Page 27 - October 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper The Game, October 2007 27
A Different Way of Looking at Horses
“My last name is half Cree Indian and half French,” explained trainer Harold Ladouceur when asked for the correct spelling of his name during an interview on the backstretch at Fort Erie, “I was born in Lac La Biche which is Cree for ‘Lake of the Elk’.”
The proudness for his ancestry is evident in the way he speaks about his upbringing in the Kikino Metis settlement located 100 miles North East of Edmonton. “Metis means mixed blood. I have land there and a farm house and that is where my family still lives.”
Born in 1966, Harold grew up in the back country where they used horses to cut hay, move heavy logs and for hunting and trapping.
As a youngster, Harold would emulate his father by playing rodeo, “I had a pony who was really tough,” laughs Harold as he reflects on his childhood, “I would get bucked off a lot. My father, William Joseph Ladouceur, rode saddle broncs, sometimes bareback, in the rodeos in Alberta and Saskatchewan.”
Harold began riding at rodeos for real when he was seven, calf riding and eventually moving up to the novice division at the Wild Rose Rodeo Association.
He would also join his uncle on moose hunting trips where they would ride on horseback deep into the bush, using a chain saw and axe to cut paths for the horses and the wagons. Along the way they would trap beaver, coyotes, muskrats, mink and otter for their saleable pelts.
Sadly his father passed away when he was nine, and eventually Harold went to live with his grandfather, Alex Poitras, in Saskatchewan.
It was there that he rode in his first thoroughbred race at a bush track in Meadowlake.
“I was 13 years old and small. My uncle ‘told’ me that I was going to ride this horse for my grandfather.”
Bursting out the gate for the first time in his life, one foot came out of the irons,
and Harold hung on the whole way round. He was in the lead until just before the wire when another horse stuck its nose in front.
Harold was exercising thoroughbreds for his grandfather at the farm where they would train on old dirt roads and bush trails. He also galloped his grandfathers horses at Marquis Downs during the racing season. The thoroughbred racehorses were also used for Chuck Wagon racing where Harold joined the team as an outrider.
“Being native, you look at horses differently,” explains Harold about his take on training horses, “My grandfather always loved horses that have long tails and long whiskers on their faces. Conformation was a big thing but there were other things to look at too. He never liked horses that were thin between the eyes or had small eyes.”
When it came to breaking horses, they used ropes and worked with the horses until they eventually came around. “We would teach them to become animals that were worth looking after instead of animals that wanted to hurt you.”
Harold recalls a white thoroughbred whom quite possibly was albino, “He was one thoroughbred horse who could not be broke.” Harold says with a laugh, “His name was Cochin Jack, and we sold him to a ‘bucking stock’ contractor. He became the top bucking horse at the National Finals Rodeo in Saskatchewan.”
Harold went to school in Saskatchewan and worked as a pipe fitter and oil and gas production operator before leaving for Manitoba with trainer Leland Myer to gallop his horses at Assiniboia Downs.
This is where he met Jessie, who is now his wife.
Jessie had also come from a horserac- ing background. Her grandfather was a trainer and her father, Larry Bird, was a jockey.
Jessie had a tough old racehorse named Bone Weary in training at the race- track. Galloping him in the morning was
becoming quite a challenge and her father suggested that they should get Harold to get on him. “This native guy...he could ride anything.” was what her father had told her.
“He never missed a
cheque after that so I
figured I had better hold
on to this guy.” said
Jessie playfully out of
earshot of Harold. “I
thought she was cute and
I couldn’t stop talking to
her.” was Harold’s take on their budding romance.
The pair then went off to Florida where they stayed for two years.
During that time, a homebred yearling of Jessie’s, Ardent Eddy, was shipped to them in Florida to be broke. The mare also joined them in Florida a short time later.
While in Florida, Harold and Jessie worked for Jocelyn and Luke McKathan, a connection which would play an integral role in Harold’s future training career.
When Ardent Eddy was ready to race they shipped him to trainer Jack Wilson at Fort Erie while Harold was working on getting his trainer’s license. Ardent Eddy broke his maiden at Fort Erie and finished second in the $60,000 Peace Bridge Stakes. Later that Fall, Ardent Eddy would become the first horse that Harold, a newly minted trainer, would have in his care.
In 2005 Harold became a public trainer after acquiring a couple of new owner clients.
The McKathan’s had horses at Woodbine with trainer Greg DeGannes and when looking to find a trainer in Fort Erie they stumbled across a familiar name in Harold Ladouceur and shipped him a couple of two-year-olds to train.
Trainer Kathy Ranford had also recommended Harold to her owner,
Charles Boyd, who was looking for a trainer in Fort Erie.
“That first year was tough, we had 21 starts and 11 seconds. 2006 was a better year comparatively.” That was when Harold won his first race as a trainer with the Jocelyn McKathan owned 2-year-old, Fast Trick, in a 2 furlong dash at Woodbine for $60,000. (Fast Trick has had four starts in 2007 at the same distance in Fort Erie, with 1 win, 1 second and 2 thirds).
2006 was also the year that Harold and Jessie were married. They tied the knot on September 18, shortly after the birth of their son Jacob. Chaplain Shawn Kennedy performed the marriage ceremony and Christened Jacob at the same time.
In his third year of training, Harold now has 7 horses in his care at Fort Erie and is looking to grow his operation in the future.
His wealth of experience with horses has provided Harold with a natural riding ability which has helped him get to where he is today.
“We don’t mind hard work because it gets you somewhere.” said Harold about his outlook for the future, “You need to be lucky, you need good horses and you need good clients. We really like it here at Fort Erie.”
Harold and Jessie Ladouceur with 3-year-old “dash” specialist, Fast Trick owned by Jocelyn McKathan.
Euro Plans for the Canadian International meeting
by Nigel Griffiths.
Oracle West ran at Newbury just getting touched off
by Multidimentional, (a son of Sacred Song, herself a half sister to Strut The Stage). This was his first run since racing at Gr1 level in Singapore in May and the trip of 9f would not have played to his strengths. He has been found wanting a little at true Gr1 level, but those races have been over 10f and he may be better judged by his fast finishing 2nd to Vengeance of Rain in the Sheema Classic in Dubai over 12f in March.
Quijano has direct form with Oracle West at Gr3 level in Dubai. He beat the South African horse by 11/2 lengths that day at level weights, but that was form was unconditionally reversed next time in the Sheema Classic. After a well deserved break, Quijana got back onto the multiple winning trail and last time out took the Grosser Preis von Baden to bank his first Gr1, just hold- ing of the German Derby winner Adlerfug, giving him
11lbs.
Geordieland. Mountgrange Stud sent over Blue
Monday, who is now racing in Australia, to compete in the International last year and this year the plan to have another crack at the race with Geordieland. Although this season he has been putting up some excellent performances by finishing second in three 2m+ Cup races, he has done most of his latter winning over 12f.
Admiral’s Cruise has been penciled in for the race by Brian Meehan. This 5yo son of A.P. Indy may find it tough in this company and it remains to be seen after his 4π length fifth to the progressing Halicarnassus at Newbury whether or not he comes. (Halicarnassus, trained by ex-England soccer player Mick Channon, is a half brother to our local My Lucky Strike).
Bauer in the same race finished behind Admiral’s Cruise and initial feelings are that he will stay at home. Illustrious Blue will run at Goodwood in a 9f Listed
race and if he wins, plans are that he will be heading for Canada. He has yet to race over 12f, but did put a fine performance against the mighty Manduro in April and was victorious over 10f last time out.
Arch Swing, trained by John Oxx is down to make the trip over for the E. P. Taylor Stakes. She won the Irish 1000 Guineas Trial and was second in the Classic at Newmarket. More recently she was a fine third to Echelon in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, but has yet to race over a trip further than a mile.
Benbaun. Mark Wallace would like to have a crack at the Neartic with his tough and speedy sort, if a firm surface could be guaranteed. This 6yo son of Stravinsky is a multiple winner over sprint distances at Gr3 level, but must have that surface to be seen at his best.