Bear with me for a minute as I tell a story. While it may not appear to be about harness racing at the outset, I promise that it will get there if you give it a minute or two of your time. My wife has been wanting outdoor furniture for some time and as Mother's Day was approaching I suggested we go to the store and look at the options. I wasn't so sure I wanted to spend the money but what harm could there be in looking around and checking out the merchandise. This isn't the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but in retrospect maybe it could've been. The first store had furniture that was maybe too soft and expensive. The second store was affordable but too hard. The third store turned out to be just right for so many reasons, though at the time we were shopping it certainly wasn't clear we would eventually purchase furniture. As I have a habit to do, on this day I was wearing harness racing apparel, specifically a Yonkers Raceway windbreaker since it is good in the rain. Whether it is my favorite Diamond Creek Farm hat, a DRF T-shirt, Meadowlands jacket, Breeders Crown polo, I tend to show my love of the sport in what I wear and often people will come up to me to ask about it. With the older generation I'm usually trying to change preconceived notions of corruption and with those 50 and younger they typically find the idea that writing about horse racing as a job is quite interesting (at least I think so). Back to the store where my wife and I were test-driving various couches and chairs for the perfect fit. We were approached by a sales associate named Karen to inquire if we needed help. We said "not right now" but as salespeople do, she returned a couple of times while we were in the store to check on our progress. When we finally had some questions, Karen returned and noticed my jacket. Keep in mind that Long Island is hardly the hotbed of harness racing it was more than 30 years ago when Roosevelt Raceway closed in 1988. Yet somehow Karen was a former horsewomen originally from Illinois. She told me she first got her license in 1971 and while USTA records don't exist for drivers before 1977, Pathway does show she drove a few times in 1979. Karen was dropping names of people she met or worked for that I've only seen memorialized as stakes races; like Glen Garnsey, who she said used to have a horse named Ginny's Gene in the late 1960's when he made over $100,000 and that she was racing as a 14-year-old in 1978. She mentioned working for Tom Tetrick, the patriarch of two of the best drivers in the sport in Tim and Trace. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter The unlikely encounter with Karen was truly a pleasure. We lamented in the demise of Pompano Park and she showed me a picture of her horse in the winner's circle at Quad City Downs. I of course showed her a picture of me driving in a race and told her about my various roles in the sport from chart-calling to announcing. It truly made the shopping experience more enjoyable for someone who simply doesn't like it...or spending money. The smallest things can trigger the neurons in my brain to begin firing when it comes to writing and I immediately thought there must be a column here. Certainly there was something to be learned from my meeting with Karen. My takeaway was that as participants in harness racing who depend on it for our livelihood, it is our responsibility to show our pride by wearing merchandise -- TetrickRacinggear.com, Hambletonianshop.com, Siegelmanstable.com, etc. We should be proud of the sport and want people to ask questions about it if they see us wearing the apparel. We should do everything we can to promote any interest. While it is a far cry from my wearing a Hambletonian hat in Target, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic wearing Tetrick Racing gear on national television or Kendall Jenner wearing a Siegelman Stables hat in public, is another great way for harness racing as a whole to expand its horizons. Jokic's decision to wear a hat and shirt was organic since he loves the sport, and that's great. What about Ms. Jenner, who has 32 million twitter followers and wait for it...236 million Instagram followers. Did she wake up one morning and decide to wear a Siegelman Racing hat? "I actually think she may have," said Max Siegelman, creator of the Siegelman Racing brand, on Jenner's choice to wear the hat. "I can't give all the secrets away, but I've been in the media, marketing and entertainment businesses for a number of years and have been able to create and keep great relationships across a ton of industries. I finally have something that is special to me and can tell that story to different types of people. The brand has a story, meaning and is designed to be part of the fashion scene and not to be looked at as 'stable merch'." Max Siegelman took his dad Robbie's passion for harness racing in a new route. Rather than working on the farm or at the track as a trainer like his dad, Max chose streetwear and fashion to spread the harness racing message while also giving back in the form of charity like his dad. "My dad's passion of training racehorses was only part of his stable since the 80's. He also created youth programs for underprivileged communities, special needs, and veterans. Equine therapy essentially, without outright calling it that. That's the real story," said Siegelman, who donates a portion of all proceeds from his merchandise to equine therapy programs around the world. Whether Siegelman's collection of hats, jackets, shirts and more can create buzz for the sport through celebrities is still to be determined. While he called it a "slow build" in terms of adding exposure, Siegelman said interest has been strong. "If I could open up my Instagram DM's and show you the names that all of sudden want a piece of the collections or have interest in racing, it is pretty wild," said Siegelman. "I want to shine a light on all the good that is in the horse racing community. The people, the beautiful horses, the stories, the passion and of course what is beyond the track and races." We all have a role to play in creating a public perception of harness racing that is positive. If individually we aren't going to promote ourselves and the industry in general, who will? So whether you want to brand your own merchandise, wear a Siegelman Stables hat, a Scioto Downs T-shirt, a Hambletonian polo or even a Yonkers Raceway jacket like I did, stand proud and if someone approaches you outside of the track tell them what a great place it is and invite them to come visit. By the way, since I sort of left the issue hanging, we bought the furniture from Karen and got a nice horseman's discount from her in the process. At least I'm calling it the horseman's discount. I'd like to think we made a connection that mattered and hopefully if you wear some harness racing merchandise you'll make one too.