by Chris Lomon

There was a time when Natalie Graffam wasn’t married to the idea of a horse racing career. Now, it’s clear she is fully engaged in the standardbred world.

“My grandfather has always had racehorses, but I was never really involved with him in it; I knew he had horses,” Graffam said. “But my connection to the sport changed when I met Nick.”

That would be Nick Graffam, a successful driver with nearly 1,400 career wins and over $14 million in purse earnings.

When the couple first started dating, Natalie was a regular in the grandstands, cheering Nick on wherever he raced. Gradually, her role evolved from supportive spectator to active participant.

“It started as going to the races and slowly turned into, ‘Can you help with this? Can you help with that?’” she said. “And now I paddock most of Nick’s horses with his sister Bethany.”

And she couldn’t be happier.

Despite the steep learning curve, Natalie — who works full-time in a nail salon — quickly found herself enamored with the horses and the lifestyle.

“It started out with me wondering just how much I wanted to be involved, questioning that, and as soon as I realized how much I love the horses, I knew it was something I wanted to do,” she said.

One horse in particular helped solidify that love: a trotter named Happy Hooligan, known for being a bit of a handful.

“Everyone told me he was a problem child,” she said with a laugh. “We raced him as a baby and his owner wanted to sell him. I ended up buying half of him and we raced him for a few years together. And then my partner wanted out, so I bought the rest of him.”

Now, he’s a permanent fixture in her life.

“I can’t ever let him go,” Natalie said. “I love him so much. He stays outside because he can’t stand being inside. He is probably my heart horse, but there are so many horses I take care of that I love too.”

One of them is Storm Bringer, an 8-year-old son of Explosive Matter—Agenda Tom Ridge. The bay gelding boasts 14 wins, 57 top-three finishes from 117 starts, and nearly $230,000 in career earnings.

“I have taken care of him for about the past four years and I love him for no other reason than I think he is the most handsome horse,” she said. “I love any chance to be around him.”

That love extends to working alongside her husband.

“It is something very special,” Natalie said. “We get along so well and work well together.”

Still, most of their time at the racetrack is spent apart.

“I don’t actually see too much of Nick because he is on the track most of the night,” she said. “So, it might be me running up to him between races and seeing if he wants to change any equipment – that sort of thing.”

For Natalie, it’s the car rides to and from the track that are most meaningful.

It’s a chance to chat about everything from the race night ahead to their lives outside of the hustle and bustle tied to the standardbred world.

“I appreciate those moments because we are both busy and it’s hard to find time to be together,” Natalie said. “Car rides — which might be annoying for most people — are perfect for us. Sometimes we listen to music or an audio book. It doesn’t matter whether it’s one of those things or just having a conversation – we enjoy those times.”

Once they arrive at the track — whether it’s their home base of Plainridge or somewhere farther afield — it’s all business for the couple who call Falmouth, ME, home.

Both are focused and meticulous when it comes to race prep.

“In the beginning, I would be worried that I didn’t do something right,” Natalie said. “Before you are truly confident in what you are doing, I think it’s natural that you are nervous. When you start to understand things more and have that level of comfort, you don’t think about making a mistake. You just trust yourself that you can do it the way it needs to be done.”

That trust is shared by others as well.

“Our barn horses stay the same — we don’t shuffle them around very often — but I paddock for others, who give me their horses on a regular basis,” she said. “It’s great to learn about their horses and form relationships with the ones who have never raced at Plainridge before. Some of the horses are coming from Yonkers and other tracks, so it’s fun to be able to figure out their quirks, what they wear – all those different things.”

Outside the racing world, Natalie and Nick enjoy the outdoors whenever they get the chance.

Although there isn’t typically time to take full advantage of everything that nature offers, Natalie is grateful for the time that is always well spent.

“Nick and I enjoy hiking – we have land up north that we like to go visit,” she said. “We also like working in our yard and garden, stuff like that. We’re lucky that we do get the chance to do things we love, even if we are busy.”

Family time is also a top priority.

“Spending time together is the most important thing in life,” Natalie said. “Family is also a big thing for us, so we try to get together with everyone as much as we can too.”

For Natalie, fulfillment in racing goes far beyond the winner’s circle.

“We all want to be successful, but if someone told me that we had a successful year, it would mean that we, along with the horses, are happy and healthy,” she said.

Natalie thinks often about the path that brought her to the races and from the grandstand to the paddock.

She often reflects on how her path led her from watching races to working behind the scenes – and she wouldn’t change a thing.

“I wouldn’t trade any of it,” she said. “I have met so many great people – like [trainer] Aaron Hall’s wife, Josie, has been my best friend for 10 years. And I have also been around so many wonderful horses. I feel so lucky and blessed to be part of it all.”