Let Me Earn Your Business!
From Environment Canada WED., NOV. 3
CHRIS BABKIRK
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390 Talbot St. N. Essex
519-776-6447
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
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chrisbabkirk@kenknappford.com
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Southpoint Sun - 21
Harness season most successful in recent years
The start of the second race at Leamington Raceway on Sunday, October 31 sees the horses speed away from the gate. The season came to a close on Sunday, with 13 race dates presented in 2021. SUN photo
U12 Ravens win two
REGIONAL — The Essex-Southpoint Ravens U12 hockey team hit the road for a pair of games this past weekend. On Friday night, Oct. 29 in Harrow, the Ravens faced off against the Erie North Shore Storm. In
a very spirited contest the local squad came out fierce, controlling most of the play. Finally, with two left in the first, they were rewarded for their hard work. Isaiah Georges kept the puck in at the line, moving it to Austin Goudie. Goudie found Derek Dunn in the slot, who one-timed it past the goalie to get on the board. Two and a half into the final frame the Storm, on the tail end of a four-minute power play, evened the score. But a minute later, while on their own power play, Essex jumped back into the lead. Nash Fuerth stopped a clearing attempt at the Derek Dunn of the Essex Southpoint Ravens U12 line and ripped his team unleashes a wrist shot. Submitted photo shot from the point
with Lucas O’Neil tipping it home. With two remaining, Dunn slipped the puck out to the side of the net where O’Neil battled to poke it in to seal the hard fought win 3-1. Trent Chevalier stood tall in net to help backstop his team to victory. On Saturday afternoon the Ravens travelled to Windsor to face the Riverside Rangers. After facing some adversity the night before, the Ravens made it clear that they were there to play right from the puck drop. Essex scored early and often in a dominating performance as they skated to a 10-1 win. Lucas O’Neil, Owen Derksen and Austin Goudie led the way, each potting a pair, while Nash Fuerth, Derek Dunn and Ben Liebrock added singles to complete the rout. Kevin Ondic, though not tested, often made some timely saves to help secure the win.
APPLES • PEARS • SWEET POTATOES
By Mark Ribble LEAMINGTON — After 13 successful race dates in 2021, Leamington Raceway called it a season on Sunday, October 31. The track is located on the Leamington Fairgrounds, but through an agreement with the Leamington and District Agriculture Society, the Lakeshore Harness Association hosts the races. According to Lakeshore Harness Association Director Tom Bain, this season was very successful. “It was really a huge success for us,” said Bain. “It was great to see all of the people turn out.” Bain says that one of the true measures of a track’s success is the weekly handle, which is the amount of money bet on that particular date. Twice this season, Leamington broke their record handle, which got up over $46,000 to accomplish that. In fact, 11 out of the 13 race dates sported handles over $40,000 wagered. That wagering includes on-site betting and online betting through apps such as HPIbet.com. That makes Leamington one of the more successful horse tracks in southwestern Ontario. For Bain, he says it’s more than just the money,
though. “It’s a great boost to the industry,” he says. “It supports 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.” And he says the horsemen love coming here. “Local horsemen especially, are able to race locally without having to travel up the 401,” he said. This makes a big difference in their bottom line without having to truck their horses from track to track. That contributes to the family atmosphere that the locals are looking to capture. Many families used the races this year as their weekly outing with an opportunity to teach the youngsters about the industry. Bain says that they’ve applied for more dates for next year. “We feel we can definitely do more than the 13,” he said. He hopes to know by the end of this year if that bid for an increase in dates is successful. Track announcer Nathan Bain also wanted to express his gratitude. “Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make the 2021 racing season such a success,” said Nathan. “I look forward to racing returning in 2022.”
Thank you Chances Gaming Lounge for your continued support in raising funds for the
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