17-year-old wins Horseman of the Month

HAMBURG, N.Y. — A lot of youth today at age 17 aren’t totally committed to their future plans and endeavors as life progresses.

One exception is Kyle Swift. This 17-year-old is laser focused and has begun taking on plenty of responsibilities in preparation for his future goals and plans in harness racing.

Swift, a senior at Akron (N.Y.) Central School, spends the beginning and end of his hectic day at Buffalo Raceway while sandwiching high school classes in between. His tireless devotion and hard work in his mother’s barn, the Swift Racing Stable, earned him the Buffalo Raceway March Horseman Of The Month Award sponsored by JP Fitzgerald’s.

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Swift said when learning he was the recipient of the March honor. “It’s nice to be recognized. I am a groom but I am also known as the ‘warm up guy’.

He arrives daily at Buffalo Raceway around 6 a.m., helping with the 17-horse barn. It includes feeding, training of the animals and other tasks that may arise. Swift then heads out to Akron Central School by 11 a.m. where he takes three main courses. When classes end at 2:30 p.m., he swings home to change clothes, grab a coffee and then shuffles back to Buffalo to either help with that night’s card entries or just tending to the horse’s needs on the off days.

“The school has been very good to me, working with me on my schedule while allowing me to help with the barn at the same time,” Swift said.

“School is a priority for me but the barn is also because that is what I want to do when school is over,” he added. “I want to be a driver and I am putting my time in. I can get my license when I turn 18 which will be on July 1 so I will be ready.” He admitted he is counting down the days.

Swift has had 70 qualifiers already under his belt along with 30 fair races so when that magical date rolls around, he’ll be set to go.

But he also said his father (Ray Fisher Jr.) gave him some sound advice. “My Dad said, ‘You are going to start off small,’  He said they’ll put me on a couple of drives when they can, but I’ll have to earn my keep and stay humble.”

As far as a social calendar, Swift put it into perspective, “I am not a party-type kid. Working with horses isn’t a job to me…It’s something I enjoy doing.  I just want to put in my time, work hard, train and drive because that’s what I am planning to do in the future.”

Swift will have to carve out a little time, however, and enjoy his gift certificate from this month’s sponsor, JP Fitzgerald’s, which is located at 4236 Clark Street in Hamburg, N.Y.

by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway