Dave Ogilvie
It may be hard to think about spring amid below-zero temperatures and piles of snow, but not so in the harness racing industry.
“Red Bugler,” owned by Don and Sheila Anness of Emo, has been out on the track since the middle of December preparing for the upcoming season.
Based on their horse’s success last year, the Emo couple is excited about Red Bugler’s chances in 2010.
Their two-year-old served notice that he may be a major factor this year by turning in a convincing 1:51.2 mile in a conditioned event for trainer Rheal Bourgeois and driver Keith Oliver.
Last year’s racing season concluded with an 8-2-0 standing in 10 appearances for total earnings of $41,125.
Red Bugler was introduced to the Manitoba Great Western Harness Racing Circuit beginning in early July, 2009. After six wins, it became obvious he had the potential to do well in southern Ontario.
At first Red Bugler seemed difficult to train.
“He was very hard to get going, wild as the dickens,” noted Anness. “But once we got him over that, he was perfect.”
There has been so much excitement about the horse’s chances in the upcoming season that the Emo couple has received several large offers to purchase the animal.
“Red Bugler is a once in a life-time opportunity for us,” Anness enthused. “We will never have another horse like this one, so we just want to enjoy the next couple of years and see what he can do.”
Bourgeois, the horse’s trainer, also is extremely excited about Red Bugler’s abilities.
“He can go fast, let me tell you, and doesn’t know the end of the mile,” Bourgeois offered in a recent edition of the “Harness Edge,” a magazine that has been providing harness horse enthusiasts with racing information since 2003.
Over his career as a trainer, Bourgeois has handled his share of notable horses.
“I want him [Red Bugler] to have some starts in him before the season begins in May. I really think he can become a very serious horse this summer,” he predicted.
Bourgeois really enjoys having such a great horse in his barn, but gives all the credit for him being the kind of horse he is to his owners, Don and Sheila Anness, who raised and developed him.
Although the couple said they don’t think they will be travelling to southern Ontario to any of the races, they no doubt will be cheering on Red Bugler from the comfort of their home in Emo.
