The Shows.
Cumberland
Kilnsey
Wolsingham
Longnor
Stanhope
(Feel free to click on any of the above to take a peek at their respective websites).
'What's so great about these shows?' I hear you ask.
Well, if you've never been, let me paint a picture for you:
Imagine thousands of people descending onto a grass field, often on the outskirts of the village/town that the event is named after, browsing various stalls and stands, arts and crafts tents, machinery displays; enjoying fairground rides and main ring attractions; and taking part in various competitions such as animal showing (sheep, cattle, in-hand and ridden horses), gymkhana, jumping, 'Best Cabbage' etc. Then at the climax of the day these thousands of people, many of whom only see harness racing on ONE DAY OF THE YEAR, line the entire length of the home straight to cheer on those taking part in the most thrilling event on the schedule.
I'm not over-egging the pudding - there are literally thousands of people at these events all picking a horse, having a bet and cheering it home.
These shows have one thing in common which separates them from any other harness racing events in the entire country: after each of the races, the crowd give a genuine ROUND OF APPLAUSE. These people are clapping in appreciation of the spectacle that we, harness racing people, are putting on. Just imagine that. Now I know this isn't something which goes unnoticed, as Kilnsey 2018 was driver Lauren Moran's first ever visit to the show and immediately after the first race she turned to me and Richard [Haythornthwaite] in disbelief and said 'they're clapping?!'. I felt the exact same way back in 2013 when I attended Kilnsey for the first time. I couldn't believe that such a large number of people were applauding what I, and others who race on a weekly basis, take for granted. I know that after most races at Corbiewood for example, most of the crowd don't even watch the winner's presentation as they have their backs turned to the track waiting for the bookies to price up the next race.
When did we stop appreciating the spectacle of what we are doing?
I'll leave you all to ponder that one. Try to take a step back and consider what you have achieved this year in your efforts as an owner/trainer/driver/groom. You may not have hit the heights that you dreamed of back in the spring when the racing season was a distant glow on the horizon, but I can guarantee that you have achieved something along the way that plenty of people who go about their day-to-day lives haven't. Remember that.
All too often we hear complaints that as a collective we are not doing enough to promote the sport of harness racing. It can be very difficult to tap in to such a competitive market with a product that is so far behind its Thoroughbred counterpart. Yet, these shows are ready-made platforms upon which we can reach out to the masses to showcase what we have on offer. Yes, we are racing, but we could be doing more. Pre-race and post-race driver interviews, an introduction to the breed and sport, demonstrations and explanations of the harness used (and why). Filling the race cards with the fixture list, BHRC website, social media pages, information for people to read when they get home after an enjoyable day at the show. A trade stand to draw people in and get the message about what we do out there to people who might be interested in getting involved. There are people with even better ideas than these crying out for their voice to be heard and for an opportunity to take on some of the workload involved. Let's see if we can work in conjunction with these show committees to make these things happen. Jump on my 2019 Show Bandwagon if you dare!
Now, I can hear some of you readers saying to yourselves 'why is she making such a big song and dance about racing at the shows?'.
I'll tell you why.
Some of these shows are beginning to struggle for entries. You may say that's because they are 'low level' racing, unsuitable for big name stables and high quality horses. You're wrong.
Firstly, these shows offer phenomenal prize money in comparison with other weekly meetings on dedicated harness racing tracks where racing is the sole event. Prove it, you say. Well, in 2018, Cumberland Show ran a £4000 handicap final; Kilnsey Show ran a £900 handicap final; Wolsingham Show ran a £1000 handicap final; Longnor Sports ran a £500 handicap final; and Stanhope Show ran a £900 handicap final. Do you see a pattern emerging?
There is really good prize money on offer. Longnor Sports even gave FREE entry to all horses to race, and to all connections of horses into the event. I myself travelled to Longnor with Smarty and G Whizz, our driver for the day, with two horses. Winning both heats and the final, we left that day with £1100 in prize money between us. Not a bad day's work, especially as our costs were limited to the fuel to get us there and back.
Secondly, the quality of the tracks is often exaggerated to their detriment. Having attended all bar Stanhope (which is on my bucket list for 2019), all I can say is that as long as you drive according to the conditions on the day (which should apply everywhere) and harness your horse according to the track (again, which should apply everywhere), there is little wrong with the tracks. You're not going to set any records or earn a decent lifetime mark there, granted, but the variety that these places offer compared to the larger tracks allows for horses who don't necessarily suit speed mile racing to excel. There's a lot to be said for three minute racing as well as two minute racing after all! And variety is the spice of life, so they say...
Thirdly, these places DO attract successful horses from big stables. Happy Hands (trained by Alexis Laidler and driven by Rocker Laidler) was the winner of Kilnsey 2018; Rhyds Solution (from the same barn) has won TWO Scorton Feast finals (a meeting which was not staged this year due to an archaeological dig at the venue but which it is hoped will return in the future). Over the years, there have been numerous top class horses which have raced and won at these shows.
The fact that so many people look down upon these shows is having a detrimental effect on their viability for the future. In addition to Longnor struggling for entries (which seems mad considering the already-mentioned FREE ENTRY and good prize money), it now appears to be a given that these show meetings are allowed to suffer fixture clashes with other harness racing events that definitely draw participants and spectators away from the shows. Those in charge of approving the annual fixture list do not seem to appreciate the importance of supporting these shows. If harness racing dwindles at these events and fizzles out completely, they will be lost. To explain the severity of this, let me explain that all of these shows, bar Cumberland, have the majority (if not all) of the prize money provided by the show itself. If a harness racing event which has harness racing sponsors is lost, there is a possibility of that sponsorship money being secured and redistributed at another harness racing event. If the racing at the shows is lost, that prize money is also lost. It would not be handed over to another event entirely separate to the show. These show committees have ringfenced prize money for us and we must not be so shortsighted as to forget this. Remember: the shows don't need us, but we do need them.
As I write this, Smarty has the pre-race parade from the Little Brown Jug at Delaware County Fair, Ohio, blaring from his laptop. If that isn't akin to our shows over here, I don't know what is. In America they've managed to make one of their 'shows' one of THE biggest events of the racing calendar. Over here, our LBJ would be Wolsingham Show. I don't often say we should 'copy' other countries (because I get annoyed that we pick and choose what we copy, often inappropriately) but in this instance, I think we should. Let's celebrate the show circuit and make Wolsingham the BIG ONE.
And if Wolsingham Show is our LBJ, then Peter Deighton is our Roger Huston. He has his critics, but man you can't knock him for his commentary at the shows. Peter has a real knack for bringing the crowd right into the action and encouraging them to support the different horses and drivers as the races progress. He did suggest at Longnor a couple of weeks ago that this year would be his last as commentator, but both Smarty and I sincerely hope this isn't the case as he brings something to the table that I'm yet to hear from any other commentator (although young Stephen Lees Jnr showed great promise at Longnor!). The way he notches things up as the horses head into the last bend and he begins throwing suggestions out about this horse needing to make a big move or that horse taking the tough route three wide to mount a challenge, it all adds to the atmosphere and the crowd really gets into it. I've been there, immersed amongst all these people who don't really have any idea what's going on but who wholeheartedly get behind the competitors, and I tell you what, it's really hard not to get caught up in it all. I think I cheer loudest at the shows than I do anywhere else, even if I haven't got a horse racing. At Longnor Sports he announced to the crowd that we had travelled all the way from Motherwell to support the meeting (OK, Motherwell was like the closest big town that G could give him as a point of reference for Cleland and Allanton respectively) and people actually stopped me in the crowd to double check that we'd really travelled that far. It was almost like being famous for an afternoon. He even thanked us publicly on the mic after the final. Madness.
I would also like to take a quick moment to congratulate the winners of the finals from the 2018 show season:
Cumberland Show: Midnight Diamond - owned and trained by James Winter, driven by James Haythornthwaite
Kilnsey Show: Happy Hands - owned by Raymond Huschka, trained by Alexis Laidler, driven by Rocker Laidler
Wolsingham Show: Mayfellden Hetty - owned by Brian Laidler, trained by Alexis Laidler, driven by William Greenhorn
Longnor Sports: Elmo Hanover - owned and trained by William Smart, driven by Richard Haythornthwaite
Stanhope Show: Porterstown Jimmy - owned by Jody Foody, trained by Jack Foody, driven by Lee Fletcher
 |
| Mayfellden Hetty @ Wolsingham Show (Sarah Thomas photo) |
 |
| Elmo Hanover @ Longnor Sports (Graham Rees photo) |
I was present at four of the five events to enjoy the success of those involved (especially as Elmo is actually my horse, and I watched the race from inside the last two bends so I had a front row seat for the perfectly-timed challenge on the long time leader in the last eighth!), and despite being at Tir Prince for Crock of Gold Final night when Stanhope Show was being staged, I actually missed the draw for the racing because I was glued to my phone (along with a number of boys from the north east) watching the final from Stanhope on Facebook Live. We had our priorities right! It also allowed me to give Lee Fletcher and Porterstown Jimmy a big shout out on the mic when we did the draw for the CoG in front of the crowd.
Before I sign off, I think I need to ask the question:
What does the future hold for the shows?
Well, I'm no Mystic Meg so I can't tell you. As long as the respective committees keep asking us to come back, and we keep providing the horses, the future remains relatively settled. But we shouldn't 'settle for settled'. We should be looking to build on these solid foundations that have been laid over multiple generations.
Firstly, I think we need to ensure that these shows have some sort of protected status when it comes to the fixture list. In particular, Stanhope and Wolsingham. Next year will be the 240th year for Wolsingham. In 2018 it attracted 25,000 (yes, 25,000) people through the gate. They are planning to be bigger than ever next year. We need to tap into this, big time. Having checked the dates, the 240th staging of the show will be on 7th and 8th September. I would hope that no major event would be allowed to clash with this as although the event attracts primarily those in the north east of England (and Scotland), many of the top trainers are based in this area and it seems unfair to draw them away to other parts of the country.
Secondly, I think we need to work in closer conjunction with the show committees to really make our event on their schedule more than just racing horses. I have stood and watched other displays at these shows and all the while that the spectacle is happening, there is always someone on a microphone talking the crowd through what goes into making this happen and what is actually happening. I know we are the best people at talking about what we do, so let's do more of it.
Thirdly, we need to shake off this idea that the tracks at the shows are not fit for purpose. I have raced my horses around two of the five this year and cannot fault them. I fully intend to continue racing, when possible (remember I need to travel a minimum of about two hours - and a maximum of five and a half hours) at these tracks in the future. The leading stable for the last eleven years bagged two of the five this year. Bigger isn't always better and it's horses for courses as well.
I was asked to write something to draw some positive light onto the diamonds in the rough that are the show meetings. I've tried to dispell some of the myths surrounding them. If you've never been, I encourage you to go. If you have been, let me know what ideas you have to make them even better than they are. The shows have been running for, in some cases, hundreds of years with great success and for reasons unknown to me, they are allowing us to piggyback on their success so let's not waste these opportunities. If we build on the existing shows, we might even be able to tap into new shows and before you know it, the Yanks might be flying over HERE for WOLSINGHAM before we all fly back over THERE for the LBJ!
Over and out,
#1 Groom
Described as "far-fetched, but funny"
Brilliant!
ReplyDelete