by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — A dozen aspiring announcers received the opportunity to call a race on Saturday (June 18) morning at The Meadowlands as part of their course work for a race calling class, sponsored by the USTA in conjunction with The Meadowlands.

Ellen Harvey photo

Meadowlands track announcer Ken Warkentin (standing)instructed a class of a dozen at The Meadowlands on Saturday morning.

The students, who came from as far away as the New York/Canada border and the Rhode island/Connecticut border, ranged in ages from teens to retirees, some already harness racing fans or owners and some new to the sport. Track announcer Ken Warkentin instructed them on techniques and stood by to provide assistance as each got a turn at the microphone.

A modest tuition stipend was earmarked as a donation for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.

It was the second such workshop conducted by the USTA. The first, with Tom Durkin instructing, was held in 2015 in Goshen, NY; that workshop can be found on here on Youtube.

The calls by Saturday’s students can be heard starting with race nine on The Meadowlands web site here.