Gareth Wyn Dowse has made a name for himself as a driver and trainer in the harness racing world over in the United States.
And he is hoping for more success when he returns to Ceredigion for a two-week holiday during which he intends to compete as a driver in the Welsh Classic Festival of Harness Racing at Tregaron.
The 39-year-old said: “I’ve always said I wanted to come back to race in Tregaron one day. It’s where it all kicked off for me. Being in the winner’s circle as an 11 year old was the inspiration to become a driver and then a trainer.”
Being brought up with harness racing in his blood Gareth Wyn is a third generation of the Dowse family, a local family steeped in trotting history in the UK.
Back in 1993 Gareth Jnr stepped on to the Tregaron winner’s circle with his family and their homebred, trained and driven Extra Spring, winner of the Welsh Classic.
From then on, all he wanted to do was be around the horses, racing weekly with his father Gareth Snr and younger brother Philip.
Fast forward to 2003 he made the journey to the States to fulfill his dream of driving harness racehorses, working at the Schnittker stable in Goshen, New York.
There he met and worked alongside Paul Doherty, Schnittker’s partner.
Doherty was a big influence on Gareth whilst they jogged many two-year-olds and many miles at the Meadowlands racetrack.
Unfortunately, Paul died way to soon and Schnittker made Gareth his Number 2.
During that period the Schnittker stable enjoyed much success, Deweycheatumnhowe being the star of the stable.
After Paul’s death the stable never missed a beat, the success continuing with One More Laugh and Huntsville, both winning the Meadowlands Pace.
On reaching 15 years of service to Schnittker, Gareth decided for personal reasons to move to Pennsylvania to start his own stable and a new start.
After initial problems were ironed out and a move to New Jersey where he met his now partner Sheena Cohen, training success has started to flow again with Gareth sitting at the top of the Yonkers trainers table and eighth in the NA trainers table.
• The Welsh Classic Festival is held at Dolyrhychain Farm on 2-3 July, first race at 1pm.