Paul Murphy and Behind the Gate

Retired school teacher, Paul Murphy has written the book, Behind the Gate with a main focus on P.E.I.’s harness racing families and history. It is a remarkable piece of work and a labor of love on a remarkable sport with roots running deep in the Island and in the rest of Atlantic Canada.

Historically, the content begins in the early 1900s and proceeds all the way to today. Many of the profiles presented originally appeared in the official racing program of the former Charlottetown Driving Park. These have been given a fresh polish and have been updated, and new profiles have been added.

Behind the Gate is about the life stories and achievements of a cross section of harness racing heroes from our home province and the other Atlantic provinces with a good selection of grass roots people who form the strong fabric of the harness racing culture with its drivers, trainers, grooms, owners, veterinarians, fans and wonderful horses.

Murphy’s passion for harness racing shines through in every page of the book. The selection of pictures in the book include ones from nationally acclaimed horse photographer Monica Thors, along with local harness racing photographers Gail MacDonald, Ann MacNeil and Gordon Slaunwhite.

A few of those harness racing individuals who have the spotlight shining brightly on them in Behind the Gate include world class P.E.I. native son, Wally Hennessey, along with talented veteran Island horseman Barney McGuigan, celebrated Maritime trotting specialist Ralph Annear, New Brunswick star reinsman Gilles Barrieau and Canada’s and Nova Scotia’s most accomplished female driver, Clare MacDonald.

Behind the Gate is published by Retromedia Publishing of Charlottetown and is available in local book stores and online at http://www.retromedia.ca