Hoss Talk

Teenage girl helps Fraser
The Vancouver Province
Mon 22 Nov 2004
Page: A30
Section: Sports
Byline: Tom Wolski
Column: Hoss Talk
Source: The Province

Thanks to a 14-year-old girl living in Seattle, four of the top standardbred drivers in North America will be coming to meet fans and drive in races at Fraser Downs in Cloverdale Jan. 16.

The four are Ron Pierce, Jeff Gregory, Cat Manzi and David Miller.

It all came about when Pierce, currently the hottest driver in harness racing, heard though family friends about Erica Webster, a youngster who recently purchased a former standardbred horse and is working to turn it into a riding horse.

The girl placed a telephone call to Pierce in the drivers room at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. One of her questions was, "Where was the nearest racetrack to Seattle?" After telling her it was Fraser Downs, Pierce called Herb Hugel, senior judge at Fraser Downs.

"I told Ron to give her my telephone number and have her call me any time and I would help her in any way I could," said Hugel.

Upon learning how much Hugel had helped the youngster, Pierce asked if there was anything he could do to show his appreciation.

He suggested perhaps he and a couple of other drivers could come to Cloverdale for a day.

Hugel contacted management at Fraser Downs to inform them of Pierce's gesture.

"When we heard about this, we jumped at it," said Chuck Keeling, general manager at the harness track.

"Imagine we have four of the top drivers coming from the Meadowlands to Fraser Downs, thanks to a 14-year-old girl living in Seattle. This is like having jockey Pat Day and four riders coming to Hastings to ride there. It also says a lot of Ron Pierce and the other three drivers and what they will do to promote our sport."

In the aftermath of Friday's unseemly NBA battle royal, isn't it nice to know that all professional athletes should not be judged as jerks?

Spare time

Horse owner and former Vancouver Canucks coach Bob McCammon, who during the NHL lockout remains employed by the Detroit Red Wings, has opened a trendy restaurant in False Creek called Ocean6 Seventeen.

"This is a great experience, because it also gives me time to go to the races and then at work talk hockey with the customers," said McCammon.

As for those horses?

"One of my horses was named Cageyone, because it was my nickname when I was playing. I was hoping to own more Cagey's. After watching him run, I knew one Cagey in the family was enough."

Media mention

A July 5 column in The Province entitled "Seeing through tears" is a finalist for a Jockey Club of Canada media award.

The column told the story of a horse owner who helped a trainer beat his substance addition by befriending him and helping him find work at the track.

twolski@shaw.ca