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<\/p>\n
“I was the kind old dad making sure they all got around safely, being at the back of the field,” he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
“Don’t worry, people have reminded me about that too \u2013 the kids beating me home.<\/p>\n
“But it was just lovely to be able to be out there doing it.”<\/p>\n
Ian, who followed his father into the sport, has been around harness racing for his entire life.<\/p>\n
Curiously, there is some conjecture as to what generation he is in the family to be involved in trotting.<\/p>\n
“I’m third, or could even be fourth \u2026 we’re not quite sure,” he explained.<\/p>\n
“Dad’s grandfather used to race gigahorses back in the early 1900s, then dad’s father Jack was a trainer, then there’s dad and me.<\/p>\n
“I’m at least third, but maybe fourth, as we are not sure about old Sammy White and his gigahorses and if that counts.<\/p>\n
“If that were the case, that would make Lauren and Brent fifth generation.<\/p>\n
“I’m not sure that would be very common.”<\/p>\n
While Ian effectively heads the stable operation, despite the horses still being in Bill’s name, the children have been helping with the training since early adolescence.<\/p>\n
They have taken on an increasing role in recent times, especially with Lauren in the midst of a year off while contemplating her next move after last year completing her Masters in Science (MSc) in Mathematics.<\/p>\n
“We have six (horses) in training and another two in the front paddock just starting out,” Ian said.<\/p>\n
“Lauren is having a gap year, so I hope to have enough to get her to the races a bit more often and obviously get some more opportunities with the outside trainers she has been driving for.”<\/p>\n
Her most recent success was for Ballan-based trainer Dianne Giles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also an accomplished soccer player with Bendigo City FC, Brent had his first drive in early May and has devoted much of his time recently attempting to rejuvenate the career of stable mainstay Im Miss Royalty.<\/p>\n The nine-year-old mare and winner of six races has only just made it back to the track after more than two years out of action with a back suspensory injury.<\/p>\n The Whites are optimistic she can add to her current career tally of six wins (from 67 starts), the last of which was at Charlton in December of 2023, just before her injury.<\/p>\n “We’re hoping so, but because we can’t put in the hard work at home, it’s going to be a long haul,” Ian said.<\/p>\n “Brent’s done all the work with her. He jogs her very slowly and looks after her and then he takes her down and puts her in the cold water for the leg.<\/p>\n “He does it every day and has done a great job getting her back to the races.<\/p>\n “I’m glad he’s got his (driving) licence.<\/p>\n “There was no pressure from me or anyone on him to do it, we were happy for him to decide if and when he wanted to get it.<\/p>\n “His idea was to let Lauren get established and then when he was ready, he’d do it.<\/p>\n “It’s always been an ambition of mine to get us all out there.<\/p>\n “Hopefully sometime soon we’ll finish at the front end of a race together.”<\/p>\n Having snared the bragging rights by being the first home in both races the three of them have contested together, Lauren is keen to extend her streak when they next meet on the track.<\/p>\n “It’s always competitive when I go out there. Obviously, I want to win, but if I can’t, I certainly want to beat the other two home,” she said.<\/p>\n “I’m pretty lucky, I have a good relationship with both of the horses I’ve driven in those races; (I have) driven them heaps of times and I know how to get the best out of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “One of them is Touchandgo, who I drive for Paul Castle. He’s a horse that can do a few things wrong, but I’ve learned over time what I can and can’t do with him.<\/p>\n “He’s an honest style horse; he tries his heart out for me.”<\/p>\n Lauren, who has sacrificed her own soccer playing career and taken up refereeing, making it all the way to the NPL 1 Women’s ranks, couldn’t be happier seeing Brent take the leap into race driving.<\/p>\n “We’ve always enjoyed the horses and Brent has always enjoyed the challenge of working with the horses that are a bit more difficult to drive,” she said.<\/p>\n “To see him out on the track, especially with Im Miss Royalty, is amazing.<\/p>\n “He’s put so much work into her.”<\/p>\n Three years into her own career and with 28 wins on the board, Lauren is hoping a few more opportunities will soon flow her way.<\/p>\n “I’d like to get a few more drives and a few more winners, but I’m happy with what I am doing at the moment and loving it,” she said.<\/p>\n “I probably get a drive at three meetings a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, just depending on where our horses are going and where my couple of regular outside drives are going.<\/p>\n “Hopefully another nice opportunity or two open up.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THERE’s nothing quite like a family rivalry in sport, and inside the walls of the White family home at Huntly, there’s a nice friendly one raging. Brent White’s decision earlier this year to obtain his harness racing driver’s licence has suddenly swelled to three the number of family members competing in the sulky. The 20-year-old […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2026\/07\/whitey_97454.jpg\")
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