A conversation with horseman / politician / athlete Hector Clouthier

by Murray Brown

If one were to describe Hector Clouthier, one could use several descriptions and be right on course.

Is he a horseman? Indeed. He has been one for the vast majority of his life. Clouthier actually drove and won at The Meadowlands in 1980. In one winning photo, the drivers following him across the finish line were John Campbell, Ray Remmen, Buddy Gilmour and Benny Webster. Pretty good company.

Is he a politician? He has spent a good part of his career walking the halls of the Canadian Parliament as a member and as a “fixer” who was employed by one of his mentors, Prime Minister Jean Chretien to head the caucus, keep the troops in line and to aid in establishing public policy.

Is he an athlete? Indeed. He keeps running marathons and playing hockey at the age of 73.

Let’s tackle them one by one.

You were involved in the sport for quite some time as a trainer and driver, however not on a full-time basis.

“You might say that. However, it was mostly as an avocation and not a lifetime job. During the time that I trained and drove my dad’s [also Hector] horses, I was also involved in our family’s lumber, hotel and farming business. In the lumber business, during my dad’s era, he used a lot of heavy draft horses. A friend of dad’s suggested that he take his interest in horses one step further and get involved in harness racing. Dad thought that it was a good idea and enlisted Keith Waples as his trainer. In harness racing, as in the lumber business, there are no substitutes for quality, so he got the best, Keith Waples, to become his trainer/driver. His first good horse was Barney Diplomat a pretty decent ‘A’ pacer in that day which he bought in 1951 from London hotel man Alex Parsons for the then significant price of $10,000.

“I was one of 10 kids and the only son at that time who was keenly interested in harness racing. My sister Sandra, who is a much better horse person than me, was also interested but not as a driver and to this day trains young racehorses. Dad was not one to be a passive owner. He quickly got deeply involved in the business, not only in building his stable, but also in other facets of the game by breeding and raising his own horses.

“He was also one of the founders of the United Harness Horsemen’s Association, one of the very first groups to advocate for the needs and purses of working horsemen. Back then, track management gave the horsemen purses that they might have felt were a fair expression of their needs. They were likely the only ones that believed that mantra. We were racing for what was, on a percentage basis, less than half of what we race for today. Nothing was negotiated. The racetrack dictated purses which for their own purposes were considered decent. If the horsemen didn’t like it, they could go elsewhere to race or not race at all. It wasn’t quite slavery, but it was not even remotely related to a fair and equitable system. Dad, as the president of UHHA, negotiated on behalf of the horsepeople and as a result the Quebec racing industry prospered.”

You’ve been involved with several generations of great horsemen. Can you please speak of several?

“For horsemen of the era in which I grew up, there was only one man. Behind him there were all the rest. That man was Keith Waples. To steal from Shakespeare in describing Julius Caesar, ‘He bestrode the world like a colossus.’ But that wasn’t Keith’s way. He was just a good man endowed with great talent and dedication. As others have said about him, if you followed and lived your life as he did, you wouldn’t go wrong. I was one of the speakers at the celebration of life dinner held at Mohawk last fall. It was one of the greatest honors ever bestowed on me.

“Behind Keith, I would rate Herve Filion as the most monumental. He was a man so much ahead of his time. He was perhaps more equine than human. For a man who was relatively uneducated, he did what very few in any profession have done. He rose to the very top and stayed there for as long as anyone. He was driving horses at the age of 15 better than anybody not named Waples. There were likely two main reasons why he didn’t become all that he might have become. The first was his lack of education; not that he wasn’t very smart, he certainly was. But he was street smart, not business smart. The second was that horrible fire that destroyed his stable of quality horses; horses that it had taken a lifetime of hard work to put together. He had been sitting on the top of the world with one of the greatest racing stables ever assembled. Not like most trainers of today, Herve owned them all. It was a wound that would have destroyed lesser men. But he was Herve and he still managed to continue doing what he had done all of his life.

“Behind Herve would come a photo finish of great drivers led by John Campbell, Bill O’Donnell, Ron Waples, Michel Lachance, Ronnie Pierce and Cat Manzi. I would be remiss in not mentioning three of the greatest horsemen who in their own way were responsible for the growth of our great sport: Stanley Dancer, Billy Haughton and Delvin Miller. Today’s youthful drivers are very, very impressive. I really like Yannick Gingras, perhaps because I knew and raced against his father Raymond and his grandfather Marc. I worked as a trainer/driver from 1969 through 1982. I loved the game. I still do. Any time there is an important race going on, whether it’s the North America Cup, the Hambletonian or the Breeders Crowns I try to do my best to get there to see them.”

Let’s talk about politics. What got you involved?

“I was always curious and always had this insouciant sort of behavior. I was 14 years old and decided to go to Ottawa to meet the Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson. Wouldn’t you know it, I managed to get the job done. Mr. Pearson was a great man. History now recognizes him as one of our greatest prime ministers ever. He met with this brash young farm kid from Pembroke, ON. Can you imagine if someone would try to do this today? Not a chance.

“As for me, my political interest was piqued after I stopped drinking alcohol at the age of 35. Believe me, it was a very good lifestyle decision for me to quit the booze. My immediate concern was how to fill the void. I had run for student prime minister while in high school and recalled liking it so I started sniffing around and went to a political convention. I decided to run for the Liberal nomination in my district. In retrospect it might not have been the wisest decision I’ve ever made. The sitting Member of Parliament had occupied the seat for 25 years. Nevertheless, I ran and probably did better than anybody expected. I received 49.5 per cent of the vote with my opponent getting 50.5 per cent.

“The next time I ran I won. I served as federal member of parliament for the riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke. In the election of 2000, I took a very unpopular stand on gun control and lost by a small margin. I was in favor of gun control and everything that went with it. My district is quite rural with lots of its constituents not being in favor of gun control. I’ve often been asked if I had it to do over would my stance be different? My answer is no way! My standing response is to look at the multiple shootings on a daily basis in the United States. Contrary to the way some might think, there has to come a time where character is more important than expedience. The Republican Party should do the right thing instead of the easy thing and support gun legislation.”

You have met with some great politicians. Let’s hear about some of them.

“Lester Pearson — One of, if not the greatest prime minister. He never held a clear majority in all the years that he was Prime Minister. Yet he was able to achieve so much. He was a world leader admired by just about everyone. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was known as a man who reached across political boundaries. He was also a great athlete. He never really got the credit he deserved while in office. Much like Harry Truman in the U.S.A. he is now recognized as one of our greatest leaders.

“Jean Chretien — I suppose you might describe him as my “rabbi.” He headed the Liberal party when I was one of its MPs. When I was defeated in 2000, he offered me the job of being a special advisor for his caucus. I suppose you could describe the job as being similar to the man that holds the keys to the vault. The members of parliament and the senators would come to me looking for an opportune time to meet with the Prime Minister. I travelled the world with him meeting other world leaders. He is now 89 and is as sharp as a tack. I just spoke with him on Sunday. He sounds just great. One of my favorite stories about him was when we were in the United States before the Trump-Clinton election. Hillary Clinton had taken a few days off during the campaign because she felt ill. Mr. Chretien was asked if he thought that was a good idea. Chretien responded, ‘Hilary can take some medicine, some pills and quickly get better but [with obvious reference to Trump], there is no pill for stupidity.’

“Pierre Elliot Trudeau — was a great leader. If not for him I have my doubts as to whether Canada would be a whole country today. If not for his actions during the FLQ crisis I doubt Quebec would still be part of the country. After my election loss, he called and asked that I meet with him in Montreal. He praised me for my forbearance. One thing that he said to me was, ‘You know Hector, you and I share the same birthday October 18.’ I said I was amazed that he knew that. ‘Hector,’ he responded. ‘Don’t you think that the Prime Minister of Canada should know something about the person with whom he was meeting?’ After he passed away, I received a special request from his family to attend his funeral. It was my honor to be there.”

Let’s talk about Hector Clouthier, the athlete.

“I don’t know about being an athlete. But I am a firm believer about staying in shape. I run 12 kilometers every day. I’ve run 45 marathons since the age of 51. I ran the 2022 Boston Marathon at age 72. It was the eighth time I ran Boston, but unfortunately, I did not qualify for the 2023 race. But I’m looking forward to the New York Marathon this year on the Sunday prior to the Harrisburg sale. The New York Marathon is my all-time favorite. There is no city remotely like New York. At 73, I still play competitive hockey and especially enjoy playing with my son and grandsons on the outdoor ice.”

What occupies Hector Clouthier’s life these days.

“My wife Debbie and I enjoy traveling a great deal. I’m in the process of writing another book. Also, I’m the campaign chair raising funds for a $24.6 million-dollar redevelopment project for a senior citizen complex in Pembroke. I still follow harness racing assiduously trying to watch or attend all the most important races whenever and wherever I can.”

Author’s note: If you are ever at an important race somewhere in North America, look for an elfin appearing man wearing a bright fedora. Chances are that you will have encountered Hector Clouthier. I will make you a promise, you will never forget the encounter. We talk about “one of a kinds.” Nobody fits that description better.