by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal Expo Harness

Sacramento, CA — Steve Crump is making his first trip to Cal Expo and the 65-year-old Saskatchewan native and his wife Shannon are enjoying the racing and the mild weather.

“My wife and I love it, and so do the horses,” said Crump, who came down from Alberta with eight performers and plans to stay through the end of the meet.

“I originally got involved with harness racing in 1969 through Chuckie Lewis,” Crump related when asked about his beginnings in the game. “I was 19 at the time and while I’d been around horses all my life, this was the first time I was exposed to racing.”

After putting in several years learning about the game from the ground up in the Lewis barn, Crump elected to concentrate on his marriage and home life and spent five years working as a carpenter.

“We always had some horses, though, and in 1982 we came back in and opened a public stable. I guess the most we ever had was about 16, and that’s when we raced our all-time favorite, a mare named Tangle High who did real well for us.”

There came a second time when Crump left training, going back into the construction business while buying a farm in Alberta. “Three years ago, everybody in the company retired and we got back into the horses full time in Edmonton.”

Encouraged by Quentin and Ricky Schneider, Steve and Shannon decided to give Cal Expo a chance this winter.

“You can say that we wanted to follow the warmth,” Crump said.

The Open Trot headlines Sunday evening’s Cal Expo program, with It’s Not Over and El Azteca getting the top billing. An 11-race card is on tap and first post is 4:40 p.m.

The trotters and pacers are now in action under the Watch and Wager LLC banner on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Beginning Dec. 26, Friday night action will be added to the mix.