by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Delaware, OH — The Rev. Dr. Lise Worthington does not work for Nike, but her philosophy mirrors one of the sneaker company’s advertising campaigns: Just do it.

That’s what the Rev. Worthington decided when she discovered harness racing. She wanted to give it a try.

On Friday, she accomplished a goal. She sat behind a horse for the first time.

The Rev. Dr. Lise Worthington jogs a horse at the USTA Driving School on Friday.

“I’m excited. I’m so excited,” said the Rev. Worthington, one of 45 participants in the 13th annual U.S. Trotting Association Driving School at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. “I had a great time. I had a wonderful time. I felt empowered. I felt like I wanted to try to be one with the horse, one with the cart; I wanted to be part of all of it, so I gave it my best shot.”

The USTA Driving School is open to anyone 16 years or older. Each participant gets the chance to jog a horse on the famed half-mile oval at the fairgrounds, which is home to the Little Brown Jug, one of harness racing’s Pacing Triple Crown events.

Topics covered in the general sessions include care and conditioning, stable management, driving and racing strategy, amateur driving, veterinary care, and shoeing. At the end of the school, participants can take the written portions of the trainer’s or driver’s exams.

The Rev. Worthington is the pastor of the Blooming Grove United Church of Christ, not far from Goshen, New York. Goshen is home to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame and Museum and Historic Track. In April, she attended an amateur racing safety seminar, sponsored by the C.K.G. Billings Harness Drivers Series, at the museum.

“A year or two ago I went to the Goshen track and I was taken,” the Rev. Worthington said. “There are some people in the congregation that have harness horses and race. I thought I was just going to do it. I went to the safety course. I found that to be very informative and the instructors to be positive. They were very welcoming and said to come to this, so I signed up that day. Here I am.”

The Rev. Worthington was not the only newcomer to sitting in the sulky. Of the 45 participants at the Driving School, 20 never jogged a horse prior to Friday.

Frank and Diane Lowe came from Nevada to attend the Driving School.

Diane and Frank Lowe, retirees from Mesquite, Nevada, decided to attend the Driving School after reading a story about harness racing in the AARP magazine.

“It enticed me,” Diane Lowe said. “They were talking about how much fun it is, and I thought we should try it.

“When we retired we decided to create a bucket list and this was one of the things on our bucket list. We’re having a great time.”

The Lowes both worked for the Clark County School District in Nevada; Diane as an accountant and Frank in transportation.

“We had just seen (harness racing) on TV, that’s it,” Diane Lowe said. “We didn’t know a thing otherwise. (Driving) was so exciting. It was exciting to handle the reins.

“We’re going to tell everyone in the world we had fun and tell them how exciting it is. We want to get a group together to come out here for a trip.”

USTA/Mark Hall photos

Teenager Joel Spurgeon takes a spin around the Delaware oval.

Sometime down the road, they might see classmate Joel Spurgeon driving in a race.

Spurgeon, a 19-year-old student from Napoleon, Ohio, also jogged a horse for the first time. He is studying to be a game warden.

“I’ve been around horses my whole life and in the last three years my family (Tad and Beth Spurgeon) has been getting into the harness racing,” Spurgeon said. “We own two horses. I know a few drivers and it seems like fun. I’d like to drive around the fairs, more as a hobby. I just enjoy the racing.”

Spurgeon enjoyed his first full day of classes at the Driving School, which runs through Sunday.

“I want to learn the basics, everything I need to know to get started,” he said. “To go out there for the first time, it was a lot of fun.”