Indiana’s Standardbred photographer Dean Gillette is currently on a winter tour of farms in Florida. Gillette loaded up his motor home and his dog Meg and headed to the warmer climate recently and is enjoying time around several training centers in the Sunshine State.
Dean Gillette, track photographer in Indiana, is enjoying some Florida sunshine and a chance to jog a horse for James Yoder during his annual trip to Florida training centers. Photo by Cheyenne Yoder
Gillette, who just completed his first season as the official track photographer at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, has been associated with Indiana Standardbred racing for more than a decade. Through the years, he has developed numerous friendships with horsemen and horsewomen, so when racing is complete, he enjoys a little slower pace at the training centers where he can visit with all the Indiana stables currently preparing their young horses for the 2021 racing season. Gillette keeps his camera ready and gets a lot of photos of two-year-olds in training.
Gillette’s current location is Gil Crest Training Center in Bell, Fla. Although he had the opportunity to take several photos of Indiana’s future stars, he also switched places with Cheyenne Yoder Wednesday, Jan. 7. Gillette jogged one of the Yoder pacers while Cheyenne took photos.
With the rigorous schedule Gillette keeps during the racing season in Indiana, a trip to Florida is a well-deserved vacation, even though he still keeps connected to racing. However, Gillette will be back ready for opening night at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in late March as the track kicks off its 28th season of Standardbred racing.