Emma Libby is taking stock of her time in harness racing
by Chris Lomon
Pacers and trotters went from unknowns to at an arm’s length, to unconditionally embraced in Emma Libby’s world.
For most of her life, horse racing and its equine competitors were completely off her radar – until eight years ago, when a friend introduced her to harness trainer Chris Hitchcock.
“I never, ever touched a horse before or knew much of the horse racing world,” Libby said. “I used to race stock cars. I did that for years. I was in almost all the classes they have and won a championship in over 80 races.
“I met Chris from one of my friends and he asked if I wanted to work for him.”
Libby accepted the offer.
The night before her first day in the barn, she was restless. When she arrived, her nerves hit even harder.
“I was so scared,” she said. “I walked into the barn and stayed right in the middle because I was worried about the horses grabbing me. I started out cleaning buckets and doing leg wraps.”
Gradually, day by day, she became more comfortable in herself, her surroundings and the horses she tended to.
“As I went on, I got more comfortable, and I fell in love with it,” she said.
She also fell for a particular bay ridgling named Roddys Noreaster.
The son of Roddys Bags Again (DE) out of the Badlands Hanover mare Bayland Lady came to the Hitchcock barn in the summer of 2010.
In his sixth start under his tutelage, he recorded a neck score in 1:58.3 at Bangor Raceway in Maine.
“Roddys Noreaster was the first horse I took care of,” Libby said. “We loved his owner, Artie Shaw. He had the horse’s grandmother and mother – Artie was such a wonderful man. He loved the horses first and the business second.”
The veteran pacer, who won 39 times over a 220-race career, had a mind of his own.
“He was mischievous,” Libby said. “He was his own boss, and he did things his way.”
Casimir Overdrive, a bay son of Tigerama out of the Ball And Chain mare Trust Me Ashley, was the first horse Libby ever jogged on her own.
Their connection was instant – and lasting.
“He was a big, goofy stud,” she said. “When he retired, I kept him with me. We have had some wonderful horses over the years. I fall in love with a lot of them. I have three retired standardbreds, including Casimir Overdrive. They are an addiction for me. You feel like you owe it to them.
“My oldest is 20 and he acts younger than some of the other ones. I bought them a couple friends. They have a miniature pony and a donkey they all hang out with. It is just a funny farm.”
Despite working full-time as a bookkeeper, Libby remains a devoted groom and horse lover.
She has no plans of stepping away from harness racing anytime soon.
“I do it as a fun hobby and usually, it pays for keeping my retired horses happy in the wintertime,” she said.
There are moments, more often than not, when Libby looks back on her journey from one type of horsepower to another.
And when she does reminisce about the path from stock cars to the stables, she is both grateful and at times astonished by how it all came to be.
“I started as a groom in 2017 and couldn’t believe it then,” she said. “When I look back at when I first started, so much has changed, but in the best way possible. I am so happy I decided to accept the job offer from Chris. In fact, I can’t imagine my life without horses.
“Back then, I probably would have laughed at you if you said I would become this involved. But I am and I truly love it.”
Libby is reminded of that every day she walks down the shedrow.
Walking down the middle of the barn is very much a thing of the past.
“I don’t take any of what I do for granted,” she said. “The horses all have wonderful personalities, but different. You know what they like and what they don’t like. One likes their snacks given one way — maybe you cut them into pieces — and another likes them a different way. You kind of just bow down to them.”
The biggest challenge she faces comes in the form of travel, going from Plainridge to various fair circuits throughout Maine.
But for Libby, that’s a small price to pay.
“The best part of being a groom… it’s a hard question,” she said. “There are so many pros to this industry. My favorite thing about the horses and the business is that I have met so many wonderful people along the way, people who I never would have met if it weren’t for this.”
And, of course, there are the beloved horses.
“We have a small barn, so that means I get to give my attention to every one of them,” Libby said. “They are excited to see you and that means you are doing your job right when they react like that. I love the horse first and the business second.”
When the two intersect — horse and business — Libby’s love is always on display, even when there are no words.
“I can get loud at times when one of our horses is racing, but usually I am very quiet,” she said. “If they win, I get very emotional. You look at them as your children.”
