by Chris Lomon

Jason Ludwig’s first career win ran the gamut of emotions, from hopelessness to hopefulness, and just about everything in between.

The young driver lined up his charge behind the gate as the starter car began to pick up speed. He was confident, but not overly so, that this could be the moment, the one when he earned his milestone victory.

Expectation, however, quickly turned to disappointment when H F Card, a pacing son of Marced Card—HFS Superstar, broke stride before the field was sent on its way in race 4 on June 13, 2017, at Bedford, an Iowa oval just north of the Missouri border.

“He was my favorite horse as a 2-year-old,” said Ludwig, of the horse who was trained by Duane Roland at the time. “When I got my driver’s license, I was so happy because I knew I would get to drive him the entire summer. The first time I drove him, he ran on the backside, going to three-quarters. I was sitting second, and he was in good shape, but he just ran. It was a learning experience, so when we lined up for this race, I figured I had a great shot at getting the win. And just like the other time, guess what happens?”

Another break in stride put the pair behind the eight-ball early.

Although it seemed like Ludwig would have to wait another day for his first win, H F Card seemingly had other plans in place.

“I was so upset,” he said. “I thought this was the chance to get that big win and I knew I had the best horse, but he broke stride. I get him back pacing and he starts to get into a rhythm. Slowly, but surely, he was making up ground and coming off the last turn, he got by the leader and went on from there. I went from the lowest of lows to overcoming it all and we got the job done. He wasn’t ever going to be a stakes horse, but he did well and raced in Iowa and California. But he showed a lot of heart and I’ll always be grateful to have driven him.”

Some six-plus years later, Ludwig, has done well for himself, both in the race bike, helping his relatives, who are also in racing, while working a full-time job.

He’s happy with the way things have panned out and grateful for all the help along the way.

“My mother is a Roland, and her family has been racing in Iowa since the 1960s,” Ludwig said. “I’m third generation. I have three different uncles — both actual and others who are considered uncles — in Royal, Duane and Dan Roland, who have all been in racing for a long time, and all have ties to the Grinnell area of Iowa. Dan lives and races exclusively in Minnesota these days.”

Ludwig was handed the reins, literally, since an early age.

“One day my mom had me go with Dan and help him with chores,” Ludwig said. “We’re halfway there and he turns to me and says, ‘When we get home, you’re going to jog a horse for the first time.’ We get back, I get on the cart, and the last thing he tells me before I go out is, ‘This is a $30,000 horse, don’t f*** him up.’ I thought, ‘Okay… perfect.’ But everything went well. That fall, I went and helped my Uncle Duane with the yearling sale.”

The more Ludwig worked around the horses, the more he felt the lure to spend more time with them.

It was one day during his post-secondary life when he decided to strengthen his connection to the pacers and trotters and the industry itself.

“The summer after my freshman year of college, I came down and worked for Duane the whole summer and absolutely loved it,” Ludwig said. “I went back to college for a semester and realized that I wanted to do the horse thing and I couldn’t do that if I was at college. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, so I moved down to Grinnell and did the horse thing.

“I also got a full-time job, and worked for trainer Justin Anfinson at Indiana, Hoosier Park, after our season ended. I went down to the Tetrick farm in Illinois and worked for him, then to Minnesota, and did full-time work at that time. I ended up missing my family and moved back to Grinnell and got my full-time job back. I also help Royal in the barn now. We’ve got a decent-sized stable, so it keeps me busy.”

If Ludwig has any questions about his craft, he’s never had to look far.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of having relatives in the sport, he offered, is knowing he will get helpful words of wisdom every time he asks.

Just as important? He typically receives three different points of view whenever he does ask a question.

“All three of my uncles have different ways of doing things,” he said. “I know that I can go to any of them and although I might get a different answer to the same question, I can decide for myself which is the best way to go. Whether it’s training or driving, I know I have so many people I can depend on for help.”

He has a long list of others who have been game-changers in his racing career.

“Rick Huffman and Cory Larson have both had a major influence on my career. Rick has so much information and experience to pass on, and Cory is one of my best friends. He also shoes my horses on top of training and driving his own stable. [Driver/trainer] Mark Mintun has also been a huge resource for me.”

Ludwig also has an understanding employer when it comes to his full-time job.

It makes life outside the office far less stressful than it could be.

“I work for a windows and doors company, in the warranty department,” he said. “I work for great people who are very understanding of the horse racing side of my life. They are so helpful when it comes to schedule, and I really appreciate that. Things can come up with the horses and they are very good working with me on that.”

As for the horses, Ludwig has learned, just like he did in his first winning drive, that nothing is ever a guarantee.

The sheer joy he feels after a win, however, is a certainty.

“It truly is an amazing feeling,” he said. “Sometimes you win easy, other times you don’t, but however you get it done, it is the best feeling you can have.”