Shenandoah Downs: 19-year-old driver Jesse Barnard readies his 'A' game

To most people, the letters Q, F, P and A are simply four letters out of the 26-letter alphabet. To a harness horseman seeking a career driving pacers and trotters, these letters are paramount in that pursuit.

Meet 19-year-old Jesse Barnard, an up and coming harness driver who competes at Shenandoah Downs and received some exciting and long-awaited news last week. Jesse's career took a big step forward when he was promoted to the highest attainable class of driver. He was awarded an "A" license, which replaced the "P" or "Provisional" status he had carried throughout 315 career starts to date. Those starts resulted in 28 wins, 41 second-place finishes and 33 thirds.

"It was quite the unique experience," he said. "An experience unlike any other I've ever had. I really had to work at it but I got it done. It was very tough. A lot of people said I got it done in a short amount of time, but the timing of it isn't that important. I'm just grateful I have an "A" license at this point in my career. Hopefully things will keep going and I can continue to grow as a driver and trainer."

Prospective harness drivers enter the sport by starting out with a "Q/F" license, which allows them to learn their trade via qualifying races (non-betting) or at County Fair races. Barnard's first 25 starts, for instance, occurred in qualifying races at The Meadows. In order to move up in ranks, a driver must demonstrate their experience and competence to the satisfaction of the presiding judge. The judge, in effect, decides when the driver is ready to race competitively.

Barnard's home base is The Meadows Racetrack in Pennsylvania, but he also he competes at some of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Fairs, at Oak Grove in Kentucky and, of course, in Woodstock during Shenandoah's spring and fall meets.

"Back home, I picked up six or seven wins this year and got some others, including a couple this meet at Shenandoah," Barnard said. "My dad told me if I want to get more drives, I'd need that get rid of that "P" that appears next to a drivers name in the racing program, so I contacted a judge at The Meadows and put in that request. Once they reviewed my career to date, I got a text back with the good news and started jumping up and down!"

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Barnard is two years removed from high school and has his sights set on a career in the sport. Both parents have a history in harness racing - his mother is a fifth-generation horseman while his father is first generation.

"This is it for me," Barnard said. "I've been completely involved since I drove my first horse. Mom and Dad are here in Woodstock racing with me. We ship into Shenandoah Downs on Friday, stay over on Saturday night then head back after the races on Sunday."

"I've got a couple horses back home and am trying to build a small barn so I can take them to where I want to race. In time I'd like to find a spot where I can bring a good set of horses at some point and pick up a lot of drives."

When asked what his friends in school thought about his career choice, he said, "They kind of laughed at me at first, but I do have a couple friends that watch me race. It's hard to tell the young generation about the sport because they don't understand it. As a business, that's something we need to tackle."

Barnard's career highlight came earlier this year on April 7. He refers to it as "a day that stands out." He had two drives on the card at Oak Grove and won both - by margins of one-half length and a neck. He captained Bob Lafoon's Dine With The Kings and Wayne Oke's PD The Big Easy to those victories. "That was huge for me," he said. "It proved I can do this and I can make it in this industry. It was reassuring and gave me a big confidence boost."

Barnard's success has extended to Shenandoah Downs with 6-year-old trotter Inn At Rodanthe, who has career earnings of $172,000 and has won twice so far this meet. "My dad claimed him a couple months ago at The Meadows and decided to bring him here," he said. "He loves half-mile tracks and can get the job done any way - on the front, from behind, second-over, it doesn't matter. He's just plain versatile."

Barnard and his family have been enjoying their weekends in the Shenandoah Valley this fall. "Shenandoah Downs is a wonderful place to race. If any horseman hasn't tried it here, they should. It's welcoming and has a friendly atmosphere. Everyone is great," he said.

The tenth fall racing season in Woodstock comes to an end this weekend. This Saturday, October 25 is the $320,000 Virginia Breeders 2-Year-Old Championships. Closing day, Sunday October 26, features the annual "Trunk or Treat" event where kids in costume go trunk to trunk collecting candy from 2-3 P.M. Post time both days is 1:05 P.M. (EDT) and admission is free. Details are at shenandoahdowns.com.

--press release (Shenandoah Downs)--