Southwind Farms in New Jersey stands some of the best stallions in the sport and at the head of the operation is Laura Young. An actual resident of the farm who lives and works there with her husband Christopher Pazdan, she handles just about anything that needs done and has done that for decades. While on vacation before breeding season kicks into high gear, Laura took the time to discuss her path in the sport, life on the farm and even the future of harness racing. Enjoy! How did you get involved in the harness racing/breeding industry? I started working for Per Henriksen when I was 12 years old. I was helping my parents pay the mortgage as my father hurt his back bad and was barely able to work.  I told my mom I could get a job and help pay bills. So I opened the phone book, [laughing] most wouldn’t even know what that is nowadays. I just turned to horse farms and started calling farms.  I got to H and Per answered the phone! He said stop in this weekend. My mom drove me over and I walked in his barn. I had a job grooming three horses through the summer and continued with them on the weekends once I started back to school. You’ve been at Southwind Farms for about 30 years and are currently General Manager. Can you talk about your progression at the New Jersey farm? I was hired in 1992 at 14 years old after my job at Per’s. So this is my 34th year. I started out on weekends and evenings while I was going to school. Per needed a full-time groom and he wasn’t able to keep me on once school started in September. I found the job at Southwind in the newspaper a few weeks later. I was a laborer for about four years and then stepped up to living on the farm and being an assistant manager.  I was assistant Manager up to 2005 when I took over as Manager. What are your daily tasks at Southwind Farms? Everything! I do ALOT of administrative work, health care of the herd and the stallions. I assist in the syndications and help complete the bookings, handle billing and client communications.  I can still clean stalls faster than my staff [laughing]. I sometimes collect the studs but I do all the laboratory work, semen splitting and shipping, and assist in emergency deliveries of foals. I oversee all the care, collections and freezing of the stallions’ semen. Starting in May you will find me baling hay and straw. I even mow the lawn and weed whack! How vital is being a Certified Veterinary Technician in running a breeding operation? It’s not vital but its gives you a lot more education to help with critical decision making. It helps me work with our team of veterinarians better, and overall specializing in reproduction, it gives me a deeper understanding and education beyond that of just management. I highly recommend to future students going into an Equine Program, not to, unless they are becoming a licensed veterinarian technician at the same time. Most equine programs are very basic and a waste of money in my opinion. To be a licensed Vet Tech the schooling is much more intense and in-depth education; you are basically a RN for horses. You also live on the property. Does that make your work and personal life too intertwined? My work is my life and my life is my work. It’s not a job it’s a lifestyle. No 9 to 5. I work 24/7/365. I try to take as much time as I can on my off season. Once February hits I don’t leave the farm for six months. What is your favorite big event in racing? Why? Honestly, I don’t follow racing very much. When you do what I do, some things are not a priority and for me it’s racing. I couldn’t even tell you how to bet on a horse race! I do have a 2-year-old in training with Noel Daley, so that will change once he starts racing. I will try to attend in order to support my horse, his groom and the racing industry. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter What is your favorite thing to do outside of working at the farm? Hunting – I am an avid hunter. I snowmobile as well and have a house in the Adirondack Park in upstate NY, which is my getaway! I can shoot my rifle off the deck and no one cares. What is one thing about you most people don’t know? I’m a very caring, honest person. Most people think I’m this hard-ass bitch that is not approachable, which I am when need be, but I am very compassionate and caring, and I always try to do the right thing. What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Challenging. What was your best moment in the sport? Hasn’t happened yet. I’ll will let you know. Do you also own any other Standardbreds outside of the 2-year-old? I own and lease several broodmares, stallions shares, and yearlings. Southwind Farms has been known as a leader in trotting stallions for years with horses like Walner and Muscle Hill. Recently you’ve brought in pacers Bettor’s Wish and Legendary Hanover. Why? The pacers came to us.  But New Jersey really needed a few good pacers to help keep the racing competitive. Karl is your newest trotting stallion and it was recently announced his book is full. Can we assume you have high expectations for him? We do the best we can for our clients and horses. Fate will determine the path for Karl. It has been over a year since he was supposed to stand stud at another farm and that fell through, then a second deal fell through. Southwind was always here, and Karl, as with all our studs, found us. It was meant to be this way and we will find out why in a few years. He drank the water at Southwind now – let the magic happen! We are chatting in late January just ahead of foaling and breeding season. Is this time of year more exciting or overwhelming? I’m trying to get my last few weeks of freedom out of my system! But I would say more of a preparation and anxiety. I’m trying to get all the contracts completed and supplies ordered. Mares are shipping in so schedules are starting. Personally all doctor appointments, dentist appointments, hair appointments are crammed into January. Once it starts I will barely have time to eat, let alone got to get my teeth cleaned [laughing]. Physically I start prepping in December; lifting weights, stretching, building muscle and calming my mind. I always eat well and do self-care; it helps me get through the next six months – mentally and physically. If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? I would dethrone the Kings and let the people run the sport. Let the people of harness racing run the race tracks; not the politicians; not the elite; not the track owners or leases; not the casinos. We need one sport, one Grand Circuit (not state by state), one group of people that run one sport!  But that will never happen; pipe dream for the little fellows. How do you view the future of harness racing? Smaller and even more dominated by the circle of elite. The shift to the Midwest and southern states has already happened. In the next 10 years, I see the eastern states dwindling in the sport, even the eastern states that appear strong now – New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. It will become harder and harder to maintain the funding and support for the sport. The politicians, casinos and those that are in their pockets will destroy what’s left of the sport on the East Coast in the next 10 years. The Midwest and southern states love the sport, love horses and horse racing; they will thrive and be strong for many years!  East coast people, not so much. Which is the best horse you’ve ever foaled? Southwind Frank.