THE Irish racing public will think of the late Sir Peter O’Sullevan, or perhaps even the recently retired Des Scahill, but to harness racing fans worldwide, ‘The Voice’ will always be Ohio-born Roger Huston, now in his 87th year.

Main organiser Derek Delaney doesn’t do things by half and he started bringing the best known harness commentator in the world to the Vincent Delaney Memorial Weekend in 2014.

Next weekend will be Roger Huston’s sixth occasion to visit Portmarnock Raceway.

Roger has called over 179,000 races in his career. The American is essentially a guest commentator during Delaney weekend but circumstances have ensured that he calls 90% of the races over the two days, sometimes relieved by Darren Owen, the British caller.

I caught up with Roger Huston from his home near Pittsburg recently. The septuagenarian announcer broke off once to answer his ‘cell phone’. His ringtone is the tune ‘Little Brown Jug’ the caller was ‘my girlfriend’. This is no ordinary old age pensioner!

We spoke the day after his local track’s biggest race the $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios Stakes for three-year-old pacers. The race is named after a celebrated stallion (Adios) and his owner Delvin Miller (1913-1996). Miller was known as harness racing’s ‘Goodwill Ambassador’. Having met Mr Miller personally. I can vouch that the title was apt.

Indeed it was Del Miller who convinced Roger Huston to quit the job at Pompano Park in Florida and return to the more northerly track at The Meadows.

Roger opened up by saying “I should be dead! We had a 16-race card yesterday and a 1.48 winner of the Adios and a 1.50.4 two-year-old, but the adrenaline keeps me going.”

Roger graduated from the University of Wilmington in 1967. “I took longer to complete my degree as I was already commentating on basketball and football on the radio with my uncle Don Huston. I finished my thesis on education while watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon in 1967.

“I always wanted to be a caller. My parents were embarrassed at the county fair at Urbana, Ohio as I was mimicking the commentary in my short trousers.

“I had a few conventional jobs before starting at Pompano Park. Then Delvin lured me to The Meadows and Canonsburg, Pennsylvania has been my home since. I’ve been 44 years in the booth at The Meadows and I have worked under 14 different owners.”

The Little Brown Jug is America’s most famous race for pacers. Roger is synonymous with the late summer festival with top-class racing set against the backdrop of a County Fair. Tractors, farm animals, funfairs, baseball caps and faded denim are the order of the day.

The blue bloods of US trotting descend on Delaware, Ohio for the week, both human and equine.

This year, 2019 will be Huston’s 52nd ‘Jug’. He recalled some of the famous winners.

Bret Hanover (1964): “There was torrential rainfall and they had to put the race back by hours. Curly Smart, the track superintendent, worked wonders to get it raceable. They kept scraping layers off with machinery with the result they raced on the bedrock of the track – it was very hard.”

Nansemond (1971): “Of course Nansemond and Herve Filion defeated the great Albatross and Stanley Dancer. The crowd actually booed Stanley as he had said the ‘The Big Bird’ only had to jog to win. Dancer said he wouldn’t come back to Delaware again unless he was sure he could win the Jug, which he did in 1976 with Keystone Ore.”

Life Sign (1993): “A much misunderstood race. Lots of people say the greatest Jug ever. But winning driver John Campbell said it was the worst drive he ever gave a horse. He only saw the rail for the first eighth of a mile but Life Sign survived that two-wide trip.”

Roger was anxious to mention his own favourite Little Brown Jug wherein Wiggle It Jiggle It and Lost for Words had a lengthy speed duel.

Wiggle It Jiggle It (2015): “Montrell Teague drove Wiggle It Jiggle It and they had to take to the outside around the first turn as the horse was hitching a bit. Wiggle It Jiggle it slugged it out to the half with Lost For Words. At the three-quarter pole I announced “this battle has just become a war” and in the end Wiggle It Jiggle It won out.”

Great drivers

Were any of the great drivers approachable? “Herve Filion with 15,180 wins was a dream to interview. Of course he had his demons but he was great showman for the fans. He won seven races on the card one day at The Meadows and put lifetime bests on six of the horses without using the whip. He was magic.”

“Joe O’Brien (Irish descent but born in the Canadian Maritimes) kept himself to himself but was much in demand in Lexington in the fall for the time trials.”

Did Roger enjoy his time as an amateur driver? No false modesty here. “I was good. I reckon all that time spent commentating helped my driving. When you are calling a race you can tell when a driver should pull and when he should sit and I reckon that helped my judgement.”

What needs to be improved in Ireland? “Your purses. With the exception of the top trainers like John Richardson and Alexis Laidler, I think a lot of your trainers must be in it for the love of it. Wherever you are in the world, it takes money to keep a barn going.

“I love the people in Ireland and the family involvement. Thanks to Sean Kane I have jogged a trotter on Bettystown beach and thanks to Gerry Farmer I have driven a carriage in Dublin city centre. This year Cory Stratton is the guest driver from America, he has 6,000 career wins.”

Is there any sign of Roger Huston slowing down? “Well between tonight (July 29th) and I leave for Ireland, I will be working at Lisbon Ohio, Xenia Ohio, The Meadows, Waynesburg Pennsylvania and back to The Meadows.

“I recently returned from my 145th different track at which I have commentated. The new track, Running Aces in Minnesota.

“Do you know that I wear Delvin Miller’s Hall of Fame ring on my hand? Delvin said to me. ‘Harness racing has been good to you, so you have to be good back to harness racing’.”

The VDM weekend at Portmarnock, August 10th and 11th will be on the receiving end of Miller and Huston’s generosity. To use one of Roger’s often imitated strap lines – ‘be there’.

The Voice – the Unparalleled Life of Roger Huston is by Victoria Howard and published by Author House. The book is available on Amazon Worldwide and Roger Huston will be signing copies at Portmarnock Raceway next weekend.