Mick Sullivan has a long-standing association with harness racing in Canberra and will use that experience to his best advantage during the Bega Show next weekend.
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Harness racing will feature at this year’s Bega Show with a number of races to run on February 20 from 5pm.
Sullivan will be bringing a complete team of horses to Bega for the racing and organisers said they were excited to see him in action.
The Bega show society extends thanks to Brett Clarke, Scott Dunn, Don Spence and Gerry Bateman for their continued support to make harness racing possible at the 2016 show.
Norm Pearce said Sullivan grew up around horses with his father and began riding at a young age.
But it wasn’t just normal riding, but harness racing and carriage driving.
“Mick drove his first trotters at Queanbeyan showground when he was five years old,” Pearce said with a laugh.
And Sullivan’s love of the sport quickly extended beyond just driving and racing and said training became a second nature to him.
As Sullivan’s love of the sport grew, so did his ability as more horses joined his stable.
“Today, he has about 20 horses around him from mares in foal, young geldings, colts and two horses in training at the Canberra racing complex,” Pearce said.
Whiskey Walker and No Co-operation are currently in training at the Canberra Harness Racing Complex and building on their natural ability and speed.
The duo are just the newest pair in a long-line of champion racers trained under the watchful vigil of Sullivan.
With pedigree going back for decades, some top runners for Sullivan include Don’t Call Me Crazy, He’s a Mountain Man, Ragtime Boy and Along the Way to The Top.
Pearce said the Canberra rider had also trained a number of horses locally and honed the skills for local owners Stuart McPaul and Rebecca Whyman.
“He has also used stallions from the Rixon stables in Bega many years ago,” Pearce said.
However, it’s all a balancing act for Sullivan, who works as a plumber during the day and works his training regime around his business.
Pearce said a number of businesses had sponsored the Show to be able to host the event and thanked everyone for their support.
Heritage Bega families have thrown their support behind the event with sponsorship from the Rixons, the Salways, Hayes, Matthews, Jessops and the Watlings.
Canberra Harness Racing ACT is also supporting the event.
“A big thank you to all our 2016 sponsors,” Pearce said.
The Bega Show will run for three days from February 19-21 at the Bega Showground and will feature a number of competitions and sideshows.