Sky’s Little Spunky

There is plenty of farmland and animals while you drive around the rural areas of southern Manitoba. As far as the eye can see, there are vast fields of crops and livestock. There are countless farms located across the golden prairie landscape. So it is not too shocking that a couple of harness racing stables are hiding out there.

One of these farms is located not too far from the small town of St. Claude, Manitoba, and is a family setup that has all the different aspects of horse racing life taking place. Broodmares, yearlings, and racehorses are all who call this farm home. However, there is one racehorse living there that is truly larger than life that calls this place home. What is unique about this four-year-old mare that stands 17 hands tall is not necessarily her size but her relationship with a special little someone.

Around the barn, she is known as “Spunky,” which fits her perfectly. However, she has a different attitude that is very hard to go unnoticed. Melanie Rey-Clark, the trainer who works with this horse daily, still sometimes has difficulty getting her to cooperate. Finally, the mare noticed me, a 6-foot, 1-inch-tall guy with a wild red beard, stepping into the barn.

The horse’s official name is Skys Little Spunk (Ambro Baylor), and although she is not tiny, she undoubtedly belongs to Sky. Skylar is the 7-year-old daughter of Melanie, and she is the one that had developed a deep bond with Skys Little Spunk. Skys Little Spunk will hold her head high, but once she sees her little friend, her head bows so the two can have a lovely little cuddle. Once someone else tries to enter the stable, Skys Little Spunk’s head shoots back up. This bond is only between Skylar and Spunky.

Skys Little Spunk started her racing in the summer of 2021 as a two-year-old. She was consistently earning cheques, but it took her until the end of her three-year-old year to finally get her first win. Not only was it her first win, but Skys Little Spunk won the MSSBA Silk Lace Final. However, winning is not the only essential thing, according to the youngster.

“It’s about having fun,” said Skylar, “And it’s fun when she’s (Skys Little Spunk) is not getting sold.”

Skylar’s grandfather, Richard Rey, was the breeder and previous trainer-owner for Skys Little Spunk. But when it came time to move on from Skys Little Spunk, Melanie decided to give her at least one more year of racing in Manitoba. So Skylar will allow her Uncle Mitch to continue driving her Spunky this summer.

Michel Rey has been in charge of driving Skys Little Spunk over the last two summers. He started driving on the Manitoba circuit in 2007. He has made 1080 starts and has visited the winner’s circle 162 times. He has earned over $377,000 in purse winnings while sitting in the sulky, and he is often in the conversation for a top driver every summer. Skylar has put her faith in a worthy candidate for driving duties.

790-lifetime training wins is what Richard Rey currently sits at. He sits at $1.2 million in lifetime earnings and has a life UDRS of 0.443. He is easily considered one, if not the best, trainer of all time in Manitoba and is always top in training stats at the end of the meet. He finished the 2022 season with a big win with Skys Little Spunk in the Silk Lace final.

Melanie Rey-Clark has been training since 2010. She usually only has a couple of horses going at a time to ensure she gives each horse her full attention. However, going into the summer of 2023, Skys Little Spunk will be one that she will be focusing a lot on. It has already been apparent that there will be a lot of work ahead because Skys Little Spunk has grown out of her hopples!

The young Skylar shares the love of animals like her mother, uncle, and grandfather, but she does not want to be a trainer or driver. However, she does want to do something that is still very important to the landscape of harness racing and the well-being of animals. Skylar wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

“There needs to be a whole week of mourning just whenever we find a squirrel that passed away,” says Skylar’s mother, Melanie.

So, the apple does not fall too far from the tree in that respect. Too often, the industry’s business side takes precedence over everything else. So, it is good to see a young lady with a love of animals that is already stitched into the fabric of harness racing because of her family ties. You might not see her name often in the program, but it is still one to keep a mental note of going forward. We must have passionate and bright young minds like Skylar’s to keep this industry going.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink