Cape Breton's Magazine

The Rankins Continue: from Page 16, "The Rankin Family and Harness Racing" Monday, October 16, 1972: Callie Rankin wins with Apparition, Joe Rankin second with Ber? ry Scott, and Darlene Rankin third with Sec- retary--in a field of 8 horses. Darlene Rankin (Darlene, how did you become a driver?) Hard not to be. Hard not to be when you're a Ran? kin. 1 always had sad? dle horses here. I wasn't crazy about the racehorses, but I was > . around the barn all the time. The first Powder Puff (race) in the Mar? itimes--! was of age and female and a Ran? kin, so I was cast into the spot. And once I tried it, I loved it. So then I just contin? ued on from there. (Does that indicate that women were not drivers that much be? fore the first Powder Puff?) Even when !_ got my license in Sydney--! don't know what year that was--it was a big deal about--they were arguing if ! was the first lady driver that was in Sydney. There was supposed to be one that had driven in North Sydney, like in the '40s. Donna Rankin: Even today, though, there's not that many. (When did you start racing men?) Darlene: The next year. (Was there any question as to whether or not you should be allowed?) No. ! just went with the boys and wrote my license the same as they did. (No question at the track?) Well, some of the men said they wouldn't drive in a race with me. (But) they drove in a race with me. There wasn't much they could do! They figured ! would be dangerous, ! guess. They figured I couldn't do it, or wouldn't be able to do it as well as the men. They didn't mind that ! went in and paddied the horse (took care of them in the paddock). But it's the fact that you were in a race with them. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE (80)