Tambasco at top of USTA Driving School
May 22, 2006,by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA
If Frank Tambasco’s performance in the USTA’s Driving School race was any indication, he was a pretty good student. Tambasco, a horse owner from Clifton Park, New York, and professional partner Ron Taubert won the school’s time-bar race at Scioto Downs on Saturday night, defeating five other classmates in the process. The goal was to finish at 2:20; Tambasco crossed the line in first place in 2:24 to claim the winner’s trophy. USTA Photo USTA Driving School student, Frank Tambasco, left, from Albany, New York, with assistance from driver Ron Taubert, comes down the stretch to win the time-bar exhibition race in 2:20 at Scioto Downs. “Just being in the race was great,” Tambasco said, grinning widely. “Ron helped a lot. He told me where to be and where we were as far as time. We knew the pace was going to put us over 2:20, so at that point it was just going to be a race to the finish. The passing lane opened up and Ron told me to take her down the rail and let her go. It was certainly a thrill.”
The eighth annual Driving School concluded Sunday at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio. A total of 64 students participated, representing 22 states plus the province of Ontario. There were 20 women in the class and students ranged in age from their teens to their 70s.
“To me, I came here more as a fantasy camp as an owner,” said Tambasco, who works in sales. “I wanted to learn more about the sport, especially the vet part. That part was great. The whole thing was really good.”
Among the instructors at the class were Taubert, Joe Faraldo, Lon Frocione, John Konesky, Sandy Beatty, Virgil Morgan Jr., Dr. Barry Carter, Kenny Edwards, TC Lane, Jim Arledge, Jerry Knappenberger, Kelly Rucker, Chip Hastings, Bill Heiser, Mike Conklin, Michele Kopiec and Kris Wolfe.
Topics included amateur driving, driving strategy, equipment and shoeing, stable management, veterinary care, and conditioning. On the final day, students could take the written portions of the driver and/or trainer tests. The highlight for most participants, though, was getting to jog a horse around Delaware’s famed half-mile oval, home of the Little Brown Jug. Approximately, one-third of the class had never jogged a horse before.
“That was incredible; I wanted to keep going,” said Jane Farkas, who attended the school with her 17-year-old daughter, Janelle. The mother and daughter, from Palmerton, Pennsylvania, jogged their first horses at the same time Saturday morning.
USTA Photo
60 participants from across the country meet for the 8th annual USTA Driving School at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Janelle Farkas is considering an equine-related major in college and used the Driving School to help determine whether she really wanted to continue in that direction.
“I think once I got out to jog, I decided this was it. That was the selling point,” she said. “You learn so much in two days. I thought it was a good experience without delving into too much all at once.”
Other participants in the class were Kevin Armstrong, Sonya Barber, John Bennett, Kathy Bennett, Russ Bergdoll, Ken Berger, Bea Berger, Mary Birkhold, Glen Borntreger, Robert Bove, Steve Buszek, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Chadwick, Ernest Damron, Mike Donisi, Bill Dunton, Brad Eilerman, Don Fisher, Tom Fries, Warner Grammer, Mike Hale, Lindsey Hatfield, Shelly Helstowski, Kim Hitchens, Vernon Hood, Barb Imber, Rick Jellison, Bethany Jester, Jill Klicka, Neil Krassner, Vartan Krikorian, Rex LaRowe, John Lewis, Mark Lewis, Don Locricchio, Hilary Matthews, Dan Miller, Vince Molloy, John Motta, Rolf Mueller, Tom O’Connor, Dwight Peoples, Tom Richardson, Paul Richardson, Micki Roche, John Scorsone, Robert Sell, Jennifer Shockley, Sheri Smith, Josh Sneft, Mike Spitzner, Connie Spitzner, Mike Stalnaker, Tony Telymonde, Eldon Thompson, John Tokos, Frederic Tybus, Rich Walter, Jean Wasrud, Tom Whitney, and Tim Wolf.