News

By Emma Geldart

Eleven years ago, 12-year-old Ben Hollingsworth walked into a racehorse barn at the Truro Raceway.

The rest is history.

Now 23, Ben (Class of ‘15) is graduating from Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture with a Bachelor of Science (Agr) in Animal Science and minors in both Agricultural Business and Food Science and Technology. Not only that, Ben leaves the day after his graduation to begin his dream job in Ontario.

Ben is a racehorse trainer. Based out of the Truro Raceway in Truro, NS, Ben has been working with racehorses since the day he walked into that barn when he was 12.

“My grandmother was babysitting me one day,” Ben explains. “She lives near the track and I was out on my bike. I wandered into one of the barns and picked up a broom and started sweeping.”

Ben explains that although he had always had a love for horses, he didn’t really know too much about them.

“I went in there not knowing a mare from a stud,” he laughs. “Now I have my own stable, I train horses and have gotten to work with some of the best horses and trainers in the Maritimes and in North America.”

From that day, Ben has been following his heart, not letting anything hold him back. His love for harness racing has led him all over the United States.

After his first year of university, Ben spent the summer working with a youth organization in the United States. He was browsing the internet one day in high school and came across the Harness Horse Youth Foundation (HHYF). The HHYF is an organization based in the US that provides young people and their families with opportunities to learn about harness racing. With an internship position available, Ben contacted the organization and soon enough, was on a plane to spend a summer in the US.

“It was an incredible opportunity,” Ben explains. “I got to see a lot of fantastic barns and meet a lot of terrific people.”

Ben’s summer consisted of travelling all across the US teaching kids, age 11-16, about harness racing. Along with another woman, they travelled to places like Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Ohio to name a few. They hauled a trailer with seven Trottingbred horses, all their gear, and all of their teaching supplies. The two of them would move from track to track and set up camps for kids.

“The camps usually lasted five days,” Ben explains. “The kids would stay overnight and we would teach them everything about harness racing. We taught them how to put on the harness, everything about the cart, jogging the horses, everything. At the end of the week they would get to drive in a race.”

Ben worked with the HHYF for two summers. Through his travels he met many experienced horse people in the industry. It was through these connections that Ben landed a full time position beginning after he graduates Dal AC.

“Our first stop during my first summer was in Connecticut,” Ben explains. “I was offered a job but I had to come back for school. I went to work for that trainer last summer and he sent me to Ontario where I was offered this position that I’ll be going to after I graduate.”

As convocation quickly approaches, Ben reflects on his time spent at Dal AC.

“I always knew that I wanted to come here,” Ben says of the Agricultural Campus. “I drove past it every day on the bus on the way to high school. It never even crossed my mind to go anywhere else.”

Growing up with a love of animals, Ben came to the AC with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. After realizing that that career wasn’t really for him, Ben took a semester off and came back with a fresh mind.

“While I was off I trained horses,” Ben explains. “It was then that I realized that training was really my thing.”

Not only is Ben heading off to his dream job, Ben will also be representing the Class of ’15 as their Life President. The Life President is the class’s point of contact to the alumni office. They work with the alumni office to plan reunions and other events, keep the class up to date on campus news and keep them connected to campus. Ben admits he was surprised to learn he was nominated.

“A classmate nominated me,” he says. “While I was surprised, I am also honored to represent the graduating class of ’15!” 

Through his journey Ben was met with an incredible amount of support not only from his biological family, but from his racing family as well. From taking him under their wing and teaching him the ropes, to picking up a few of his chores when he had a class, and even having an owner sponsor his post-secondary education, Ben explains that everyone at the Truro Raceway has played a hand in helping him get where he is today.

“We’re the greatest enemies out on the track but we’re the best of friends off it,” Ben says. “Everyone has helped me so much. It was Phil and Dale Pinkney’s barn that I walked into that day when I was 12 and they’ve been looking after me ever since. Darren Crowe gave me my first horse to train. The owners are all fantastic. We really are one big family.”

It’s his track family that makes Ben’s move to Ontario bitter-sweet.

“They are definitely sad to see me go,” Ben says. “But I can tell they are proud. I’ll miss everyone there but I’m sure I’ll be back someday.”

With Ben finally living his dream, to some it may look like he’s reached the end of his road. But for Ben, the journey has just begun.