by Chris Lomon

Rylee Harmon is by no means an ordinary caretaker.

She is an in-demand, award-winning horse person, someone whose knowledge of the sport races neck-and-neck with her love of the sport and its equine stars.

Whether it’s in the role of groom, paddocking, or any of the other titles she holds, Harmon, daughter of longtime harness racing horse people Don and Krista Harmon, has been a fixture on the Michigan standardbred racing scene for as long as he could walk.

Impressive on its own, even more so considering she happens to be 11 years old.

“We’re over the moon with her,” said Krista. “She’s fantastic. She can do it all. Rylee got a miniature horse when she was 2 and that’s where it all began for her. It didn’t take her long to be able to handle him, to harness him and to take care of him. Right now, she goes with Donny and helps him with all the yearlings and young horses. She will jog the yearlings; she isn’t afraid of anything. She rides too. She has a quarter horse that she shows.”

The family winter trains at Gil Crest Training Center in Bell, FL, where Rylee attends Bell Elementary.

“She started training — I think it was the year COVID first hit — when we were in Florida,” Krista said. “We are in Michigan now, but we usually are in Florida. With the warmer weather in Florida, it has allowed her to jog horses and do more of that throughout the year. We’ve also been lucky because we’ve had nice horses for her to sit behind.”

Plying those various trades at the racetrack or the barn is everywhere Rylee wants to be.

She has become a popular face at the races and is in high demand whenever she sets foot in the paddock.

“We have to fight for her half of the time at the track because everyone else is trying to get her to help them,” said Krista with a laugh.

Rylee added, “I love watching them race, paddocking, or just being around them. I don’t get nervous all the time watching them race, but I like getting them ready and seeing them race.”

Just like she did on the afternoon of Oct. 1, 2020.

With her father — less than 50 driving wins away from 4,000 for his career — in the race bike, Rylee watched as Pink Sunglasses, a daughter of Tellitlikeitis—Kerosene, lined up behind the starter car at Hoosier Park.

After getting away second, Pink Sunglasses took command just after the three-quarter mark and went on to notch a length win as the 9-5 choice.

Krista trained the pacer and was the co-owner with Rylee, making it a family ‘trifecta.’

It is a horse by the name of Rompaway Beau, however, who holds status as Rylee’s all-time favorite.

Now retired, the 17-year-old son of Chip Chip Hooray—Rompaway Stacey won 68 races from 352 career starts, to go along with $547,812 in career purse earnings.

Bred by Rompaway Farms in Battle Creek, MI, the trotter is owned by Krista.

“He taught me a lot,” said Rylee. “He got me started and helped me learn. He was pretty easy to be around. He was nice to me, but not always to other people.”

Her magic touch with horses doesn’t end there.

In between her studies, Rylee works seven days a week to maintain her bond with the pacers and trotters in her parents’ barn.

“I think the horses are comfortable with me,” Rylee said. “I like being around them and I think they know it.”

Krista concurs.

“It’s something to watch, to see her interact with the horses and see how aware she is of everything going on,” Krista said. “Even at a young age, she was able to pick out equipment and know what it meant, and know what horses needed what.”

That skill continues to come in handy for Don and Krista.

If they have a question about a certain horse, they know where to turn to get the answer they need.

“I’m getting old and forgetful, so sometimes I have to go ask Rylee, ‘What does this one wear?’” said Krista. “And she has the answer. Her sister, Lauren, works for theStable.ca, and they are just like twins. They both love the horses. Rylee had a chance to go visit her sister, but she realized she wouldn’t be able to jog the horses, so she didn’t go. That’s how dedicated she is.”

As to where her future lies in the sport, Rylee doesn’t quite know where it will lead.

One certainty, however, is that whatever life has in store for her, horses will always play a major part in it.

“I want to stay in the sport, but I don’t know if it will be the racehorses or riding horses,” Rylee said. “But it will definitely be something with horses. I love being around them. With the standardbreds, I especially like it when they first start pacing or trotting, seeing them develop and get closer to the races. The best part is just having that relationship with them.”

Her contributions to racing in Michigan have not gone unnoticed.

Rylee was recently named Caretaker of the Year for the state.

“It means a lot to be recognized in that way,” she said. “I’m very happy that they thought of me for the award.”

When she isn’t winning trophies or races or devoting the lion’s share of her free time to the horses, Rylee is heightening her athletic and sporting skills.

In the new year, she’s hoping to help her school volleyball team have a winning season.

Perhaps she can start up where she left off with the school’s basketball team.

“We had a pretty good year,” Rylee said. “The last game, I made a three-pointer.”

Hardly a surprise when you consider that wherever one of Michigan’s most popular horse people finds herself, success is always a slam dunk.