Harness racing has literally left an indelible mark on Leanne Davidson

by Chris Lomon

Long after the last horse has been tucked into its stall, caretaker Leanne Davidson is still watching and caring.

“I overly worry about them,” Davidson said with a laugh. “I have cameras in the stalls, so I can keep an eye on them. It’s horses, literally, almost 24/7 for me. It’s barn, racetrack, sleep, and then back to the barn.”

Yet none of the routine or behind-the-scenes work is viewed as tedious. Quite the opposite, in fact.

A life built around horses has always felt like home for Davidson.

Her love for horses and horse racing began at an early age, with time spent at Dresden Racetrack watching drivers and trainers put their trotters and pacers through their paces each morning.

She had a front-row seat for it all.

“My dad was a trainer when I was very young, so that is how my connection to racing all started,” said Davidson, who would eventually take on the role of groom in her father’s stable. “When I was around 4 or 5, we were stabled at Dresden, at the barn that is no longer there. Of course, I was there every day while my dad took care of the horses.

“Horsepeople took a board and put it from the barn to the fence, and that is where I sat for the day. I got to sit there and watch everyone jog their horses. All the horsemen that were there would take care of the kids who came out to the racetrack. It was a very family-oriented atmosphere, much like a fair track, where everyone helped everybody out.”

When her father stepped away from racing, so too did a then-teenage Davidson.

“We had a couple horses at home, so we had that attachment,” she said. “I had my kids and lived in the city, so I had that urban lifestyle.”

It was, of all things, a drive outside the hustle and bustle of city life that steered her back to the racing world.

Looking out her car window, Davidson saw something that immediately drew her attention, prompting her to pull over.

“When my kids started school, I drove past [trainer] Darryl Laver’s place and he had an old broodmare out in the field,” Davidson said. “My dad knew Darryl from back in the day, so we stopped.”

And then it hit her.

“It was that moment, the one that allowed me to get back into racing,” she said. “I had always loved it, and I missed it when I was away from it.”

Her unabashed affection and reconnection to the sport prompted a purchase.

Not only was Davidson ready to resume her caretaking career, she was also set to join the ranks of horse ownership.

It was a modest purchase, a $5,000 claimer with a larger-than-life name that belied his physique.

“I had never owned any when I was younger,” she said. “Not long after I decided to come back, I bought Real Big. He was not really big. He was this tiny little thing, who tried his heart out when he wanted to and some days, he did the opposite. But that was okay to me.”

Real Big was the beginning, but it wouldn’t be long before another horse would leave a much deeper imprint on Davidson.

His name was Petro Dealin.

A bay son of Wheeling N Dealin, the trotter, bred and owned by Laver, would race 50 times, winning on six occasions and hitting the top three 23 times.

“When I first got back into racing, we were racing his mother, Harleigh Ryder, and that was the first foal out of her,” Davidson said. “He was special. He had a personality, so he was entertaining. He had the typical Wheeling N Dealin attitude, where he couldn’t stand still for very long. He learned how to get out of his stall pretty early on. Unfortunately, we lost him to an injury.”

Davidson still gets emotional over the passing of Petro Dealin.

Her bond with the bay is there for anyone to see.

“He was the inspiration behind my first tattoo,” she said. “I took his horseshoe — the guy at the racetrack pulled his shoes that night he passed — and the tattoo artist was able to put that horseshoe print on me. It has the little markings on them… just a way to always remember him.”

There have been other unforgettable horses — many of them — over her time in racing.

Davidson doesn’t have to manufacture the closeness she feels with her horses.

“We have had lots of wonderful horses over the years,” she said. “They have such unique personalities, and you fall in love with all the quirks. Sometimes, you fall in love with the things that drive you crazy. I have an old trotter now. At this point, he’s more pet than racehorse. He goes out and does what he wants each day. He knows when he comes back to the barn that it doesn’t matter.”

What does matter to Davidson is maintaining a meticulous approach and patient hand with each horse she’s tasked with taking care of.

“I love when we get a horse here, we take care of it and you can see that they are happy,” she said. “They are racing to their ability and everything is good for them. I love seeing them flourish. We do a little bit of breeding. I love seeing the foals and the characteristics they get from the mares. And seeing them develop and make it to the races… it’s amazing to watch a horse you have had from day one makes it to the races. It’s even more special when a homebred wins their first race.”

A familiar face has joined her in the barn, someone whose love for equines, it seems, matches strides with hers.

“My daughter, Brooke, has the horse bug, too,” Leanne said. “She goes out and jogs them and trains them. She’s been great at it.”

Brooke no doubt has a great mentor to look up to, one whose passion for horses is on full display during the races.

Leanne is literally in the zone in those moments.

“My heart races so fast,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what race it is. My heart races the whole time they are on the track. People can be around me and I don’t even know they are there. I am locked in on my horse. I just want to see them cross the wire and that they are okay. Hopefully, they race great, but if they don’t, that’s okay.”

Certain moments, although few and far between, can be challenging for Leanne.

“When you have a horse where you can’t figure them out — their equipment, or they aren’t feeling right — that is the toughest part,” she said. “My first priority is to make sure they are happy and healthy.”

For Leanne, caring for horses has always been about a bond that follows her long after she leaves the barn.