Women's harness racing championship takes shape in Hanover, Ont.

London, Ont. -

This weekend it won’t just be men and their horses racing at the Hanover Raceway, there will be races just for women drivers.

“So we’ve got the OLG Ontario Women’s Driving Championship with five races exclusively for female drivers on Saturday, and our partners at Dresden will have them on Sunday for five more races,” says Steve Fitzsimmons, general manager of the Hanover Raceway.

Eight female drivers will compete this weekend in the inaugural Women’s Championship, with some proceeds and drivers' earnings being donated to the Canadian Cancer Society for cervical and breast cancer research.

Fitzsimmons came up with the idea a few years ago for a series of races with only female drivers. It was never a matter of enough female drivers, but rather an industry willingness to make it happen, according to one of this weekend’s drivers, Natasha Day.

“There’s a lot of women with a lot of talent that just don’t get the same opportunities because we have a lot of people in this game, owners and trainers, that just think that women aren’t physically strong enough or good enough. It’s disappointing to see, but it’s going to take someone to kick things off and prove to people that we can do it, just as good,” says the Australian native, with over 2,400 starts in her driving career.

It’s not the first women drivers only race.

“In the past, there’s been something called the Powder Puff Derby, that really didn’t have the connotation that we wanted to have here. But this, is a 100 per cent serious driving competition. So, we’re doing some good for charity. The ladies will be donating their earnings to the two charities, and it’s going to do a lot of good. I think it’s going to showcase a part of our business, that doesn’t get the credit it deserves,” says Fitzsimmons.

Fitzsimmons expects the Women’s Driving Championship will become an annual event, and possibly more.

“Our hope is this will grow to a bunch more racetracks, and become more of a circuit, maybe down the road, having more racetracks participating,” he says.

“To have a good race is what we’re going for, but to put on a show, is an even bigger goal,” says Day.

Post time is 1:30 p.m. in Hanover on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday in Dresden. Crowd capacity limits will double for the weekend’s races, as the province enters Stage 3 of its reopening plan.

To book your spot register online at www.hanoverraceway.com and www.dresdenraceway.ca.