It was the 10th victory of his young harness racing career, and unlike the other nine, it didn’t come with any prize money.

So why does 18-year-old Ryan Hall consider it his biggest win?

Well, crossing the finish line first in your first commercial track race is a pretty significant accomplishment, whether it wins you purse money or not.

After spending the last two years driving horses with his QF (qualifying fair) license at agricultural fair races, the South Gardiner native has taken the next step toward his dream of becoming a professional driver.

Freshly-upgraded provisional license in hand, Hall opened the Maine Amateur Driving Club season with first- and fourth-place finishes last Sunday at Scarborough Downs. He drove Falcor N out of Carmel’s Ben, Bill and Will Stable to a winning finish of 1 minute, 1.2 seconds.

“Yeah, I could have won that second one too,” said the Gardiner High School senior, showing the competitive streak that’s driven him to success so early on. “I was in the five hole and started off at the back of the pack, but the horse raced well and finished strong.”

Hall said he never really felt nervous.

“I was nervous before the race, but after I got the horse warmed up and got on the track, I felt pretty comfortable,” he explained. “Actually, it felt pretty natural. It’s like it almost helps me focus better.

“Out there, the race seems longer than it really is and I feel like I have more time to think things out.”

It’s only been seven years since Hall first started working horses out at his family farm in South Gardiner and four since he first started training them.

When Hall first started telling father and longtime trainer Craig about his driving aspirations, Craig Hall had his reservations.

“I’ve tried to support both my boys in anything they want to do, but the horse industry wasn’t my first choice for them,” he said. “I drove a few times, but it’s not my favorite thing.”

But after Ryan finished second in an exhibition race at the Cornish Fair his first time out, his father threw him his unconditional support.

“It all happened so fast, it was really kind of a shock,” said Craig Hall. “That Cornish race is probably what turned the corner for me. I could tell he was quite interested and that’s where he wanted to be, but that race is what showed me he had the natural talent to drive and that encouraged me to encourage him to follow his dream.”

If Craig Hall had any lingering doubts, they disappeared late last summer when he and his son entered five horses on one race day at Fryeburg Fair and Ryan rode four of them to victory.

“Absolutely. It’s been quite a pleasant surprise, to be honest with you. He’s far exceeded any expectations I had,” Craig Hall said. “It’s really exciting for me. It makes me very proud to see him get the recognition I feel he deserves. It’s a very tough business to get recognition in.”

Craig and his son own and train 10 horses. Ryan owns two of his own and plans to continue taking care of them, training them until he goes to New York to work for another trainer.

“I think if things go the way Ryan wants them to he won’t stay in Maine,” said his father. “He’ll probably go where there’s more money and he can make a better living at it.”

Hall, who says he’s already driven in about 80 races, will race about two races a weekend until he graduates June 7. He then plans to race as much as he can each week this season at Scarborough, Bangor Raceway, and the fair circuit.

“I was thinking about going to community college to be a chef, but I just love this business so much, it’s tough to think about taking time away from it,” he said. “I love to race, and I like winning even more.”

Ryan’s intensity and competitive streak are only two reasons for his success. He also credits the experience and advice he’s gained from his father and successful trainers like Shawn Gray and Jamie Gerard.

“I’ve had a lot of hands-on experience. More than anything, it’s about putting in a lot of time and being around the horses,” he explained. “You can learn a lot from horses if you pay attention.”

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