Profiles

ANNA GURNEY...A QUIET ACHIEVER...THERE FOR THE LONG HAUL WITH THE GAME AT HEART..

2007-03-21T12:26:04Z

(1) Name..ANNA GURNEY.
(2) Nickname..Annnie.
(3)How long have you been involved in harness racing..30 years.
(4) What is your involvement..Trainer/Driver/Breeder/Owner.
(5) How did you come to be in the game..Friends.
(6) What or who,has been the strongest influence on you to date..Friends in harness racing who give me good,knowledgeable advice.Also,breeding my own horses.
(7) Role models..None.
(8) Best horse trained..JAMES SHANNON..Favourite horse trained..THOMAS CROWN.
(9) High point to date..Double at Albion Park with JAMES SHANNON and THOMAS CROWN.
(10) Best horse seen..BLACKS A FAKE / SURFING SAFARI (juvenile).
(11) Best trainer..Any trainer who puts in the hard work in a hard industry and keeps their horses looking well and racing consistently.
(12) Best driver..Grant Dixon / Luke McCarthy.

]]> (13) Most useful item of harness equipment used to date..Reins / Lugging pole.
(14) Worst experience seen..Excessive whip use.
(15) Where do you see harness racing in 10 years time..If the sport is not promoted more,harness racing will be the same as it is now.
(16) Where do you see yourself in harness racing in 10 years time..Only training a couple of horses,trying to train a few winners and still learning.
(17) What do we do wrong in harness racing..We don't promote the sport enough.It's only when really big races are on that we read anything GOOD in the newspapers as compared to the gallops.We do not encourage NEW or CURRENT participants in the industry.There are no incentives for participants such as presentation of horses.We are considered second rate to the gallops,yet,we have some beautiful horses.PROMOTE THEM!!
(18) What do we do right in harness racing..Breeding--Qbred system--top stallions.
(19) What should we be doing better..Obtain more media coverage to encourage new participants and fans.Look after participants better--ask their opinion with surveys etc re changing rules.eg.no points for trialling.
(20)Are you a punter...No! The horses cost enough money without losing more.Losing on the punt clouds your judgement on how the horses really perform.

DOUG LYON --- HE'S PRETTY WELL DONE IT ALL...

2007-02-23T00:45:21Z

Nickname,if any....Dee Jay.
How long have you been involved in trotting/harness racing....63 years as a fan."BELLS PADDOCK" at Mitchelton.
What is your involvement...35 years as an owner,25 years a breeder,and 5 years as a trainer.(Dee Jay originally requested that this sentence be served concurrently...He would be much younger now.)
How did you come to be in the game.ie.family / friends....employee introduced me to ownership.
What or who has been the strongest influence on you to date...breeding
Role models if any...too old for that caper.
Best horse trained and / or driven...EASY DUZIT
High point to date...MAKIN IT EASY--undefeated in first 9 starts.
Best horse seen....CHRISTIAN CULLEN.
Best trainer...too hard..pass.
Best driver...Gavin Lang.
Most useful item of harness / equipment seen or used to date...basic gear and snaffle bit.
Worst occurrence seen / experienced to date.....Jim Retchless in a smash at Rocklea.
Where do you see trotting / harness racing in 10 years time...same old STRUGGLE STREET.
Where do you see YOU in trotting / harness racing 10 years on...it will have to survive without me.
What do we do WRONG in the light harness game...Regard the product purely as a gaming opportunity.Do not treat owners with the consideration necessary to encourage their increased participation.
What do we do right in the light harness game.....Improved breeding,improved nutrition,improved training and improved racing administration.
What should we be doing--don't be shy....A national marketing committee,(FINANCED BY LEVY) to create a new culture wherebye the PUBLIC learn to "worship" our heroes,(drivers and horses--horses and drivers) as has been done in other sports.eg SOCCER..BASKETBALL.. RUGBY..CRICKET etc.
Are you a punter..if not..why not?...Not---I LIKE TO WIN.
There you have DEE JAY -- trotting's classic all-rounder..

JANET AINSCOW...INTEGRITY..."FROM THE SWABBING BOX"..Keep scrolling down..

2007-01-30T19:39:53Z

Introducing JANET AINSCOW,seen above providing the practical / objective horse skills in trials to determine oxygen uptake in the performance horse.The shot was taken in Purga 1984..

]]> A bit of background.
Janet has spent almost her entire working life with horses in one form or another,after becoming the then youngest person in Queensland (15) to gain an "Instructors Certificate" from the Pony Club Association of Queensland.Neither of her parents had any interest in horses,but,both her grandmothers were excellent horsewomen.(a classic manifestation of the "skipped generation" syndrome.
With many years involvement in research projects,Janet's name appears in the credit list on a large number published scientific papers relating to the performance horse.
Perhaps the most significant research in which Janet was involved,was that which led to the banning of ANABOLIC STEROIDS in the "racing horse" of both codes.
A later "blog" will explore what can be truthfully described as a"watershed" in horse training methods.
PROFILE.
Name...JANET AINSCOW.
Nickname..."TOMMY" -- after T.J.Smith,as I trained horses experimentally in an anabolic steroid trial at University of Qld.
How long involved in trotting / harness racing...Used to go to the trots with grandparents in TEMORA (NSW) over 40 years ago.Distant relative owned 1972 Inter champ WELCOME ADVICE.
...What is your involvement...Sample collection official.Currently no horses.Have bred quarter horses and gallopers.
How did you come to be in the game...By association through work.
What or who has been the strongest influence to date...No one.
Role models if any....Nil.
Best horse trained and / or driven...Nil.
High point to date...Getting a urine sample from a horse that "NEVER" pees.
Best horse seen..BLACKS A FAKE.
Best trainer...John McCarthy.
Best driver...Luke McCarthy.
Most useful item of harness / equipment seen / used to date...Water bucket.
Worst occurrence seen / experienced to date...dehydrated and heat stressed horses due to people withholding water.
Where do you see trotting in 10 years time...From afar -- I'll be retired.
Where do you see YOU in trotting in 10 years time...Maybe a horse and cart for grocery shopping if I can't afford petrol anymore.
What do we do wrong in trotting / harness racing...Lacks glamour,panache,and decent media coverage -- too many races for poor quality and "lame" horses.
What do we do right in trotting / harness racing...no answer.
What should we be doing(don't be shy)...no answer.
Are you a punter.If not...why not?....Not permitted by QHRB --- conflict of interest..

ANDREW KELLY...CEO..QUEENSLAND HARNESS RACING..

2006-11-05T22:34:54Z

Name...ANDREW KELLY..No nickname given---we will have to find one for him..
Age... 35 years..
Involvement in Harness Racing.....Full time administrator..
Time in the game...About 5 years.Was an occasional attender at Geelong Trots,and when on footy trips to Tasmania..
Introduced into the sport by...HRV Chair,NEIL BUSSE--- direct recruitment to admin post..
Role Models....Not big on " role models" as they often let you down.Likes to take the good parts,and mould them together.(Maybe we can call him "JIGSAW MAN" ).
Best horse owned...None,as HRV staff were denied ownership.Ironically.family,and footy/cricket friends have raced horses in a small syndicate in recent years.Their first winner was AVEROSS at Bendigo with Matthew Gath in the sulky.
Best horse driven...Training trips with CLASSICOLA.
Best horse seen....ELSU--Hunter Cup win was awesome.Evergreen SOKYOLA continues to amaze.
Best trainer...MAREE CALDOW--Training performance is great,but gets extra nod for attention to detail,presentation of herself and her runners,communication with their owners and a willingness to promote the sport off her own bat.
Best driver..."Iceman" GAVIN LANG.Outstanding,and wins hands down.

]]> Most useful piece of harness/equipment...A horse float--how else would you transport them to the races.
Worst moment...Being close to the action when "Iceman" was involved in a fall at Mildura in April this year.Thought it was all over for GAVIN LANG.
Best Moment...Watching JAG DE BELLOUET win the 2006 ELITLOPPET at SOLVALLA in Sweden.1.51.7 for the mile on a 1000 metre track.Just awesome.Pity about the subsequent disqualification for a positive swab.(JAG DE BELLOUET trotted 1.54 for 2100 metres in Finland 7 days later ---world record---and came up clean)..
Best advice recieved...It was related to Harness Racing Admin---The order of benefit from a decision taken should be--INDUSTRY--STATE--CLUB---SELF.
Describe yourself in one word...Reliable.
Ambitions...My ambition in Harness Racing is to lift returns to Queensland stakeholders,in line with the quality product they produce.
Summary...ANDREW KELLY has come to Queensland from one of the more viable harness operations.(HRV).We must give him support as this horse(QHR) may be a bit harder to drive than CLASSICOLA..He has a good barrier(No 1 ),he will need a bit of luck in running---lets hope he gets the money..

AS PROMISED..NIKKI "ENJAY" JOHNSON..

2006-10-29T10:06:08Z

NIKKI JOHNSON snapped at QHR AWARDS NIGHT.Note that this Cindy Hurley shot shows "ENJAY" in ascending mode.The following profile will indicate that this is appropriate.
Name...NIKKI JOHNSON.
Age..21.
Involvement..Trainee in all aspects of the light harness game.
Length of involvement..12 months--Previously into saddle horses---9 years dressage and show jumping.
Family ties..Dad--"Bunger" Johnson,a successful trainer of many years experience.
Introduced into sport...Dad.
Role models..Stuart Hunter--NIKKI is currently being groomed by Hunter to take the position of "Travelling Foreperson",responsible for the stable's team of GRAND CIRCUIT and FEATURE HORSES.
Best horse seen to date...Too difficult to choose,but would be one from Queensland's "BIG 4".
Best horse handled.. FLASHING RED.
KEEP SCROLLING to EXTENDED ENTRY..
Best trainer..Stuart Hunter.
Best driver... Luke McCarthy.

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Best moment..Accompanying FLASHING RED to NZ and settling him in prior to current campaign.
Worst moment..None yet.
Best item of harness or eqipment seen to date...A set of GOOD wet weather clothes.
Ambitions in the sport..To train and drive professionally,with driving dependent on her own assessment of ability.(Likely to be a hard marker).
Describe yourself in one word(It took two)..Optimistic 50%---Particular 50%...From this we deduct that "ENJAY" likes to run a tight ship with the bunkers half full,not half empty.
View of the sport...Product is good,but,must be sold far more effectively.
Long term..."SEYMOUR project at Albion Park may hold "short term key" to long term viability.
Personal...Likes to relax with a glass of "BAILEYS".add the wet weather gear,and,we have NIKKI,a girl seriously into practical comfort..
Summary...Extremely well presented---totally lacking in arrogance...tries like hell...will make a valuable contribution to the sport, while having a whale of a time..

Coming soon an exciting profile on Nikki Johnson

2006-10-04T03:24:47Z