Women's harness racing championship takes shape in Hanover, 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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.