by David Siegel, for the California Amateur Driving Club

Sacramento, CA — The two night, six-race series conducted at Cal-Expo between a group of California-based amateurs and Auckland, New Zealand area drivers concluded on Saturday evening (April 30) in Sacramento with the American team defeating the visitors 147–90. Kiwi Danny Blakemore led the New Zealand contingency with two wins.

As is always the case with these series, the competition is “bloody serious” as a NZ driver might say, but that is where the adversarial conditions end. The Kiwis were chaperoned by Brev Creech during the end of their stay in San Francisco and were hosted at his home in Chico, California just before travelling to Sacramento for the racing event. After being given an introduction to US racing by Dave Siegel and a meeting with the Cal Expo judges, the Friday evening competition commenced with three races. After jumping out to a two point lead after the first leg, Team NZ found themselves with a bit of a challenge going into Saturday’s three races, trailing 68-43.

On Saturday, Mr. Sacramento, aka Steve Chambers, guided the group to the Desomer Farm, the largest breeding and training operation in the Golden State. Farm Manager Robin Clements gave the group a tour of the facility and introduced them to the breeding and training ways of California. A quick tour of the Desomer museum (their house is a living testament to racing on the left coast) and the group was off to Sutter Creek, center of the Gold Rush of 1849, where a walk around town and a California cuisine lunch was enjoyed with 75 degree temperatures, no humidity, and blue skies — a perfect day and a clear explanation to the Kiwis of why 38 million people have chosen to call the state home.

Back to the oval, on Saturday night the Americans won the fourth leg of the series, creating a mountain pass that even the most advanced gold seekers of the mid-1800s could not climb. The Americans won the fifth leg as well, setting up the finale.

Racing for pride and momentum into the next trans-pacific voyage, Danny Blakemore had the Kiwi’s exiting with an exclamation point, defeating the Americans in the final leg of the series by coming from off the pace for his second win of the series.

On Sunday, prior to their late night 12 hour journey home, the NZ group headed back to the Bay Area and the roots of west coast harness racing. They were excited to see and hear about the Stanford Stock Farm (now Stanford University) and the connection between harness racing and motion pictures. At the Stanford Equestrian Center stands a statue of Electioneer, the great trotting stallion circa 1870, and the story of how a wager that trotters were actually airborne while at speed led to the development of motion pictures.

After two weeks of restaurants, the Kiwis shared a home-cooked meal by their local hosts Mona and Dave Siegel, and were off to return to their land down under.

The Kiwi Team expressed their thanks to the Cal Expo horsemen, management team, and the NAADA and their president Joe Faraldo for helping to underwrite the purse supplements for this wonderful exchange of international interest in harness racing. New Zealanders have made about five such trips over the last ten years or so, and look forward to their return and hosting American visitors in the future.

For information about the California Amateur Driving Club, the Challenge or amateur driving in general, please visit www.thecadc.com.