by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Fort Washington, MD — When announcer Pete Medhurst got the chance to start calling races at Ocean Downs, he was already working in a radio station in Virginia Beach.

Rather than miss his first chance to announce full-time, he decided to make the four-hour round trip four days a week.

“I was commuting,” he said, “but when you’re that young you’re not looking at your profit margin.”

Years later, although his commute has changed Medhurt’s enthusiasm for calling races hasn’t. In addition to working as an update anchor at the Washington area’s 106.7 FM Monday through Friday and providing play-by-play for all of the Naval Academy’s athletic games, Medhurst announces part-time at Rosecroft Raceway. During the summer, he also announces at Ocean Downs.

Photo courtesy of Pete Medhurst

Pete Medhurst (right) interviewing a Naval Academy football player.

“You don’t do it on the schedule I do if it doesn’t mean something to you,” Medhurst said, adding that the support of his wife Brenda and his kids also helped.

Medhurst, who lives in Maryland, was first exposed to harness racing as a teenager at Rosecroft Raceway.

“Immediately it was something I liked,” he said. “Bill Long was my favorite driver because he had (Washington) Redskin colors.”

What started as an interest in the sport soon became a fascination as Medhurst learned more about racing and began to meet the drivers and trainers. Before long he was a frequent visitor in the barns of Rosecroft trainers Russ McGee, Jimmy Covington and Cliff Green.

“When you’re surrounded by people willing to teach you the sport it makes it easier to enjoy,” Medhurst said.

With his ever-present interest in radio announcing — Medhurst’s dream job since the age of 5 — it’s no surprise he ended up in the announcer’s booth. He started filling in whenever he was given the chance at either Ocean Downs or Rosecroft. He can still tell you about the first race he ever called.

“Yankee Beamer won,” he said. “Ray Robinson drove for Ronnie Davis.”

Medhurst took the job of Ocean Downs announcer when Scott Warren left to call races at Rosecroft. He credits Warren with coming up with many of the well-known nicknames for local drivers.

“Scott made those part of the fabric and you try to continue that,” he said. “People relate to that.”

Medhurst takes pride in his work, evidenced by his commitment to learning the local racing lore and his attention to detail. He’s been known to even use Facebook to contact an owner regarding the pronunciation of difficult names. Even though it’s a small thing, the mispronunciation of a name is something people will notice, Medhurst says.

“That could be the impression they’re left with — that we didn’t care,” he said. “A lot of times we’re afraid to reach out to people but 99 percent of the time they will appreciate it.”

Although Maryland’s inconsistent racing schedule the last few years has led Medhurst to increase his radio and sports broadcasting work, leaving him with less time for the horses, he says he’s committed to maintaining at least a part-time presence in the announcer’s booth at both Free State tracks as long as he can. Last month, he didn’t hesitate to jump in his car for the three-hour trip from Dulles Interntaional Airport — where he’d just landed from traveling to Dublin, Ireland with the Navy football team — to call the closing night card at Ocean Downs.

“Both places mean a lot to me,” he said. “I love the sport.”