OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 THE RIDER /39 Education Opening Doors and Eyes in the Racing Industry Story by: Jackie Bellamy-Zions


Guelph - ON “Knowledge ac- quired in Equine Guelph online courses has opened doors for me in the industry,” says, Standard- bred breeder, Cameron Lago. “The racing industry is a tight knit community and since taking the courses, I have seen a few big name trainers pushing towards hiring Equine Guelph students and have motivated a few friends to look into them.” In the fall of 2016, Cameron


applied for, and was awarded the Stuart Stocks Memorial Equine Award. This enabled him to en- roll in two online courses, fur- thering his knowledge in training horses to perform at their peak while maintaining their welfare. A representative on the Canadian Council of Animal care, Lago al- ready possessed a deeply rooted passion for horses and maintains, “When you are training horses to their maximum performance level, it is important that you treat them humanely.” After taking the online Ex-


ercise Physiology course, Lago


says he gleaned important in- formation on how different muscle fibers are being used and how their composition will reflect on how well the horses perform at the track. Learning about bone remodel- ing has had an impact on how he will train his foals; walking at increased rates progres- sively as they grow up to en- sure bone structure can handle training, while maintaining a balance of not pushing so hard that it becomes and animal welfare issue. “The networking compo-


nent and online community was an awesome experience,” says Lago. “It was probably my favorite part!” Cameron explains they were learning, from other online students, about rac- ing in Australia and New Zealand, while also learning about how dressage riders and jumpers train differently. Cameron also took the on-


line Genetics course looking for ways to maximize his breeding program and is planning on tak- ing Equine Guelph’s nutrition


Cameron with Homebred Standardbred racing star Ardyne Ace


course soon. Lago says the courses so far have been a huge asset, “You are gaining an inside view on what is happening in in- dividual athletes and making sure each individuals needs are met to 100%.” In the Exercise Physiol- ogy course Lago explains the les- sons learned regarding the importance of sourcing an equine nutritionist. Like a human ath- lete; what you put in is what you


get out. Lago says, he is really looking forward to taking


the nutrition


course. The flexibility of the


online courses is great. Lago has been away from his home farm in Guelph, working in Alberta and completing studies in Agriculture. Due to the 24/7 accessibility of the online courses, he was able to fit everything into his busy life. Deborah Corcoran was


also awarded the Stuart Stocks Memorial Equine Award in 2016. As a Bar-


rister, Solicitor and groom at Woodbine race track she


sees the value in continuing edu- cation and is determined to be- come an advocate for horses and their lifecycle planning. With a soft spot for senior horses and second careers for race horses, Corcoran has been involved in fundraising for Mindy Lovell of Transitions Thoroughbreds, a non-profit organization that pro- vides intervention, rehabilitation,


retirement, re-homing, and re-training for off- track thoroughbreds for sport and pleasure. Deborah also has


her own ideas for a Fifty for $50 deal pro- viding 50 minutes of legal opinion, advice, drafting, etc with all proceeds going to Tran- sitions Thoroughbreds. As a newcomer to the horse industry with five years of experience under her belt, Deborah says, “The Equine Be- haviour online course was a catalyst in my journey to further my education and to learn more about horses. My commitment is to horse welfare in general and therefore I must keep learning.” Entries for the next Stuart


Stocks Memorial Equine Award will be accepted until Nov 15, 2017.


Another new award has also


just been announced which will be of interest to participants in the Standardbred industry. The


Deb with Ace the Moves owned by Cathy McEwin


Roger L’Heureux Memorial Equine Award has been estab- lished in loving memory of Roger L’Heureux by David L’Heureux and Crystal Fountains Inc.


See Equine Guelph Tuition


Awards for entry details on how to apply for both of these oppor- tunities.


Photos by Dave Landry Racing Image


The History of Giving In North America, where Christmas is often characterized by


the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of these gifts are reportedly brought by a well known world traveler named Santa Claus. But where did he come from? Santa Claus was first found in the work of German-American car- toonist Thomas Nast (1840–1902), who created a new draw- ing of him annually, beginning in 1863. By the 1880s, his Santa looked very much like the Santa we all know and love today and by the 1920’s was being used widely by advertis- ers.


recorded in the 15th century, but was less associated with gift giving and more with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness. Eventually, in Victorian Britain, he was known to be more like our Santa. Other famous names for the gift giver have been known around the world such as Saint Nicholas, St. Nikolaus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Joulupukki, Weihnachts- mann, Saint Basil and Father Frost. The French also have Père Noël. The Italian have Babbo Natale while La Befana is actually the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany. It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some areas of the world, Santa Claus is ac- companied by his helper named Knecht Ruprecht or Black Peter. And as most children in North America know, it is elves that actually make the toys and Santa’s wife’s name is just Mrs. Claus. However, Santa is not the only one with a list to fill at this time of year. It is believed that the cus- tom of exchanging gifts on a special day in winter began in ancient Rome and northern Europe. In these regions, people gave each other small gifts as part of their year-end cel- ebrations, though Christians associated the tradition with the gifts given to Jesus by the three wise men. The Jewish faith also has a holiday at


this time of year called Hannuka. The tradi- tion of Hanukkah gifts is actually a newer concept that has evolved out of “gelt giv- ing”. Traditionally, as a way of ensuring the Jewish stories and customs of Hannuka were passed from generation to generation and to celebrate the holiday, adults would quiz the children on their knowledge of Hanukkah. If they answered the questions correctly, they received gelt (money given as reward). Since Hanukkah occurs at the same time of year as Christmas, there has been a transfor- mation of gelt giving to the modern gift giv- ing tradition for many jewish families. For whatever puts you in the giving


Father Christmas, who predates Santa Claus, was first


spirit, remember that spending time together and giving undivided attention to our loved ones are the perfect gifts to give and to re- ceive.


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