by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Goshen, NY — Clyde Jasinski has owned harness racing horses for several decades, but never had the time to work with them in the past.

Now retired, Jasinski is ready to start horsing around.

Clyde Jasinski enjoyed jogging horses at the USTA Driving School.

Jasinski was among the 48 participants at the 15th annual U.S. Trotting Association Driving School, which ended Sunday in upstate New York. The school, held at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Goshen, Historic Track and the Mark Ford Training Center in Middletown, offers students the opportunity to get hands-on experience at local stables as well as classroom sessions with trainers, drivers and veterinarians.

“I’ve owned harness horses for over 30 years and because of other obligations — work, family, etc. — I never had the chance to be hands on with them,” Jasinski said. “After retiring from my career job, I decided there was no excuse for me not to do something like this.

“A friend of mine whose son went to the school told me you’ve got to go, it’s terrific. The time came and I said I’m going to go. Sadly, my friend passed away this past summer, but I said I owe it to him to go.”

Trainers opening their stables to the group included Ray Schnittker at Goshen Historic Track, plus Mark Ford, Scott Blackler, Tyler and Amber Buter, Jean Drolet, Rob and Patty Harmon, Brandon Simpson and Allen Sisco at the Mark Ford Training Center.

Classes included a driver strategy session with John Campbell and Jeff Gregory plus care and conditioning tips from Ford and Schnittker. School participants had the chance to take the written portion of the trainer’s and/or driver’s examination and the event concluded with an exhibition race featuring selected students. Rick Hare won the race with pro driving partner Schnittker.

Jasinski, who lives in Saratoga Springs, never sat behind a horse until he attended the Driving School. He spent his mornings working at the Schnittker Stable.

“What I’ve most enjoyed, I think like everybody, is the jogging,” Jasinski said. “That’s a terrific on-track experience. You can watch them and kind of imagine how it is, but until you’re in that bike and feel the lines in your hands and the responsiveness of the horse, that’s pretty awesome.

“But the harnessing of the horse, the grooming of the horse, the bathing of the horse, preparing the stall, putting them away — all that stuff is great too. It’s not work to anyone that loves the sport like we do.”

Jasinski wants to continue learning and do more work that doesn’t feel like work.

“I’d like to take away a foundation for maybe doing this myself with my own horse; talk to my trainer and maybe help him out a little bit,” he said. “Maybe someday do it myself as a hobby.”

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Of all the participants at the Driving School, Holly Decker-Perry and her daughter Heather Perry probably had the simplest trip to Historic Track.

“It took us about five minutes to get here,” Holly said, laughing.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photos

Holly Decker-Perry and her daughter Heather attended the school together.

The mother-daughter duo from Goshen has been involved with show horses, but Heather is eyeing more involvement in harness racing. She is a three-year veteran of the Harness Horse Youth Foundation’s camps held in Goshen and would like to become a driver and trainer.

“I really like getting to know all the different horses and how different they really all are, even though they all do the same thing,” said Heather, who is a student at Goshen High School. “It’s cool to see how differently they go. I like learning and trying to understand them to make them their best.”

Holly, a retired New York City police officer, was happy for the chance to get on the backstretch at Historic Track, where her family has had box seats for a dozen years.

“We always come to the track and watch the races,” Holly said. “After watching them all the time, you just want to participate. We decided that we were going to do the school together. Doing this experience, I started to learn more about it and I really enjoy it. I don’t know that I would be a driver, but maybe get a horse.

“It’s a fun experience. I like getting out and jogging the horses. It’s really nice. It’s a great experience and it’s nice to do things together. We’ve always enjoyed the horses together, so this was just another thing that we do with the horses. It’s something that always brought us together.”

* * * *

Mary Bare was told she would be a good harness racing trainer and now the Virginia resident is taking the first steps toward finding out.

Bare and her husband, John, own seven horses and Bare is looking to get her trainer’s license, in part because the couple’s trainer, Robert Marshall, passed away in April at the age of 81.

“He taught us a lot,” Bare said. “He had the passion for harness horses. My husband has been shoeing horses for 30 some years and had shod for him and he got us started. It was like a bug; when it bit, I was wondering why we hadn’t done this earlier. He told me I would make a good trainer.

“This (school) has just been wonderful. I can’t say enough about it. Everybody has been so helpful. I’ve asked so many questions and nobody has looked at me like, please don’t ask another question. They are willing to help you in any way. I’ve learned so much, and I don’t mind work.”

Bare has worked with other breeds of horses, but is most fond of the Standardbreds. She was hooked on harness racing after experiencing “the excitement and the adrenaline” of racing.

“I’ve showed quarter horses, saddle horses and walking horses and nothing tops the Standardbred,” Bare said. “The breed is awesome.”