MAY 2023 THE RIDER /43 OSAS News: Congratulations Jamie & Bugsy The members of the


2023 Canadian Cowgirls’ Precision Team were an- nounced recently and once again include Ontario Stan- dardbred Adoption Society graduate Masseno (now known as Bugsy) and his rider Jamie Drew as part of the celebrated group. A six-year-old gelding


by Muscle Mass, Masseno was adopted from OSAS by Jamie and her family in late 2020. Fellow riders are very impressed by how quickly Bugsy adapted to his new role and the bond that he has developed with Jamie. The pair were high-


lighted in a feature story by Woodbine Entertainment’s Chris Loman as follows:


It is, among many


Bugsy starting 18 months ago. Performing in front of audiences across North America with their precision riding, sparkling costumes, and breathtaking maneu- vers, the Canadian Cow- girls, hailing from the municipality of Chatham- Kent, Ontario, currently fea- tures 14 women and their horses, a mix of different equine breeds including Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, Arabian and Paint. Over the years, the group has earned numerous accolades, includ- ing “Best Horse Entry” and “Best Formal Coloured Guard Entry” at the Calgary Stampede Parade, and “Best Equestrian Entry” at the Indy 500 Parade in Indi- anapolis. Known as Masseno


things, a look of mutual re- during his racing days, Established in 1996 to


assist in the adoption and re- location of retired and non- racing Standardbred horses within Ontario, OSAS is operated by a Board of Di- rectors and is funded through fundraising, contri- butions from racetracks, horse industry organizations and private donations. Its program, which follows-up on each horse after an adop- tion, helps educate and as- sist in the retraining and management of the horses. “We have a good


friend, Larry Gibbons, who used to race standardbreds, and I was looking for a proj- ect-type horse for the sum- mertime,” recalled Drew. “It was love at first sight. He was at a foster home for a month, and I would get pho- tos and updates of him from Bert and Sue Mollica. They thought it would be a good match, Bugsy and me, for what I was looking for. I liked him as soon as I saw him.”


The pair have been in-


assurance whenever the young rider and the impos- ing former Standardbred lock eyes in the crowded arena.


Festooned in eye-


catching red and white, holding a Canadian flag aloft, 15-year-old Jamie Drew will take a deep breath before the music starts and the pageantry begins. Sitting astride Bugsy,


a powerfully built trotter who had a brief four-race career on the racetrack, the teenager from Tilbury, On- tario, looks for a confidence boost ahead of the big mo- ment.


far.


She never has to look “He’s a pleaser, and he


wants to do anything for you,” shared Drew. “He has some anxiety, and it takes a blend of me encouraging him and having him trust me, for him to know that I am here for him.” Drew, who has been


part of the Canadian Cow- girls Precision Drill Team since 2018, was joined by


Bugsy has become somewhat of a rock- star on the circuit. Not only for his size, but also for his back story. “There were a


lot of people inter- ested in him because of how big he is and his


He’s a humungous horse. He’s


conformation. the


youngest on the team, but he’s also the tallest. I’ve had peo- ple ask me if he’s a mustang. When they find out he’s a Stan- dardbred, they ask all kinds of questions. Once people hear he’s only six, they are so impressed at how well he’s done for such a young horse.” The trotter, who


posted a pair of sec- onds and a third from his four starts, was adopted from the On- tario Standardbred Adoption Society by Jamie and her family in early 2021.


Craig Hunter and Family and Staff clearblufarms@bellnet.ca


www.ontarioequinecremationservices.ca


separable since Bugsy, trained by Julie Walker who bred with her father Paul, came to the Drews in De- cember 2020. Jamie recently wel-


comed a second project horse into the mix. Her work with Bugsy


will act as the basis for the development of his new sta- blemate. “He’s put a lot of con-


fidence into me, making me realize what I am capable of. I’m very grateful for what OSAS does. I like how they help find the horses the right home and the right person. That’s what they did for me and Bugsy. He has helped me learn a lot, which is a big help in what I can teach the new horse. He’s taught me patience and given me the interest in wanting to train horses now.” That newfound confi-


dence was on display this July in Kentucky at an event the Canadian Cowgirls Pre- cision Team participated in. Drew was, admittedly,


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battling nerves in the days and weeks leading up to the trip to the Bluegrass State. In the moments prior


to entering the arena, those feelings of


trepidation


heightened. After a quick glance


down, the apprehension and anxiety seemed to melt away.


“It was his first time


and my first time going to the States together. It was huge. He did really, really well. It’s a big confidence thing for him to have all the other horses around him. It was also nerve-wracking for me because it was such a big venue and a place I had never been to before. But we were there for one an- other and that made every- thing


calm. It was


overwhelming at first, in knowing how much I had put in and all the work he had put in, but we did it.” For Mark Drew, see-


ing his daughter and her equine teammate perform at high-profile events is an un- abashed source of pride. He often marvels at


how far the two have come in such a short period of time.


“There are many ven-


ues, big or small, that they participate in. They come out as a huge team of riders and horses into a crowded indoor or outdoor arena. The crowd goes completely bonkers. To see the team in unison, it really is quite amazing. It really is electri- fying. When you are there in person and the music starts playing… it’s a sight to see. The part that sticks out for Jamie and Bugsy, is that they’ve worked so hard in


eight months to perform at an elite level. He trusts her to guide him, and she trusts him. It’s great to see the confidence he has in her, and vice-versa.” A bond that continues


to grow with each passing day.


“I feel so lucky to


have Bugsy in my life,” said Jamie. “I know we’ll always be there for each other.”


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