Catrina Stephens has been around horses most of her life.Therefore, it didn’t take much to persuade the Bermuda College student to jump in the sulky and embark on a harness racing career at Vesey Street at the beginning of the current season.In a short period of time the cousin of men’s harness driver Jason Peniston has made significant strides in a male dominated sport which she indulges in simply for the joy of it.“My ambitions in harness racing are simply to have fun and do well with my ponies,” she said. “My goals for my rookie season are just to have fun and learn as much as possible from the other drivers.”Picking the brains of her more experienced rivals to help broaden her own horizons is something Stephens never passes up whenever the opportunity presents itself.“My rookie season so far has been amazing. I have already learned so much from some of the other drivers and I’m having a great time doing it,” she said. “I think all the drivers are good and you can learn something from all of them.“A few of my favourites are Philip Correira, Darico Clarke and EJ Carriero. I have also learned a lot from David and Doc Burrows. I’m so thankful to the Burrows family for letting me race with them and encouraging me to do more and not letting me become discouraged. I hope my season keeps getting better.”Stephens, 18, was bitten by the harness racing bug while competing in last year’s Powder Puff Race at Vesey Street and hasn’t looked back since.“ A few years ago I started to help my cousin Jason Peniston and his girlfriend Ashley King with their racing ponies,” she recalled. “I helped to jog the ponies and assisted Jason and Ashley at the races but I was always too nervous to actually race. Then last year they convinced me to try the Powder Puff race and once I did that I got the racing bug.”But she admits that her baptism in the sport was anything but a bed of roses.“At the beginning of the season it was very intimidating being one of the four women who race, especially my first race day as I didn’t know if they would treat me differently,” she recalled. “But now it’s not intimidating at all. The men don’t treat the women any differently, which makes it a fair race.”Stephens, who hopes to earn an Associates Degree in Arts and Science, believes that harness racing can be a positive alternative for young Bermudians.“I think harness racing is a great sport for young Bermudians as it keeps you out of trouble,” she said. “Harness racing isn’t an easy sport because it takes a lot of hard work and time. But it teaches you dedication, patience and responsibility.”Through her own involvement in the sport the rookie hopes to inspire other women to take up the sport.“It would be nice to have more women racing as it would even out the field,” she said. “That way people wouldn’t think it’s a male dominated sport.”