Ewing Off To Great Start
By Hannah Gentry
Ben Ewing is new to Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, but he’s definitely not new to the horse racing business. As official starter for the Thoroughbreds, Ewing is responsible for the start of every race of every day on the track.
He’s been around the business for over 40 years and comes from a family that has horses. Ewing started working with Thoroughbreds as a summer job in high school. After attending college, he came back to the business.
Ewing has traveled all over the country moving with the seasons and working in all different positions behind the scenes of racing. He’s worked in Nebraska, Kentucky, Iowa, and Indiana.
“I kind of fell into this position,” said Ewing. “I’ve really enjoyed it. The guys are good, and I’ve worked with most of them, so I am able to trust them with certain horses.”
Ewing enjoys being the starter at Hoosier Park and his business is an interesting one. A typical day for a starter begins in the morning where they offer “schooling,” which is where young and older horses alike participate in practice starts in order to make sure the races go off easy and simple for the trainers and the public.
“Before the race starts, my mind focuses on each horse,” said Ewing. “I watch how they react to certain things, how they load and go into the gate properly. It’s important to know and watch certain horses. Being a starter takes concentration and familiarity with all types of horses. The quality of horses racing this year is really good.”
Ewing is definitely a team minded individual. He stresses the fact it takes a good team of men to do what he does. Ewing says it is important to keep an open mind, because being in his position is a constant learning process. Not every race will start off the same. For Ewing, the starter position at Hoosier Park is a very interesting and exciting one. He is a welcome addition to the team at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.