cinese Cuisine in 2:00.4. And the number of races in the U.S. keeps growing, with Tioga, Vernon, Yonkers, Freehold, The Red Mile, and Batavia all on the schedule.
“There might be people getting horses just to do this,” Gregory says. “And it gives women a way to be involved in the sport, too — a very male dominated sport. I think it’s a great way to incorporate the ladies that work so hard and enjoy racing.”
“But we welcome testosterone!” she’s quick to add.
On the male front, owner/trainer/driver Ray Schnittker is known for riding his race horses, and competed on Hall Of Fame Day at Goshen. “Ray even told me he doesn’t care about the purse — he just wants to have fun and have fun races. He will always be behind us with this,” says Gregory.
The biggest test for Rekila and Gregory will be putting together enough races to be able to show form for the competing horses and riders — which will be what one day leads to wagering. And moving in that direction means forming an association, making conditions, and communicating with the tracks and the public to find sponsors. Eventually, though, we may be lucky enough to see RUS blossom as a wagering option on this side of the Atlantic. And that would, indeed, be the full monte.
You can search RUS America on Facebook for photos of past races & details on upcoming events.