Harness Horse Youth Camp coming to Pocono

The harness racing stars of tomorrow are coming!  The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, are welcoming the Harness Horse Youth Foundation Camp to the track in Wilkes Barre, PA from Tuesday, July 17 to Saturday, July 21st.

Seven girls and three boys between the ages of 12 and 14 will be spending the week learning all about harness racing while working hands-on with the HHYF’s stable of Trottingbred horses.

They will learn all about the care and grooming, equipment, conformation, lameness, history, stable management, and equine careers. The camp director, Ellen Taylor, and her counselors, are assisted by Pocono horsemen who volunteer their time for the week with the various learning activities.

Also during the week, the campers enjoy several other events, including a night watching the live harness racing action; riding in the starting gate and learning about the duties performed by the starter judge and other track personnel; as well as fun activities after hours, including bowling and a pool party. 

The camp concludes on Saturday, July 21st with three exciting races on the famous Pocono oval with the children accompanied by Pocono drivers.  Approximate Post Time for the races is 5:15pm, with an awards ceremony in the Hanover Shoe Farms Winner’s Circle after the races.  All in all, it is a week filled with lots of hard work…and fun!

This year, nine children are from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties in Pennsylvania, and one of the campers is from Massachusetts. This camp is one of several across the country being conducted by HHYF this summer. 

The Harness Horse Youth Foundation is a charitable 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing young people and their families educational opportunities with  harness horses, in order to foster the next generation of participants and fans. The Foundation was established in 1976 and its programs include interactive learning experiences with these versatile animals, scholarship programs and educational materials.

For more information on opportunities through HHYF and its mission, go to www.hhyf.org.

by Jennifer Starr, for Pocono Downs