by Chris Lomon

To most, 985141001313029 would be nothing more than a set of 15 random numbers. To Paige Porter, they are far more significant.

On a recent January night at Western Fair Raceway, the half-mile standardbred oval in London, ON, six horses lined up behind the starter car for the third race.

Standing trackside on an evening where the mercury had dipped to -16 Celsius (3.2 Fahrenheit), Porter, the groom of Hes Touring, paced nervously as the race got underway.

Anxious feelings would give way to audible anticipation of victory mid-way down the lane as she watched the son of Hes Watching power home to record a 1¾-length win in a time of 2:02.1.

As she stood on the track waiting for the 7-year-old bay and trainer/driver Mike Horner to come back for the winner’s circle photo, Porter recalled what she was told on her first day on the job.

“When I first started, I was told not to fall in love with the horses,” she said. “But I didn’t listen.”

No, she did not.

“I actually got this horse’s microchip number tattooed on the back of my neck,” Porter said with a laugh.

The digits are far more than a fashion statement or artistic expression.

Instead, it is a symbol of Porter’s unabashed love for a wily veteran.

“He’s my pet and I think everyone knows they shouldn’t claim him,” she said.

Porter has worn her heart on her horse sleeve almost from the first moment she started her harness racing career.

It wasn’t something she had initially anticipated.

“I started in the riding world and switched to this,” she said. “Riding costs a lot, so when I moved out on my own and had to pay rent, I knew I wanted to work with horses. I wanted to do something that I felt was out of my comfort zone. I ended up going to work with [trainer] John Pentland — my best friend’s mom is engaged to him — so that was an easy in, so to speak.”

One afternoon, on the drive home after her first handful of days as a groom, a thought struck Porter.

“I remember saying to myself, ‘What have I been doing the last 10 years by not doing this?’” she said.

It was horses like Oh Gouda, a bay daughter of Betterthancheddar, who made Porter realize she had landed a dream role.

The mare, co-bred and co-owned by Horner, was a handful at times.

Oh Gouda was also an imposing presence, quite the opposite of her groom.

“When I first came to work for Mike, she had just turned 3,” Porter said. “She’s a big filly, and being a Betterthancheddar, she is stubborn, opinionated, but she also has this wonderful personality, where she wants to be loved and cuddled. She loves her treats too. The meanness is balanced by that loving attitude.

“I am a small person, 5-foot-4 and 98 pounds, so she was a lot to deal with being that big and rambunctious. But she got us 12 wins in one year, so I figured she could do whatever she wanted.”

In this instance, a little attitude helped the pacer to do big things on the racetrack.

“If you are that good on the track, it’s okay to misbehave a little bit,” Porter said.

And, as she would discover, it is okay when a horse doesn’t cross the line first.

“Racing in the Grassroots Series for the first time in 2024 was a big highlight,” she said. “It was with Thai Tour, then a 2-year-old, who I had helped break and is a full-brother to my heart horse, Hes Touring.”

Family ties to her beloved horse had already made Thai Tour a special horse for Porter, but it was doggedness, not DNA, that won her heart on the evening of Sept. 24 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Seconds before the start of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) consolation final for 2-year-old colts and geldings, Thai Tour, the 2-1 second choice, broke stride.

“Race over,” Porter recalled thinking to herself.

The bay colt, co-owned by Horner, thought otherwise.

“He came right back and wound up sweeping most of the field and finished second,” Porter said. “I have never had a horse race like that. It is the first thing in my memories of 2024. That was the most amazing recovery I had ever seen.”

Porter was both seen and heard during that race – just like always.

She is unmistakably energy personified.

“I am all of that,” she said. “I am a chaotic person to begin with. People actually refer to me as a ‘Walking Red Bull.’ So, I’m jumping up and down, yelling at the top of my lungs. I do get nervous with certain horses, just because you don’t know what to expect from them.”

Winner’s circle photos are typically anything but picture-perfect for Porter.

“I am always talking to the horses,” she said. “Every photo that has been taken in the winner’s circle, my mouth is open, and I am giving them a pat. I talk to them like they are going to respond to me.”

One statement Porter would like to make in 2025 is seeing one of her horses draped in a certain look in the aftermath of a particular racing series.

“My number one goal for the past two-plus years is to win a blanket in an OSS race,” she said. “That is at the top of my list. Mike said if we don’t get a blanket this year, he’ll get one custom-made for me for Christmas. But I also want to see all the babies we are training make it to the track this year.”

Having Porter along for the journey will no doubt help those odds.

Not surprisingly, there is nowhere else she would rather be.

“The best part is being around the horses – it helps with mental health a lot,” Porter said. “I just started jogging and training last summer because I eventually would like to become a driver.”

She already has her colors picked out.

“Pink, white and black,” Porter said. “I don’t think I will be a catch driver. I would like to train and drive my own horses, basically, just be what Mike Horner is. I tell everyone I want to be Mike Horner. He cares more about the horses than anything else.”

As does Porter.

She wants every horse in the barn to know that.

“There is an apple farm just up the road and you can get a 20-pound bag for seven dollars,” she said. “Mike and I usually take turns each week where we will buy four bags, which last only a few days.”

When she isn’t working in the barn, apple shopping or shouting out encouraging words on race night, Porter is in the saddle, having rekindled her passion for the show ring.

“I compete horses in the jumpers too, around the London area and southwest Ontario,” she said. “I missed the riding part, so I leased a pony, and I am back to doing that whenever I can. I enjoy that a lot.

“I’m also into snowmobiling. I hate winter, but that is a bright spot for me.”

Standardbreds are a constant source of happiness, regardless of the season.

And when weather permits, people might take notice of that unmistakable tattoo on the back of her neck, and see those numbers, 985141001313029.

Numbers, Porter will tell you, that are hard to put into words, but always close to her heart.