Page 24 - March 2005 The Game

24 The Game, March 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Brian Bell, loving every minute of it
March Winds -- Bring Them On
By Kelly MacKay
With spring training upon us, thoughts of cold days and frozen fingers are not a pleasant ones. However even a sunny day and a reasonably warm barn can be deceiving to anyone venturing out to the openness of the track.
Exercise riders are exposed to wind-chills even on a calm day. As the horses gallop they cre-
ate their own wind-chill. For trainers
that walk their horses to the track, and
owners that walk out to watch their horses‚ frostbite and hypothermia can be a concern.
Hypothermia is a generalized cooling
of the body, and the risk of it increases
greatly when a low temperature is combined with wind.
Many people believe hypothermia happens at very low temperature but in fact most cases of hypothermia take place with temperatures between 0 to 10 degrees Celsius. Hypothermia is called the “killer of the unprepared”.
Being under dressed, fatigued, or hungry as well as the use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs can weaken your resistance to the cold. Wet clothing (from either immersion in water, or perspiration) or exposure to cool temperatures for long periods of time can result in hypother-
mia. Heavy shivering may be a sign of its onset and should not be ignored.
Frostbite is damage to tissue of the skin due to severe cold. It happens frequently on ears, fingers, toes, and areas of the face. Early stages of frostbite may have symptoms of pain or numbness. It may appear white and waxy and may be firm to the touch but pink and tender underneath. It should be warmed gradually, do not rub. Do not apply direct heat to the area this could damage the tissue further. It can progress to deep frostbite if not looked after immediately.
The best way to prevent frostbite and hypothermia is to be prepared for the conditions. Bring extra clothing; layering is the best defense. Polypropylene, polyester and silk are the best materials to wear as a
base layer. It doesn’t absorb moisture
and will wick it away to an outer layer.
Avoid cotton as it will absorb the
moisture and keep you wet and cold.
Your next layer should be a fleece or
wool sweater, followed by your outer
coat, and pants which should have an
outer windproof shell. Products with treatments such as Gore-Tex or Thinsulate, keep the material wind and water-resistant. Down is the warmest if your activity level is not too strenuous. Unfortunately it does require a lot of care and can absorb a lot of moisture; that said it takes a long time to dry.
Hands and feet are first to get cold. The body takes warm blood away from the extremities to keep the core organs warm.
Staying dry is the key. Add antiperspirant or powder to your feet before dressing. A thin sock liner made of polypropylene followed by wool or wool mix sock is best. Bring an extra pair to change into.
Hands should be treated the same. Grooms working with water should have several pairs of wool gloves. Change them frequently to mittens when possible. Mittens trap airflow better and thus will keep you hands warmer. A wind proof shell on your gloves or mittens will help.
Don’t forget to cover your head. Seventy percent of body heat is lost through the head.
Besides clothing; drink plenty of warm fluids; hot sweet drinks are best. High-energy foods should be eaten often.
Good luck and stay warm.
By Elena Fenech
“There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.” - Christopher Morley.
Life is both exciting and full of surprises, when you think you know what you want it can throw you a curve ball and everything changes. When Brian Bell was 15-years-old he signed up for the co-op program at his high school with the intention of becoming an equine veterinarian. Today although he does work with horses and loves every minute of it he is not a veterinarian, he’s a free lance exercise rider at Woodbine Race Track and a successful jockey at Picov Downs.
Born in Petrolia, Ontario, Brian began riding horses at a farm in nearby Sarnia. At first, it was the show and pleasure horses
that caught his fancy but
thoroughbreds at the farm.
Donny Campbell then offered him a job as an
exercise rider at Woodbine and by that time he was able to successfully gallop his horses and that winter he had the opportunity to go to Tampa Bay Downs.
Travelling to Florida exposed Brian to a variety of new situations that elevated his knowledge to a higher level, “I was able to learn a lot from the riders in the United States, just by watching them and by listening to their pointers I came back to Canada with more experience.” said Brian. Upon his return in Canada he began freelancing at Woodbine and raced quarter horses at Picov Downs. That year he finished third in the standings for leading jockey, having 24
wins, 18 seconds and 14 thirds to his name.
Having established himself as a good rider on the local quarter horse circuit, Brian began to contemplate the possibili- ty of race riding thoroughbreds. He attempted to reduce to a 109 pounds but could not get down that low which made him realize that perhaps it was best just to keep enjoying riding quarter horses where the jockeys generally tack 120-132 pounds.
Today Brian is happy with his decision and in 2003 and 2004 he was the runner up for leading jockey to Kim Ito (who also gallops at Woodbine race track).
“I believe that all young riders should start out with quarter horses before they pursue a career with the thoroughbreds. They come out of the gate with so much power and so fast it is a lot harder than what it looks.” said Brian, “You must have really good reflexes and good timing. If you don’t get out fast, you won’t make it to the wire first.”
The jockey colony at Woodbine is a good example of Brian’s theory. Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Sandy Hawley, rode quarter horses along side Lloyd Duffy and Dan Beckon. More recently Constant Montpellier, Daniel David and 2004 Sovereign Award winning Apprentice, Corey Fraser all began riding quarter horses at Picov Downs before establishing themselves at Woodbine. Brian believes that their success is based on the fact that riding quarter horses is harder than it looks. The focus is placed on how a rider sits on a horse. There must be very little movement and it is important for the jockey not to bounce around or be overly aggressive for fear of overriding the horse. A Quarter Horse jockey must unify with the mount and follow the horse’s movement.
Having completed a successful season both at Picov and Woodbine racetracks, Brian will once again be spending the winter in Ocala, Florida work- ingforCliffHopmansandMikeMarina. Heislook- ing forward to the 2005 season and is aiming to become Picov Downs’ leading rider.
as his riding skills improved he wanted to try barrel racing. He completed a course and was keen to improved his skills and he liked the speed, it was a rush and he wanted more. Over the next few months Brian kept riding and learning new techniques. Through the people that frequented the farm he met an owner who raced quarter horses and Brian was offered a job breaking yearlings. Brian was then invited to Picov Downs to watch them race. The owner wanted Brian to see that his hard work and perseverance paid off.
When Brian turned eighteen he decided to move to Toronto. He had made some friends at Picov and Ramon Dominguez gave him the opportunity to move in with him and his family for the next few months until he was able to make further arrange- ments.
Ramon became Brian’s mentor.
Ramon had established himself at Woodbine and many thoroughbred trainers relied on him because he was a knowledgeable and reliable horseman and exercise rider. His knowledge and instinct allowed him to exercise any kind of horse, and as Brian set out to learn about thoroughbreds Ramon took him under his wing and taught him how to gallop them properly. Coming from a milieu of show horses and barrel racers provided some insight but there was a big void that needed further direction.
Brian still recalls his first job. He was hired to break yearlings and it didn’t take long before he had his first run off. At Woodbine he started to gallop for trainer Mort Hardy and within days he was dropped and that was when he realized that thoroughbreds were a different breed and needed a different approach.
For the next month he kept his feet on the ground at Woodbine, walking hots, while continuing to ride
As the races were in
progress Brian stood by
the rail watching the
horses dash past him and
that this is where he wanted to be. The only problem was that he needed an easier way to get to Picov, the four hour drive each way was taking up most of the day and wasn’t leaving time for anything else.
Photo Above -
Quarter Horse Jockey Brian Bell is pictured here aboard
Go Smashing Baby, a winner at Picov Downs in July 2004. right - Brian Bell at Woodbine
it was then that he knew