For nearly the first
half of the 20th century, the Maritimes were the hotbed of harness
racing in Canada, especially in New Brunswick.
There were almost 20 racetracks operating in as many communities
scattered throughout the province at various times.
For the longest time
Fredericton Raceway was considered the fastest piece of dirt in the Dominion
with its many Maritime, Canadian and World records being recorded during this
period.
It set the stage for
community entrepreneurs to become involved in the sport as there was a prestige
attached to owning a horse during those times.
One such entrepreneur
in Fredericton was Bert Lint.
Lint was born in
February 1875 at Bear Island, NB, which is also home to the Gerald Goodine
family, who themselves have had a long association with harness racing.
He moved to
Fredericton and became one of its leading citizens but he was also an
accomplished horsemen.
Lint held his own
against the finest horses and drivers to grace Fredericton and, indeed across
the New Brunswick and into Maine.
Though still an amateur trainer-driver, Lint held various track and
Maritimes records and at one time held a world
record with Chesley H Searcey. He
also employed legendary Canadian Racing Hall of Famers Billy Hood and Johnny
Conroy.
Lint once held the
track record for aged stallions at Fredericton and St. Stephen with A Game of
Chance, both records taken in 1916. Lint
later sold A Game of Chance to Grand Circuit interests and he took a record of
2:03 ¼.
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The chestnut pacer, Roy
Volo, first surfaced for Lint in 1915 as a four-year-old. In only his second start he quickly created a
reputation for tremendous resiliency when he raced in a seven-heat affair at Houlton, Maine. He won two of the heats, the fastest being in
2:21 ½.
However, it was the
next year when he really came into his own and became “the horse to beat” in
races he was entered. Racing at various
tracks in New Brunswick and Maine, Roy Volo won 21 of 36 heats. After a year off in 1917 for reasons unknown
(perhaps because of the War when many race tracks were closed), Roy Volo
returned to a more competitive racing scene and only won six of 28 heats,
though one was at St. Stephen where he set a new track and personal record of
2:13 ¼.
In 1919, when the
First World War ended, racing returned to New Brunswick very strongly. Among the new tracks that opened were Island
Park in Woodstock, Bathurst, Campbellton and Sussex. Harness racing was stronger than ever and Roy
Volo was starting to assert himself as a prospect to race the best in the
Maritimes and Maine.
Now eight-years-old,
Roy Volo and the popular Lint had their best year yet. In 48 heats he had an amazing summary of
21-9-14 and firmly established himself as the iron-horse of the time. Among
his accomplishments was a Maritime record for the fastest five-heats, which
took place at Chatham. A win in 2:13 ¼
in one of the heats was also an overall track record.
He continued this
pace over the next two years, finally graduating to the free-for-all
circuit. He raced and defeated Canadian
champion, The Exposer, on many occasions as well as many other famous horse
invaders. Among his many accomplishments
was becoming the fastest horse owned in the Maritimes. He claimed that distinction when he won on
his home turf of Fredericton in 2:08 ¼ in July 1921. It was one of four-heat wins that day (the
others were 2:10-2:09 ¼-2:11 ¼) in a $1,000 Invitational and the 2:08 ¼ mile
was a new track record for Fredericton as well as a Provincial and Maritime
record.
All told Roy Volo had
a summary of 39-22-14-1 that year as a 10-year-old.
In 1923, Roy Volo’s
career was winding down and Bert Lint sold him that fall. Roy Volo resurfaced in Nova Scotia a couple
of years later but never recaptured his old form though he did race five more
years until the age of 18. He retired to
stud with a career record of 348-129-80-65.
Bert Lint and Roy
Volo were inducted to the Fredericton Raceway Hall of Fame in 2006.
Bert Lint would
replace Roy Volo with a new sensation, Chesley H Searcey, the next year in
1924.
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* * *
When I wrote the first series of blogs on the history of
Fredericton Raceway, I made mention of the era in the 1920’s and 1930’s when
harness racing was thriving and driving clubs in Atlantic Canada and Maine
boasted of “community-owned” horses.
Many of these cities spent significant amounts of money to import pacing
stars to take a run at track records or rival community horses. During that time driving clubs flourished and
these “community-owned” horses were a civic boast.
On July
19, 1923, four “community-owned” horses, John R. Braden, 2:02 ¾, (Presque Isle,
Maine), Roy Grattan, 2:01 ¾, (Caribou, Maine), Dan Hedgewood, 2:04 ½, (Woodstock),
driven by Earle Avery, and Jackson Gratton, 2:01 ¼, (Houlton, Maine) met in the
$1,000 Barker House free-for-all in Fredericton. John R. Braden was a straight winner in 2:05
3/4, 2:06 1/4 and 2:06 1/2, establishing a Canadian three-heat record for half
mile tracks.
John R
Braden and his driver John Willard had been king of the New Brunswick-Maine
circuit since bring bought by the Mooseleuk Driving Club in 1921.
 |
| JOHN R BRADEN with John Willard |
Roy
Grattan ($8,500), Dan Hedgewood ($5,000) and Jackson Grattan ($12,500) had all
been purchased by their respective communities to take part in “…one
of the greatest international rivalries ever…”
And now in 1924, as horse racing in Fredericton reached an
all-time high in popularity, the Fredericton Driving and Sporting Club decided
to buy a horse of its own.
With money raised by popular subscription, a group headed by
City Hotel operator Bert Lint purchased four-year-old Chesley H. Searcey, p.3,
2:05 ¼m, from Ohio for a reported $10,000.
Lint has been looking for a “suitable” replacement for his former aging
free-for-aller, Roy Volo.
It was said that, “He was the horse that was bought to beat the
legendary horse, John R Braden, and would bring glory to Fredericton! “
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* *
Chesley H Searcey was lightly raced before he came to
Fredericton. He had only 21 lifetime
heats and completed a very respectable summary of 7-11-1. He took a sophomore record of 2:05 ¼m at
Toledo, Ohio on July 13, 1923 which made him the fastest three-year-old colt in
North America.
After being purchased by Lint, who had been the agent on
behalf of the community syndicate, Chelsey H Searcey was brought to Fredericton
where he was immediately scrutinized by the local faithful.
Many believed he would not beat John R Braden
but even his driver, John Willard, saw the potential in the young horse. The critics were soon silenced when, in his first race under
new management of Lint and the Fredericton Driving and Sporting Club, he
equaled the world record for four-year-olds on a half-mile track in Houlton,
Maine in a $1,000 Free-For-All.
It was said that “the grandstand was taxed to capacity” with
race fans from both sides of the border to watch the latest Grand Circuit
refugee perform.
In the three-horse race were Dan Hedgewood, driven by PEI
native Fred Cameron, Jackson Grattan, driven by well-known U.S. driver, Ralph
Burrill, and Fredericton’s Chesley H Searcey and Bert Lint.
It was said that it was an emotional Lint that paraded back
Chesley H Searcey after winning a very close and hard-fought first heat in 2:07
½.
In the second heat , the other drivers went at Lint and
Chesley H Searcey even harder and when
it was all said and done, the
Fredericton duo, again, rose to the challenge resulting in a new
world record mark of 2:06 ¼ for four-year-old stallions on a half-mile track.
He finally tasted defeat in the third and final heat when
Dan Hedgewood won in 2:08 ¼ but Chesley H Searcey had already proven himself to
be a worthy adversary in the Free-For-All ranks.
Chesley H Searcey went on to Houlton a week later to face hometown
favorite Jackson Grattan, Dan Hedgewood and John R Braden. John R Braden flexed his muscles and
defeated his new rival in straight heats 2-4-3 but Willard was quoted as
saying, “Chesley (H Searcey) is a true world champion and he will get
better. He is an up and coming horse”
Bert Lint was finally able to show off his horse before the hometown
crowd on July 24. A $1,000 Free-For-All
attracted the same four horses and this time the locals were confident that
John R Braden would go down to defeat against the new Fredericton champion.
But it wasn’t to be.
Chesley H Searcey finished 3-4-3 against his rival John R Braden in 2:07
¼ - 2:07 ¾ - 2:07 ¼.
It was said that the local fans and the horse press were forgiving to
Bert Lint and Chesley H Searcey mostly because of their gallant effort but also
but also because he was still a world champion and Lint, who was only an
amateur driver, was as well liked and respected on the U.S. side of the border
as we was on the Canadian side.
It was to be Chesley H Searcey final race ever on August 8th
in Presque Isle, Maine. After winning
two of three heats, both in 2:07 ½, it was discovered that the world champion
had suffered a catastrophic injury to one of his legs. World class vets were brought in to save the
horse but he would never race again.
Chesley H Searcey ended his career with a record of 33-11-10-5.
* * *
* *
Bert Lint died in March 1942 at the age
of 66 and his funeral was well attended by many Maritime and New England
horsemen. He died of a blood clot from a
leg break when he fell building an outdoor ice rink beside the hotel for his
granddaughters Betty and Helen. Bert was the caring for Betty, Helen and their
mother Ena from the time Betty was 5 years of age. They all lived at the City
Hotel with Bert. Betty is Brian Johnson’s mom and she passed away November 11,
2011. She is survived by her sister Helen Lambert and husband Robert Johnson
and 8 children and many grand children and great grand children
Colonel Dan MacKinnon said at the time,
“Few men throughout the Maritime provinces and Maine are better known in the
race game than the late lamented Bert Lint.
He was a genial gentleman and whether as a host at his hotel, as an
owner racing a horse, or as a driver, he made legions of friends and retained
them.”
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