Hands On Horses Program

The Hands On Horses Program is back for 2012! Stay tuned for details of the programs we’ll offer and the schedule. Better yet, join our Notification List, and let us bring the 411 to you!

Photos from the So You Think You Can Drive event at The Raceway in the Western Fair District (October 14 & 15/2011) are now posted on our Facebook page. Click the seriously adorable (!) photo below to access the public photo album : )

Click here to access the photo album for this event!

Catch the story of Tegan’s journey more than 2,000km across Canada to participate in the HOHP’s Adult Harness Racing Camp program at Grand River a few weeks ago.

Read Hilary Eastmure’s full story here.

The Hands On Horses Program (HOHP) wrapped up a busy season with its final 2011 offering — a Standardbred Xtreme Adult Harness Racing Camp — at Grand River Raceway on October 3.

The event also served as a retirement party for one of the four Standardbreds in the HOHP stable.

Medway Factor has been with the Hands On Horses Program (HOHP) since the inception in 2003 of the HOHP’s flagship initiative, the Ontario Harness Racing Youth Camp.
During his eight years in the HOHP, Medway Factor has had more than 5,000 hands inquisitive hands upon him, and has accommodated them all with the signature patience and gentle nature of the Standardbred.

Nicknamed Buddy in honour of his former owner, the late Buddy Wellwood, the pacer was donated to the program after a career which grossed $135,000 and 14 wins, including the 1997 Ontario Sires Stakes Grass Roots Championship.

Over the years, Buddy has been harnessed and driven by quite a collection of characters. Children and adults of all ages have had their first true taste of the sport from his bike, but his passengers have also included radio personalities, politicians, magazine columnists, hockey stars, mascots, tourism advisers, TV anchors, newspaper reporters, funeral directors, roadworks superintendents, musicians and drag queens.

Now 16, Buddy has a few remaining HOHP gigs on his dance card (including a demo at the Erin Fall Fair this Saturday) before moving to his new home and career. The pacer will become the riding companion of an 11-year-old girl in Arthur, ON.

The staff and volunteers of the HOHP wish Buddy happy trails in his new adventures and thank him for his years of valuable service in promoting harness racing. A short compilation of images of Buddy from throughout the years can be seen on the HOHP YouTube channel.

The HOHP’s 2011 season spanned May through October and included:
• three racetrack Open Houses
• two Standardbred Xtreme weekend camps for adults
• seven four-day youth camps
• seven So You Think You Can Drive events
• three Showtime Staff Training events for the staff of racetracks and the OLG
• harness racing’s first-ever Drag (Queen) Race
• three afternoons at Highland Pines Family Campground in Belwood, ON
• representation at 10 fairs and festivals, including the Canadian Country Music Awards’ Fanfest at Jackson’s Square in Hamilton, ON

The Hands On Horses Program (HOHP) is an umbrella program for the interactive initiatives of The Standardbred Revenue Allocation (SRA) Marketing Committee. The SRA is responsible for administering funding from the Pari-Mutuel Tax Reduction Program, to be used for initiatives that create new racing fans and new horse owners while promoting Ontario harness racing.

Medway Factor (Buddy) has been with the Hands On Horses Program (HOHP) since the inception of the Ontario Harness Racing Youth Camp in 2003.

During the final Standardbred Xtreme Adult Harness Racing Camp of the season at Grand River Raceway on October 3, staff of the HOHP paid tribute to the 16-year-old pacer as he moves on to yet another post-racing career. Buddy has a few more gigs for the HOHP (including a demo at the Erin Fall Fair this weekend) before joining his new owner — an anxious 11-year-old girl from Arthur, ON.

Happy Trails, Buddy! Enjoy the short compilation of images of Buddy from throughout the years which we’ve assembled and posted below.

The HOHP has been crazy-busy this summer – hosting youth camps, adult camps, drag queen races, So You Think You Can Drive events, and attending fairs, exhibitions, and even campgrounds with our stable of four mighty retired Standardbreds in tow.

Here’s a taste:

HIGHLAND PINES CAMPGROUND:
A partnership between the HOHP, Grand River Raceway, and Highland Pines Campground introduced hundreds of city-slickers to the wonderful world of Standardbreds on three separate Saturday afternoons this summer.

Read Hilary Eastmure’s column in the Fergus-Elora News Express for the full scoop!

Kids at Highland Pines Campground ... love the hand-prints on the horse!

ADULT CAMPS:

HOHP has two Adult Camps on the agenda for 2011. One wrapped up last weekend at Grand River Raceway, and another is slated for October 1 -3.

See all the photos from the September 2011 camp here. Races are below!

Sharon Wooton of Elora wins the first adult camp exhibition race

Read Hilary Eastmure’s column in the Fergus-Elora News Express for the full scoop on Sharon’s big win!

The Hands On Horses Program (HOHP) put former NHL great Theo Fleury in the racebike for his first-ever trip around the track, during Clinton Raceway’s fabulous Legends Day event on September 4/11.

Fleury was one of the event’s 12 legendary guests, including his host in the bike, Wally Hennessey. The HOHP hosted a session of So, You Think You Can Drive at Legends Day, granting rides in the jog cart with drivers between the races. Lucky fans were able to drive alongside some of the Legends, including John Campbell, Doug Brown and Ron Waples.

Wally Hennessey shows Theo Fleury the ropes (Photo by Brian Tropea)

Theo Fleury with Wally Hennessey. Which one's having more fun? Hard to tell! (Photo by Brian Tropea)

Race fan Gail Cotter wins the thrill of a lifetime -- a mile with John Campbell! (Photo by Brian Tropea)

Only a few spots left for this year’s camps at Grand River! (One spot remains for the September camp, and 2 for the October camp)

These are hands-on, 3-day camps for adults, covering the care, training and ownership of Standardbred racehorses.

WHEN:          September 3, 4, 5   OR October 1, 2, 3
SIZE:             Max. 8 people/camp
WHERE:       Grand River Raceway
COST:            $300/person
CONTACT:   Kelly (519) 846-5455 x238 or kspencer@grandriverraceway.com

Whether you’re a racing fan, horse owner, or someone looking for a unique and thrilling experience, Standardbred Xtreme Camp will give you a hands-on opportunity to learn about Standardbred racehorses.

This popular camp runs over the weekend, for 2 days (Saturday and Sunday). Mornings will offer hands-on experience with the horses, while the afternoons will feature classroom sessions with industry professionals and officials. These camps will provide a hands-on learning experience with retired racehorses (two people per horse) and provide a basic overview of the many facets of harness racing.

The camp wraps up with two exciting exhibition races during the regular race card on Monday Night at Grand River Raceway.  It’s a blast!

HOURS:
9am – 5pm on Sat. & Sun.
Plus an optional  track outing on Saturday night
Monday race night – 4pm – 10pm

The Youth Camp program is in full swing! Camps at Clinton and Grand River kick off a busy summer for the Youth Camp program, which is recognized across North America as one of the best youth educational harness racing initiatives out there! Click here for more info about the program, or here for some background on the team behind the 2011 program.

(Photo by Kenny Ellis)

Hanover Raceway hosted 2 HOHP events this weekend: So, You Think You Can Drive on Saturday, and an Open House on Sunday. Both events gave people the chance to drive a retired racehorse. Hundreds of hands on horses indeed! Click on the respective links for photos!