from the California Amateur Driving Club

Sacramento, CA — Two relative newcomers to the amateur driving ranks will draw swords (actually whips) for the first time against eastern combatants in next week’s East-West challenge.

Karen Isbell and Amanda Fraser both earned their positions on Team West’s roster by finishing in the top of the heap during the two amateur series conducted at Cal Expo in 2011.

Karen Isbell

Karen Isbell is a story in and of herself. A jockey turned amateur driver, she was born in Lake Charles, La., and now lives in Lincoln, Calif., with her husband, Allen Aldrich. They have two children and two grandchildren.

She was a jockey for 23 years and rode her first Thoroughbred to victory on Sept. 3, 1979, at Cal Expo.

Isbell also won races aboard Quarter Horses, Arabians and Mules. After retiring as a jockey in 2001, her competitive spirit kept her active, riding hunters and jumpers.

At the age of 54, exactly 31 years after her first victory aboard a Thoroughbred, Isbell drove in a harness race at Cal Expo on Sept. 3, 2010. Two months later, she won her first race.

Amanda Fraser is a native Canadian. Born in Nova Scotia, Fraser, 33, just started driving in 2011 and immediately joined the California Amateur Driving Club.

Amanda Fraser

After working with Thoroughbred racehorses as a groom in beginning in 2002 in Alberta, Fraser started working with Standardbreds. After two years of spending half of each year with Thoroughbreds and the other half with Standardbreds, she made the decision to become fully involved with harness horses.

In 2007 she met her husband and Cal Expo driver Scott Cisco and has since had the chance to race horses in Ohio, Ontario, Alberta and California.

Fraser gives credit to her stepfather for her deep interest in harness racing. He bought her a retired Standardbred mare as a riding horse as a young girl. This induced a life-long love and respect for Standardbred racehorses which eventually led to her present-day passion and love for the sport.

The two women are joined by teammates Dave Siegel and Rick Bertrand in their quest to push the win total to five of the soon to be seven East-West Challenges conducted at the Sacramento oval. The eight-race series will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14.

When asked to comment about her involvement in the series, Isbell said, “I am so happy to be participating in this event. I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of driving here against the professionals and am honored to participate against fellow amateurs. This is another great highlight of my career.”