by Victoria Howard

When breeding or purchasing a racehorse, horsemen study several things, such as conformation, manners and pedigree.

Breeding and producing a potential world champion takes guts, brains, and a whole lot of luck.

I guess you could say developing a champion can also work the same way with humans. A great example is this week’s superstar Scarlett Wilder.

Born to Mike and Heather Wilder – two incredibly talented, humble, and respectful people – Scarlett’s lineage goes a bit deeper as her grandfather, horseman Dan Altmeyer, was the developer of superstar racehorses Cambest, Make A Success, Santastic Pan, Look Out Hanover and Michael’s Western.

Ruth, Dan’s wife, and Scarlett’s grandmother, was a Rankin – sister of the late great buckeye Dave Rankin – so I guess you could call Scarlett royally bred in the sport of harness racing.

Where were you born and where do you live today?

“I was born in Washington, PA, and live on the family farm located there.”

When did you know you wanted to follow in your family’s footsteps?

“Growing up my passion was in the riding horses. I was probably 13 when I started to groom for my parents in the summer. By the time I was 17 or 18 I retired my barrel horse and decided to get more involved with the racehorses.”

What about your barrel-racing career?

“I barrel raced for most of my youth, winning many championships, qualifying for big races, and finally running at the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in 2019 where I finished 24th in the nation. My horse Rollin With The Stars was retired after that run. I often get asked to ride for other people, but today I enjoy coaching and giving lessons to kids who want to get started in the sport and ‘Rollin’ is the most amazing lesson horse.”

Recently you received your nursing degree. Where do you work and how do you manage to juggle schedules?

“I am currently a registered nurse in the critical unit at The Washington Hospital. On the days I am not working at the hospital, I help my family groom, jog, and train at The Meadows.”

What about driving?

“I have not yet driven in a pari-mutuel race but I did drive in two qualifiers with my horse America First, and look forward to more opportunities to drive in the future.”

Who is your all-time-favorite horse?

“I am a little biased, but my favorite would have to be Cambest. My grandfather trained him as a 2- and 3-year-old, launching his remarkable career as a world champion and shaping him into becoming one of the all-time best standardbreds ever.

“When he was sold, as we do not keep horses past the age of 3 (our focus is on young horses), I admired Cambest for the ability to set the amazing record of 1:46.1 (this was in 1993) which stood for 24 years before broken by Always B Miki. Cambest, he was a true champion in his time, as well as our time today, as not many horses will ever see a mile that fast.”

What was your biggest moment in the sport?

“There were many. Many people would assume it would be my first training win or first time driving my own horses, but I would have to say it was watching my father win The Adios with Catch The Fire, or when he won the first elimination of The Little Brown Jug with Catch The Fire.”

How do you think we can improve our sport?

“I think we need fresh, new blood. It is our job to make that happen. We need to welcome outsiders in and teach them about our sport and how much fun it could be. I can personally say that it is very hard being young and starting out because you don’t have the experience.

“I believe Roger Huston said it best one morning at The Little Brown Jug, ‘If you see a young person in this sport trying to make it, don’t try to stop them but encourage them and give them all the help and support in the world.’”

What are your plans for the future?

“I’m planning to join my family in DeLand, FL, in the winter to help train babies, as well as do some travel nursing while I’m there. I want to learn as much about the business to potentially be the one to take it over in years to come, as I am the only grandchild interested at the present time. My sister Lauren and my cousins Grace and Luke enjoy watching the horse races, but I want to eventually own horses in the stable and keep it a family business.”

What person do you admire most in the business?

“I am so blessed to have the role models of my grandfather and father who is now in his 38th year of driving. He started out driving matinees at 14 years old and has almost 9,000 wins and $76,000,000 in career earnings.

“And, of course my mother, Heather. She has worked in every aspect of the industry, starting at Scioto Downs, working for the USTA and was marketing director for the MSOA. On top of those things, she also has her trainer’s license and for a few years she trained. She has her Q/F license and does interviews on many occasions in the sport. Presently, she manages our stable of 30 horses, working at the barn, handling social media content and doing bookwork. My mother is a great role model and one of the biggest advocates in the sport.”

Author’s note: Ironically, Dan Altmeyer and I go back 50 years when I was a dumb 18-year-old starting out in the sport at The Meadows. I claimed a horse from Dan called Greengo. I really didn’t know much at the time, but by the grace of God, Greengo supported my family for many years, although his crazy antics had me on edge every week. He was wicked fast and back then would go to the front no matter how fast and only get caught the last few steps at the wire. I don’t believe he ever sat in a hole.

Greengo was banned from the winner’s circle after he once jumped the fence into the grandstand. Talk about nerve-racking.

After every race ended, the horsemen would part in the paddock like the Red Sea to let Greengo come off the track and into the paddock in order to stop him. Yes, he was nuts, but I loved him and kept him until he died.

Being new in the business I guess it was crazy to claim a horse from Dan for he was one of the best trainers there. But things worked out and Dan was a gentleman in helping me out.

As good a horseman as Dan is, Scarlett’s father Mike is equally as good a driver. So, it came as no surprise to anyone when Scarlett decided to carry on her family’s legacy.

The Altmeyers and Wilders are some of the most respected, admired and liked people in our sport. I call them good friends and wish them all the luck in the future.