ABBOTT AND DAVIS HIGHLY SERIOUS

Abbott and Davis.

No, it’s not a comedy act (aka Abbott and Costello). In fact, Abbott and Davis are highly serious.

Regular harness racing patrons at Fraser Downs are familiar with the names Abbott and Davis. But this story will go on to tell about an Abbott and a Davis the patrons are just getting to know.

We refer of course to John Abbott and Billy Davis, sons of highly-successful Downs’ trainer/drivers Gord and Bill.

John and Billy, 20 and 19 years of age respectively, have recently registered their first wins as trainers -- not long after getting their licences to be conditioners of the equine stars.

Davis, Jr. got his trainer’s licence in February, 2005. He got his first win with Itsaboutthemoney and went on to get nine more in the year. Abbott got his licence in late July and the first victory came March 26 with Classic Socks, a horse in which he shares ownership.

“It was good,” Abbott said with a huge grin when asked about Socks’ win.

However, he is not about to rest on his laurels. John and his girlfriend Alana Main, who is also a young trainer, own Hf Percy, a hard-campaigning filly. They are interested in getting more horses to train – for any interested owners.

John and Billy also want to get their racing driver’s licence.

“It’s my ultimate goal to be a driver,” Abbott said.

“I’ve always wanted to drive,” Davis said.

Both will have to wait as B.C. rules say they have to have had their trainer’s licence for two years before they can go after a driver’s licence.

Their interest in both training and driving, of course, comes naturally and through hard work – from their dads. Both the elders come with impressive statistics. Bill Sr., of course, is known as the Dominator, leading in B.C. year after year. He had 4,447 wins as a driver and 2,425 as a trainer at the time of this writing. Abbott, the father, is not too shabby himself with 1,466 driving wins and 727 as a trainer.

John, who was born in Langley, raised mainly in Cloverdale and attended part of his high school in Ontario, has helped Gord for years. Billy was born in Victoria and went to school in Cloverdale (including Lord Tweedsmuir where he remembers a class where he could sit and see horses training on the Downs’ track). He also helped dad for years on weekends, spring breaks, summer holidays and was at the track for work the day after graduation.

Both young men say that being sons of top competitors is good.

“I think it makes things easier because it helps you to get opportunities and gets you on your feet,” John said.

“I think it can be easier,” Billy concurred. “But I have big shoes to fill and high expectations. If I am half the trainer I’ll be real lucky.”

From here it seems both young men seem well on their way to success on their own.

And they are just a few of a colony of younger offspring that could, or likely will, turn to the harness racing life as well. There’s Mark Abbott, John’s brother; David Hudon, Jr. son of Dave Hudon; Justin and Chris Currie, sons of trainer Brett; and Alena MacLeod, daughter of trainer Cal. Remember there’s even five-year-old Jayden Knight who wants to be just like dad, trainer/driver Scott.

Oh, yes, there’s also a big chance that our young guys Abbott and Davis will have to go to their grandparents to find out who the heck Abbott and Costello are.