Last spring, David Siegel, MBA ’83, represented the United States in the 2008 World Cup of Amateur Racing. In this harness racing competition, a trotting horse pulls a two-wheeled cart piloted by the driver. Siegel led in the standings during most of the five-day event. We got the story of what happened, straight from the horse, er, driver’s mouth.
The final two races were heartbreakers. What happened?
In the second-to-last race, my horse broke stride and started to gallop near the end. The rules say if that happens, you have to slow the horse way down. Then in the final race, I didn’t like the way the horse looked on paper. When I got to drive her, she was shaking like a leaf. It was a disaster. She broke stride twice, and I came in last.
Still, you finished third overall.
I didn’t think I had a chance going in, but then I kept winning races. I was not disappointed with the outcome. Finishing third in the World Cup was a great accomplishment for someone of my relative inexperience.
How did you get into harness racing?
Growing up, I had no interest in horses and very little interest in animals. When I started this job [as president of TrackMaster, which provides data for people betting on horse racing], I had little knowledge of horse racing. My interest was in the statistical information—I was a math and econ major. In May 2003 I took the classes and tests to qualify as a driver, then did 45 qualifying races. I will have been driving for four years this fall, and I just competed in my 600th race.
