Even at 91-years-old, Bill Megens is still finding success on the harness circuit.
The Guelph man recently guided Willy Strike – a three-year-old trotter – to victory at London’s Western Fair District raceway.
“I should’ve won two (races), but the other horse broke down at the three quarter pole,” Megens told GuelphToday.
Willy Strike got in at two minutes and six seconds, quarter length over the second place finisher. Megens thought that particular horse was in tough, but it just worked out right.
“Sometimes, you get good luck, make the right move,” he said.
It was a long, tough day for Megens, who had to pull over on the way to London because of a flat tire on his trailer.
“(Travelling), especially if you’re by yourself, it makes it kind of tough,” he said. “I’m not 40 years (old) anymore, but I’m lucky. I can still do it.”
He is still doing it, and he is picking up the pace. The victorious race was his 21st race of 2024, his highest total since the 32 races he partook in in 2016.
“Everyone thinks I’m too old. I’m 91, but the horse does the running,” he said. “As long as you got a clear head and you’re strong enough to hold onto the horse.”
The earnings may not be there like it used to.
Megens earned just shy of $10,000 this past year. Compare that to the usual five-figure sums he earned pre-pandemic, highlighted by the $246,864 in earnings in 2002.
Megens has been in the horse business since 1951.
When he isn’t on the track, he is raising horses full-time on his farm, which comes with some long days.
After his win on Dec. 20, he didn’t get home until 1 a.m. But Megens is still up at 6 a.m.
“I still really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a little tougher now, especially going all the way down to London, if the roads are (not) okay.”
Megens admits it's tougher to pick up victories, with “big money people coming in” with expensive horses.
Michael, his youngest of seven children, was supposed to take over Bill’s stable. Unfortunately, he passed away in October 2022 at the age 56 due to complications with diabetes.
So he stuck with it, though Megens added he plans to slow down a little bit.
“Life is too short,” he said. “I only got nine years to go to be 100 … my dad got to be 99.”
Would he race into triple digits? While Megens said he’ll “probably retire” if he makes it to 100, the thought of racing on his 100th birthday isn’t off the table.
“If I can afford it,” he said with a laugh when asked about it.
For now, he already has eyes set on the 2025 racing season and putting some horses in at the track in Flamborough.
