Amateur Women Drive For Fun

"In my opinion, the ladies participation in our races adds respect and a sense of merit to the program and most always a touch of quality," Gerry said. "Frequently, like the gentlemen who participate, they are professionally engaged in a line of work unrelated to the breeding, raising, training and racing of horses. Some are homemakers, who with their spouses enjoy the competition and the sport. Some are horse trainers who choose not to drive professionally. Frequently, they are mothers and from time to time we have a grandmother compete."

Enter Chicago native Rose Bonomo, 61, who had equine experience with pleasure horses before her desire for "another new adventure" spurred her toward amateur racing.

In fact, the high-energy, home-making grandmother of seven also has a daughter, Michele Ruvola, who has climbed into the sulky from time to time.

"For me, the main thing behind driving these horses was that it is something I could do to show my grandkids that in life there isn't anything you can't do if you put your mind to it, and at no matter what age," Bonomo said. "It gives you a real sense of accomplishment to win a race."

The Bonomos have owned Standardbreds for 30 years, and also own a small, private 30-acre training facility not far from their home in Naperville, Illinois. Bonomo's husband, George, and USTA Director John Cisna, were the brains behind starting the Mid-Western Amateur Drivers Association in the mid-1990s.

"We didn't realize that there were those kinds of possibilities out there for owners to drive horses," Rose Bonomo said. "When George began talking about this, the first thing I said was, 'I want to drive!'"

"The professionals in the sport, people like Andy Miller and Dale Hiteman and Dave Magee--they were all very supportive. Andy told me just to go to the front and never look back. Dale told me to throw away my goggles when it was muddy out--all of these little things which seem so natural to them, were really of a great help to someone like me."

Bonomo has never been shy when it came to adventurous sports. She has her private pilot's license and has recently decided to take up skydiving. She drove in on the Mid-Western circuit in Illinois from 1996 to 1998, winning four races and $3,637. She said she is itching to start driving again.

"When it came to driving in the Amateur series, I only practiced five

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