Courtesy John Coulson

Harry with nephew, Jackie McGarry, c.1952.

Bad Beatings

Yes, I got a couple of bad beatings on horses. Well, I bought a horse Jack Gillis and me was away. The horse came from the States and, oh, we thought he was elegant. So we went up the Murray Harbour Road and I bought him. I give two horses for him and a shorthom cow [and] I forget how much money. Jesus, a lot of money. The damn horse wasn’t worth nothing. He was a dandy horse but you couldn’t keep hobbles [on him]. He’d break them racing. Oh, he was a fast horse. But he was bad—hitched. I paid about 600 for him. So I traded him in town and I give 40 dollars to boot. I got the best horse that ever was known. I had him for 10 years. Sunny Wickham.... Oh, [he] was something elegant. Women drove him and everything in races. He made a dozen robes‘ down in Pinettez, too, when he was old.

1. “Robes” refers to the horse blankets, “rugs” or “coolers” that are traditionally given as

1st prize to winners of selected races. 2. The Pinette Raceway is one of PEI’s best Matinee tracks (tracks which operate without

paramutual betting or winner’s purse). Races are still held at Pinette every Saturday afternoon throughout the summer season.

Harry Coulson 67