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32 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 26, 2006 Local harness to compete in prestigious Elitlopp race Rick Zeron is taking his show on the road this weekend. The veteran harness will contest the prestigious Elitlopp in Sweden Sunday, when he'll be in the sulky of Ontariobased trotter Snazzy Millie. Zeron got the call when the mare's regular driver, Mark MacDonald, declined the invitation to pilot the six-year-old daughter of Royal Strength due to commitments in Canada. "It is an honour -- it's the Hambletonian of Europe," said the 49year-old Oakville resident, who will also have the opportunity to drive Samuel Oaks, a five-year-old son of Angus Hall, in the Junior Elitlopp. "If I get a good shot in the race and I do win, it'll just be an extra bonus on the mantle. But just to be invited as a Canadian and have the chance to represent your country, it is a great thing and a great feeling." The man with nearly 6,000 lifetime wins and more than $61 million in purse earnings, left for Sweden, along with his wife Joyce, earlier this week. "Traditionally, there has been a very small number of Canadian horses who have been invited to the Elitlopp," noted Zeron, who is in the midst of a career-best year. "You have to be a special type of horse to get to it." Snazzy Millie is trained by Paul BOWLING THEM OVER: White Oaks Secondary School student Brandon Pike recently competed in the Youth Bowling Council national senior boys' championships in Sudbury. The 14-year-old, who won a provincial title in Stoney Creek earlier this year, finished seventh at nationals, which featured competitors up to the age of 19. Pike's top score at the nationals was 355, the secondbest single-game score at the event. BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER GIDDY-UP: Local horse driver Rick Zeron will pilot Ontario-based trotter Snazzy Millie in this weekend's prestigious Elitlopp race in Sweden. Skjaker and comes into the race with more than $686,000 in career earnings, including four wins and $148,000 banked this season for Langton, Ontario-based owners Terry and Clarence Devos, who also bred the mare. Billyjojimbob was the last Canadianconnected horse to win the rich event, having done so in 1992 for trainer Mike Wade and driver Murray Brethour. Big-game ability leads Pike to nationals By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Invites you to... If there's one thing Brandon Pike has shown in his bowling career, it's his ability to deliver the big game. Pike turned in a score of 355 at the recent Youth Bowling Council national senior boys championships. It was the second-best single game of the tournament, topped only by Saskatchewan's Brayden Jensen, who bowled a 366. The unfortunate part for Pike was that the national tournament followed a head-to-head format, pitting each bowler against his 12 rivals with each game -- no matter how good -- earning no more than a single point in the final standings. That was a different format to the provincials, where Pike used his big-game abilities to roar from behind in the total pinfall format to win the Ontario 4 Steps to Stardom Youth Bowling Council 5-Pin title. After three of the five games, Pike appeared to have a more difficult task than picking up split spare. He was 12th out of the 16 bowlers but responded with a 350 that vaulted him to sixth. Still, trailing by 96, Pike had his work cut out for him. Once again, he came through. Pike bowled a tournament-high 381 -- topping his own 350 -- in his final game to finish with a five-game total of 1,306 and giving him a 39-point win over Stoney Creek's Mitch Davies. "I didn't think I really had a shot until after I finished my fourth game," said Pike, who bowled a personal-best 400 last year in league play at Hopedale Bowl. The national format didn't give Pike the same chance to rally. Still, of his 24 head-tohead matches, he won 13 and tied another. His 13.5 points was good for seventh but the standings were close enough that one more win would have moved him up to fourth place. The Grade 9 student at White Oaks said he enjoyed the nationals and picked up some valuable experience. And there is plenty of time for Pike to put that experience to use in the future. Just 14 years old, the senior division is for bowlers up to the age of 19, giving Pike five more shots at returning to nationals. Dinner and a movie You could win a $50 gift certificate to Philthy McNasty's, & 2 passes to any Famous Players Cinemas just by becoming a new pre-paid reader! 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