4-H Club Members Visit and Tour Monticello Raceway
Thursday, 01 July 2010 10:07
Monticello, NY -- On Wednesday, June 30, forty members of local 4-H Clubs of Sullivan County along with their chaperones visited Monticello Raceway and were shown the intricacies of the backstretch and then a group made a race presentation on the afternoon’s program.
Liz Stubitz, a horse owner and trainer, led the contingent who visited the race paddock and viewed the day’s qualifying races from there. Then they went to a barn and not only witnessed a horse being harnessed to race on the card that day but they saw a licensed horse dentist, Terry Finch, plying his trade.
Finch, who also is a harness driver, explained what he was doing when he worked in the horse’s mouth and then added that he also was going to drive a horse on the afternoon race program.
“I explained everything I was doing as I took care of the horse’s teeth and I also told them that I was driving a horse by the name of Doug’s Boy in the fourth race today, and though the horse races from behind I told them that I had a pretty good chance ( to win) and they were excited about the race,” Finch said and then added; “Later, when the group was in the grandstand they cheered me in the warm-ups and the post parade and I could even hear them screaming when I finished second with the horse,” Finch said.
After the visit to the barn and horse dentist, the group viewed the harness shop and then made a stopover at a blacksmith shop prior to going to the grandstand where they had lunch and saw a few races. Later they posed with the winner of the third race, The Golden Horn, who coincidently was driven by Liz’s brother-in-law, Greg Merton.
“Everyone
was very attentive and they really enjoyed being in the backstretch,” Stubitz
said. “Anyone can go to the grandstand and watch the races but
it’s not often that there’s a chance to see what goes on in the
backstretch and these 4-H’ers had nothing but praise for the
experience.”
By John Manzi, Publicity Director, Monticello Raceway
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
