by Chris Lomon

Tyson Paris is navigating his horse racing life guided by a down-to-earth, blue-collar approach.

It was a rather quick conversation, the one the teenager from Ottumwa, IA had with veteran horseman Robbie Anderson. But the words imparted to him that day have remained a key inspiration on his standardbred journey.

“Robbie told me to relax and the horse will take care of me and guide me on the track, that all I have to do is guide him where to go,” Paris said.

Paris, 19, has kept that top of mind every morning he heads to the barn of trainer/driver Adam Hauser, who has over 1,900 combined wins over his distinguished career.

Hard work comes easy for the young horseman who had once opted for a different kind of adrenaline rush.

“I started racing horses when I was in sixth or seventh grade,” Paris said. “At first, I was doing go-kart racing, but I got in a pretty bad accident, and I realized it wasn’t my thing anymore. I started looking at horses and since I had been around them since I was a baby, I thought, ‘This might be my next hobby.’ And now, here I am.”

Paris, who started in the business with Gary Phillips (from Eldon, IA) is a jack-of-all-trades sort in the Hauser barn, eagerly embracing any task that comes his way.

Sitting behind the horses, pre-race, is his favorite job, one he likens to a certain team sport.

“I help out Adam on the weekends whenever I can,” Paris said. “On race days, I do warmups, I sling harnesses, and help get the horses ready and make sure they are set to go. Warming up the horses is a lot of fun. You get to know the horse and you are getting them prepared for the race. Getting familiar with the team is like knowing what to expect on opening day of baseball. You get to know your roster, what they are capable of, what their potential is and how you can work with each one to bring the best out in them.

“I usually talk to whoever is driving the horse and give them some insight into how they warmed up and what they are like during the race. You are playing your part in chasing that success, offering up anything useful that can help be the difference between winning and losing.”

Paris, who recently completed his collegiate studies, is focused on seeing his long-term goal of driving and training a small stable become a reality.

He’s already fashioned his on-track look.

“The base color is red, the piping is white, and there is black in it as well,” he said. “I have a horseshoe on the back for luck. I’m really happy with it. I came up with the design and no one has seen that particular design in the Midwest. It’s one of those unique types of driver colors. Maybe one day, some young kid will want to duplicate the colors and come up with a different look of their own.”

Fashion statements aside, Paris dedicates a large portion of his day to educating himself on a wide array of horse racing topics.

Watching races on television, while focusing on a specific aspect of the paces and trots, in a comfortable environment is a regular occurrence.

“I like to get in the hot tub and watch The Meadows and some other racetracks to see the drivers and look at their particular style,” Paris said. “I love watching as much harness racing as I can. I like to take anything that I’ve seen and see the progress I’ve made, what I need to work on, and things I’m doing well.”

Paris, who currently owns three mares, seven racehorses and three yearlings, has had success with horses in the past.

That list includes a pair of hard-knocking types, namely, 24-time winner Im Another Wilson, and Americas Game, another trotter, who won eight races over a 44-start career.

“Americas Game, he was one of those gentle giants you like to be around,” Paris said. “It was always fun to watch him go out and compete. Im Another Wilson, my dad brought him home and I never knew anything about the horse. I walked out to see the horse and my dad said, ‘He’s a full-brother to our horse, Hes A Wilson.’ Now, this horse and I have a special bond on race day. He knows when I’m around and he gets calmer as the day goes on. He’s just one of those stallions that you can be around all day and love on. He’s pretty much a lover and somewhat of a fighter too.”

A former Paris pupil recently recorded a victory in New York, a win that had him beaming for days.

“I sold a horse to Rags To Riches Stable, a horse named Princeofthefield, who just won at Buffalo Raceway in 2:01.2,” Paris said. “That was awesome to see a horse from Iowa go there and win. It makes me proud and want to work harder, to see ones from here go out east and compete.”

Putting in those long hours continues to drive the teenager forward in pursuit of his ultimate career goals.

It’s a big reason, but by no means the only one, as to why Paris relishes any time spent at the racetrack, rain or shine.

“I love getting to be around friends and family, to have the opportunity to gain more knowledge about horses and learn more about driving,” he said. “I enjoy picking up things here and there that will help me get better at what I do. I like studying each horse so that I can be prepared to know everything about them before a race.

“It’s busy, but the more I’m busy, the harder I work. It’s that push to want to know more every day that I go to the track, finding out which horse needs this and which one needs that. It’s those little things that can help take me to the next step in my path to driving.”

For now, that road includes another job, specifically, helping put vehicles on the road.

“I applied for a diesel mechanic job at a local cement mixture operation,” Paris said. “That’s my job before harness racing, working on diesels and making sure they get out there so they can get to where they need to go.”

Which, in many ways, is precisely what Paris is doing with harness racing.

He’s buoyed by the possibilities that are in his sights.

“Harness racing is a career I hope takes me somewhere,” he said. “It’s a great sport and I want to go after my goals giving my top effort.”