Racing a strange choice for a kid scared of horses!

FOR a kid who was afraid of horses, Dean Cernovskis picked a strange passion.

Despite having no family background within the industry and being fearful of equines, Cernovskis wanted to be involved in harness racing.

Becoming “mad keen on horses” as a 12-year-old, Cernovskis began loitering around Lackey Park in the New South Wales province of Moss Vale.

With his interest growing, a teenage Cernovskis eventually found himself at the stable of local horseman, Merv Thurston.

“I don’t come from a harness racing or horse-orientated family, but when I was 12 I got made keen on horses and started going to track,” Cernovskis recalled. “The bug got me and away I went!

“I’d got down to Lackey Park to watch and it was there I met Merv.

“I couldn’t even put on a head stall on and was petrified of horses, but Merv was a cranky old bugger and I was more scared of him than the horses so I soon got over being scared of horses.

“He taught me everything I knew in those early days.”

Heading to Canberra to watch the horses several years later, Cernovskis’ eye was captured by a particular filly.

The difference was this specimen walked on two legs!

“It was at the races one night in Canberra that I met my wife, Rikki,” Cernovskis said. “I saw her at the track, took a shining to her and did my best to get her.

“It took a bit of getting and I had to use all my charm, but it was worth it!”

Fast forward a couple of decades and the Cernovskis have a successful operation, which includes most facets of the sport.

While Dean focuses on the racing side, Rikki’s passion lies with breeding.

“Rikki’s father, John O’Sullivan, has been in Canberra since forever and she was involved in harness racing through him,” Cernovskis said.

“I eventually moved to Canberra for work and to be closer to her and now we have our horses.

“We’ve got about eight to 10 in work and then there is the breeding which Rikki loves.

“She is very dedicated to it and does an unreal job from getting the mares in foal to breaking them in…she does it all.

“We breed eight or nine each year and have seven due to foal this year. Unfortunately we had a shocking time last year as we lost a couple of cracking looking foals.

“We just purchased a property near Yass and are in the middle of a decision on whether to expand or not.”

Rating Group Two winner Drop The Hammer as the most successful of their breed, Cernovskis is hopeful another star is already in his care.

“Drop The Hammer would be best money wise,” Cernovskis said. “Hopefully we haven’t bred our best one yet and there’ll be a good one or two on the horizon.”

• HARNESS BREEDERS NSW