by John Manzi

Twenty six years ago a group of men with vision convened at the Standardbred Horse Sales at Harrisburg, PA and emerged with an idea to resurrect amateur racing which, during harness racings’ infancy, was a viable part of the sport. Led by Hall of Fame horseman , Delvin Miller, and Phil Pines, who at that time was the curator of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, along with racing secretary Jerry Monahan, racing official Vincent Bergamo , and others, they devised a plan for a national amateur driving series which they would name after Cornelius Kingsley Garrison Billings, a wealthy industrialist, noted horseman, and an outstanding gentleman driver from Memphis, Tennessee during the early part of the Twentieth Century.

Thus the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Championship was born and from humble beginnings the event has emerged into the biggest and most notable amateur driving series on the continent. It is often referred to as “the Grand Circuit of Amateur Racing”.

Beginning Saturday, April 28 harness racings’ greatest traveling sideshow will commence at Pompano Park and continue with races offered in both the eastern and mid-west regions through November and culminate with the Championship Gold Cup, Silver Cup and Bronze Cup finals at the Meadowlands on Saturday night, December 8.

Series president, Peter Gerry, along with Northfield Park’s Director of Racing, Gregg Keidel and the Billings Board of Directors, have put in long hours diligently aligning racetracks for competitions in both the United States and Canada..

Again this season the Billings Series will have an eastern and a mid-western division with some competitions slated north of the border in neighboring Canada. Canadian events are scheduled at Georgian Downs, Flamboro Downs, Mohawk Raceway, Kawartha Downs, Clinton Raceway, Hiawatha Horsepark and Rideau Carlton Raceway in Ontario, at both Charlottetown Driving Park and Summerside Raceway on Prince Edward Island in the Canadian Maritimes and at Hippodrome de Quebec, Hippodrome d’Aylmer and Hippodrome de Montreal in Quebec. Legs have been tentatively scheduled at Fredericton Raceway in New Brunswick and at Western Fair Raceway in Ontario as well.

“The 2007 Billings Series has been developed around very exciting racing schedules both in the east and in the mid-west and with thirteen legs contested in Canada. The 26^th Season of the Billings will truly be an international competition,” noted series president, Peter Gerry. This season promises to be one of the most active and event-filled amateur driving competitions ever offered.”

The C. K. G. Billings Amateur Series is unique in that only drivers can be nominated for the competitions, though the participating trotters must fit certain criteria to be eligible to race.

Billings Series Conditions, Schedules and Nomination forms can be obtained from the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association in Goshen, NY by calling 845-294-6330. In the near future forms will be able to be downloaded from the Standardbred Driving Clubs webpage on the USTA website.

Each participant must be a member in good standing with the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association and licensed by either the USTA or Standardbred Canada and by the State or Province where required.

A fee of $400 (U.S. Funds) will make a licensed amateur driver eligible for all events in the eastern and the mid-west regions. And in order to attract student membership and introduce them to the wonders of amateur harness driving a special fee of just $50 makes youngsters 15-21 years of age eligible for the entire season. Non students who are 16-21 years old can be eligible a $150 fee. And for the casual competitor who is interested in driving four times or less there is a Patron’s Membership of $200.

New this year is a Junior Membership for amateurs aged 22-26. A fee of $150 is required from those fitting those criteria.

All nominations must be mailed to the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association, P.O. Box 590., Goshen, NY 10924.

Nominations close on April 24, 2007. Late nominations incur a $100 penalty fee.