Connections of Wiggle It Jiggleit highlight USTA Speaker Series

from the USTA Communications Department

George Teague Jr. and Montrell Teague, the owner and driver, respectively, of Little Brown Jug favorite Wiggle It Jiggleit, will headline a star-studded panel of drivers, trainers, owners and personalities for the U.S. Trotting Association Speaker Series, to be held Wednesday (Sept. 23) and Thursday (Sept. 24) at the Delaware County (Ohio) Fairgrounds.

Lisa photo

Montrell Teague and George Teague Jr. will participate in the USTA Speaker Series.

The father-son duo will appear in the USTA/Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association tent — located on the Delaware backstretch between the Jugette barn and Log Cabin — on Thursday from 9:20 a.m.–10 a.m. There they will answer questions from fans in attendance, as well as from fans watching from home on a live stream of the series on www.ustrotting.com.

Also appearing on Thursday (8:40 a.m.–9:10 a.m.) are drivers David Miller and Corey Callahan. Miller, a local favorite and member of the Living Hall of Fame, is scheduled to drive Jug starters Lost For Words — the morning line favorite in the first elimination heat — and Blood Brother. Callahan, who is seeking his first Jug driver’s ring, will drive Adios winner Dude’s The Man in the first elimination heat and Arque Hanover in the second elimination heat.

The Thursday lineup will kick off at 8 a.m. with Communicators Hall of Famers Roger Huston, the voice of the Little Brown Jug, and Delaware simulcast show co-host Sam McKee. They will be joined by simulcast show co-host Dave Bianconi to handicap the Thursday card.

Wednesday’s (9 a.m.–9:40 a.m.) Speaker Series card kicks off with drivers Aaron Merriman and Ronnie Wrenn Jr., who for the second consecutive year are locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the winningest driver in North America.

At 9:50 a.m.–10:30 a.m., Brian Brown, trainer of Lost For Words, will be joined by Charlie, Robert and Thomas Wingfield, who co-owned 2014 Jug winner Limelight Beach. The Wingfield brothers will also comment on the benefits and responsibilities of harness racehorse ownership.

Both days will feature free coffee and cinnamon rolls, courtesy of Hoof Beats magazine and the OHHA. Breakfast service will start at 8 a.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday.

All Speaker Series events will be simulcast live on the USTA website. Visitors towww.ustrotting.com can click on the USTA Speaker Series banner to access the live stream. Questions from simulcast viewers for the panelists can be asked live on the USTA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ustrotting) or through Twitter at @ustrotting and @harnessracingfz.

Fans in attendance can look forward to drawings and giveaways between each session, with such prizes as subscriptions to Hoof Beats magazine, copies of 100 Years in Harness, T-shirts, and photos of historic Little Brown Jug winners from the USTA archives.

The complete list of Speaker Series guests is as follows:

Wednesday, Sept. 23
9–9:40 a.m.: Aaron Merriman and Ronnie Wrenn Jr.
9:50–10:30 a.m.: Brian Brown and Charlie, Robert and Thomas Wingfield

Thursday, Sept. 24
8–8:30 a.m.: Roger Huston, Sam McKee and Dave Bianconi
8:40–9:10 a.m.: David Miller and Corey Callahan
9:20–10:00 a.m.: George Teague Jr. and Montrell Teague