Rosy Weaver is a patient person when it comes to her horses. Given her preference to work exclusively with trotters, it can be a helpful trait.
Weaver, a 35-year-old Ohio native, is coming off her best season as a trainer in 2021, with her stable winning 54 races and $370,588. She ranked second to Chris Beaver in victories among all trainers on the Ohio fairs circuit, posting 31 triumphs in 75 starts, and saw two-year-old male trotter A Handsome Face capture an Ohio Fairs Championship.
This winter, Weaver is at McGhees’ Mile in Aiken, South Carolina, preparing her group of 30-plus horses for the 2022 campaign. Heartland Acres, which teamed with Weaver to buy horses two years ago, owns or co-owns with her the vast majority of the stable’s 21 two-year-olds in addition to a handful of three-year-olds, including A Handsome Face.
The transition from raceway stock to young horses led Weaver to shift her winter training from Ohio to McGhees’ Mile, which features two red clay tracks and a sand track. The more pleasant climate and opportunity to train regularly on a surface unaffected by harsh winter weather were determining factors.
“It’s so much harder on them, I think, while they’re trying to develop and mature,” said Weaver, referring to the north’s winter conditions. “Garry Martin, who has been down here a few years already, came up to me at one of the fairs and said I needed to come down to Aiken. We talked about it and one thing led to another. I mentioned it to my owner and told him if we were going to consider buying more babies, it would be a great idea.
“I think not only is it better for us, I think the horses are a lot happier. There are not so many gloomy days; cold, muddy days. The track is always good. It’s almost always sunny. I really like the weather. I prefer it here over Florida because I don’t mind chilly mornings and by afternoon it’s perfect.”
When she arrived at McGhees’ Mile, she moved her horses into a newly renovated barn, painted in her stable’s blue and white colours alone on the backside.
“I love it,” said Weaver. “It’s like my own little town. It’s just me, the workers and the horses. That’s my favourite part about being here. There’s not a lot going on, and with 37 trotters, that’s good. If you’re somewhere where it’s loud and there’s always stuff going on, trotters tend to get keyed up a lot quicker than pacers. It’s a perfect scenario. I’ve got my own paddocks. They don’t get bothered by anything. It’s very relaxing.”
Weaver grew up on a farm and always loved horses. When she got out of school, she got a job as a groom at Ruby Hostetler’s Flowing Mineral Farm. She advanced to second trainer, working with Jimmy Smith, before starting her own stable at the end of 2008.
“When I went on my own, I didn’t have money to invest in babies, so I did what I could to make ends meet to begin my own journey,” said Weaver. “I had trotters and pacers, all aged horses, and tried to advance them through [the conditions] and sell them. I did well enough that I could go to the sales and buy a couple babies.
“I just always loved trotters so much more. They’re more of a challenge, in my opinion. I have a ton of patience for horses. There can’t be one bad enough that I won’t be OK with trying. It takes a lot more [patience] with trotters. I decided to invest all my time and try to be as good as I could be with trotters. That way I can focus just solely on the one gait and doing the best I can with what I’ve got.”
Her partnership with Heartland Acres is another step in her career development.
“Everything just bloomed from there,” said Weaver, who has 417 lifetime wins as a trainer and another 26 as a driver. “Last year was exciting. I thought we had pretty good success for the first year.”
And although Weaver is on her own, she is quick to point out she cannot do it alone.
“When I worked for Jimmy Smith, he was an exceptional boss and always did real good involving his whole crew,” said Weaver. “When I was a groom there, I saw that, and I felt that, and it meant a lot. That’s something I’ll always carry with me as a trainer, to make sure to include all my help and everyone that’s made it possible for me.
“I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t have an owner that bought good horses, if I didn’t have Don Irvine Jr. driving my horses. I’m very lucky to have him as part of my team. I don’t want to draw attention just to myself. It’s everybody in my stable.”
On Saturday, Weaver will see 18 of her horses in action when McGhees’ Mile hosts a dozen matinee races. Among those will be Wishing Itsme, a three-year-old filly who missed last season because of an injury suffered while in her stall. Weaver considers the trotter one of her top prospects.
“She was at Rood & Riddle (Equine Hospital) for two months and was close to death a few times from bad infections,” said Weaver. “The vets at Rood & Riddle did beyond amazing to make it possible for her to be here today. They did all the right things and cared about her a lot to get her over the hump.
“I’m excited. She’s training down like a good horse. I’m just riding the ride with her. She’s done everything right and is just waiting to do more. She has a heart of gold and a really nice stride. We’ll see how the matinee goes for her on Saturday for her first so-called race experience, but I think if she can keep it together, she will be put on the map this year.”
(With files from USTA)