by Victoria Howard

Born in Springhill, NS, Teesha Symes is from the same town as one of harness racing’s all-time top drivers and Hall of Famer, “The Magic Man” Billy O’Donnell.

Teesha’s grandfather, Cecil Symes, owned and trained horses in the Maritimes during the ’70s and ’80s and Teesha’s father, Charles Symes owned, trained and drove standardbreds in the Maritimes and also in Maine.

“I was around 6 or 7 years old when I started jogging horses and knew right then that there wasn’t anything else I wanted to do with my life,” Teesha said. “Like most horsemen/horsewomen, once bitten by the racing bug the sting is there forever. No matter what age you are, if you had been born into the business or have begun your own legacy, once the love of the horse and sport gets in your blood, it will always be there.

“Although my parents were pleased that I loved the sport, they were adamant about my attending college. I took a course in Corrections and every weekend I drove to Prince Edward Island to watch the races. I did my work placement at the County Jail in Amherst, NS, and also worked at the police station after college, but always found my way back to the horses.

The first horse Teesha owned was Anybunny.

“My father bought him for me in 2002 from a horseman in Harrington,” she said. “He had two ugly front suspensories, so we gave him time off. When he returned to the track, he ended up being a real nice junior invitational horse.”

Anybunny would be the first of many horses for Teesha. Today, she trains 18 horses. Originally she trained in Ontario, but she has recently moved to the Buckeye State with her fiancée, Beau Brown, the son of one of Ohio’s top trainers, Brian Brown.

“Presently, Beau and I stable at the fairgrounds in Delaware, OH,” Teesha said. “I love training there for it has one of the nicest surfaces for the horses. Currently we are racing at Miami Valley and Northfield Park in Ohio but we will travel wherever we can get our horses in where they can compete and make money.

“Today we have eight 2-year-olds, five 3-year-olds and five aged horses. We currently race our horses wherever we can get them in: Ontario, Buffalo, Batavia, Northfield and Dayton. Beau and I have always been in the same barn and in more recent times, he trains his and I train mine. Regardless, we help one another and bounce ideas off of each other.”

Although Teesha and Beau have separate programs for the race horses, they have combined their 2- and 3-year-olds.

“Like his father Brian, Beau is super with young horses,” Teesha said, adding with a laugh, “Although I love training with Beau, I also love beating him.”

According to Teesha, hands down, her all-time favorite horse is Rockin In Heaven, aka Moe.

“We have a special bond that goes beyond the racetrack and barn for his personality is more like a human than a horse,” Teesha said.

It’s perhaps no surprise that she thinks the highlight of her career was racing in the Gold Cup and Saucer’ in 2018 with Rockin In Heaven and again in 2022 with Laugh Again Hanover.

“The Gold Cup and Saucer was a race I grew up watching and dreamt of one day competing in, so I feel so blessed to have made the finals twice,” she said. “There’s nothing like going back home and post parading under the spotlight with one you train.”

Her fastest horse she trained is also Rockin In Heaven.

“He took his record at Mohawk Raceway in 1:49.2 and paced a few last quarters at Mohawk in :25.1 and :25.4,” she said. “When you asked him, he dug in and he had a massive motor. The fastest horse I sat behind was Monte Miki. We trained him in Canada prepping him for the Metro for Mark Evers.

“Monte was scary fast. We race biked him at our farm in Canada on Rockin In Heaven’s back, and even as a 2-year-old Monte kept up with the old horse like it was easy. Monte was one you just held onto and said, ‘Whoa.’ Monte also won his Breeders Crown elimination in 1:50.4 when he was 2 years old at The Meadowlands.”

Teesha has future plans for her and Beau in the business as well as some specific goals.

“Beau and I made a huge shift this year by moving to Ohio and purchasing Ohio bred yearlings,” she said. “My plans are to focus on the younger horses. I know it won’t be easy for Ohio is tough and has some of the best trainers and horses, but we will give it our all.

“First of all, my main goal is to be healthy, happy, and helpful to others. Career goals include a Gold Cup and Saucer winner, a Little Brown Jug winner, and to get the most out of every horse I train. I know they will not all be champions, but if they reach their full potential, I’ll be happy. I feel so blessed to be carrying on my family’s tradition, doing what I love more than anything in the world alongside the man I love.”