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Thread: What got you hooked??

  1. #31
    Senior Member 4YO brent_L will become famous soon enough
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    Brent Lambert
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    Great read Paul. Speaking from experience, there are few feelings like being taken out of school early to spend quality time with your old man. GL cheering trigger home on Satdy.

  2. #32
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Toohard will become famous soon enough Toohard's Avatar
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    Paul Humphreys
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    Great work Danno!! Love hearing those stories. Thanks all for your very kind words.

  3. #33
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
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    Kyle Galley
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    Great thread. We all have our own stories about how we discovered racing.


    My family punted on racehorses and had greyhounds, so there was no real interest/connection to the trots.


    I learnt to read using The Sun Turf Guide, and by the time I was six I had developed an interest in race calling after first going to the dogs. This grew over the years running imaginary race meets in the back yard and by the time I was 14 I read in our local paper about harness racing trials at Warragul, so I wrote to the club and asked if they needed a caller. My only exposure to the sport had been listening to Moonee Valley on a Saturday night on UZ, and through a mate of dad's who lived around the corner and had an old horse he worked on his little track at home that we used to follow.


    I was allowed to call a couple and as luck would have it, was given the trials gig just before I turned 15. I still do it today, over 17 years later! My initial involvement at Warragul led to practising at race meetings which led to more calling work, eventually doing race meets on radio/TV.


    I was also asked to write on local harness racing in the local newspaper which led to researching two club histories, and winning an AHRC award, and then doing three years at Harness Racing Weekly.


    Again my involvement at Warragul has led to over a decade on the committee, a life membership at age 30 as well as having served as Treasurer and Manager, and none of this would have been possible if I had not have written that letter all those years ago. I have met many great people, made some wonderful friends and have grown so much as a person because of my fascination with the trots.


    I still remember being taken to the trots at Moonee Valley for the first time, I think on Victoria Cup night 1998, and I had never seen anything like it. It poured rain but I still remember the walk through the centre car park, along the tunnel and through the crush downstairs into the Market Place. The blinding glare of the lights as you walked in towards the stands, and how they seemed to shine for miles as you approached through the city. A venue that on big nights had a unique atmosphere.


    About 12 months later I went back and had the opportunity to practice call some races in the spare box upstairs, an opportunity few would have had over the years. As a budding young caller, walking up level after level in the stand, and then up the enclosed ramp through the roof into the broadcast area, you can't help but think of all the greats who have walked up there over the years to ply their trade.


    I stood on the South Hill when Lyell Creek won on Inter night in 2000 and have never heard a crowd noise like it, plus so many other big races there where the roar was just incredible.


    Of course with the Valley gone for us trots fans now, we can still hold onto the memories!

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