Trotters vs Pacers

[Bogeyman]

Rookie question - are different driving/handling skills required for drivers racing trotters and pacers?  It would seem to me there may be different skills required when driving the two different gaits. 

[The Exporter]

Rookie question - are different driving/handling skills required for drivers racing trotters and pacers?  It would seem to me there may be different skills required when driving the two different gaits.

Sometimes, yes. But, todays trotter is much safer than those of yesteryear. Back then, you had people who fancied themselves as "trottingmen".

[Lance]

There used to be trotting guys and pacing guys…..I find now there are a lot of guys that can go either way…..that’s my kind of trainer.

[OF JENNY]

lost aof drivers now a days go both ways

[Meadow Ford]

IMHO
It depends more on the horse then the gait.
I have driven trotters that you couldn't knock off their feet.
I have driven pacers that you couldn't breathe heavy or they might take off on a dead run.

In an inhouse interview at Sportsman's Park Eleanor Flavin asked Bea Farber that same question.
Bea "To drive a trotter you got to tighten up your bra straps a little more".

[SeattleSlew]

I agree that today there is probably much less separation between the two; however, back in the 70's and early 80's if I had a trotter racing at either Yonkers or Roosevelt I would always try and get John Patterson Jr as first choice and Benny Webster as #2.  I owned ONLY trotters for 30 years (with one exception for a pacer I leased) and it was MY OPINION (and shared by several others involved with mostly trotters, including Ron Gurfein) that there were 4 or 5 drivers whose hands seemed to work better with trotters than many of the other drivers.  Over the years the drivers whom my trotters had the most success with were Benny Webster, John Campbell, Walter Case, John Patterson Jr., Mike Gagliardi and Ron Waples.  These days Yannick seems to have a great feel for the trotters he drives.

[Bitter Truth]

 LaChance and Pierce have to be in the conversation.

[Bitter Truth]

 Bernt Linstedt,  Jan Johnson too. Any time there is talk of trotters, Carl Allen should be mentioned.
 Note the great # of trotters on hopples nowadays, which he invented.

[Parked]

John Browning in 1865 invented the trotting hopples. Can learn a lot by googling

[oldjohn123]

In Maine it was Dougie Gray.

[Bitter Truth]

 I'll take your word for it Parked. Let's just say Allen brought it into play in the modern era.

[old guy]

I'll take your word for it Parked. Let's just say Allen brought it into play in the modern era.

Ken Shand from Australia had a hand in it.

[kantseeback]

The best 2 trot drivers I saw back in the day,
John Patterson jr
William Odonnell
I think those 2 had a knack for driving trotters.

[Lance]

I think near the end of his career Trevor Ritchie only drove trotters. 

[SeattleSlew]

LaChance and Pierce have to be in the conversation.

I agree, but they were in the "sandwich years" when my ownership was tapering down, so if one looks at the 90's, certainly Mike was a trotting "king" with 5 Hambo and Hambo Oaks wins from 1990 to 2003 and 10 Breeders Crown Trot wins from 1990-2009, while Ron Pierce was winning 6 Hambos and Hambo Oaks during that same time period.