b'WHOS IN THE GROOMER?K eithY oung- S Kitchewaugt railr iderSBy Patty CompanikKeith Young is the trailmaster for the Skitchewaug Trail Riders. In addition to being the clubs sole grooming operator, Keith has also cared for all maintenance and repairs on both pieces of equipment for the club for the past 20 years. No different than any other trail master, I also try to oversee our trail and bridge construction, signage, and landowner permissions. Keith was raised on a family dairy farm in Weathersfield Bow, Vermont. His brother, Ken, still operates the farm and helps with club business as needed. Keith started riding snowmobiles in 1970 at the age of 9 and got his first very own snowmobile in 1973.Keith has had a very successful professional ice oval snowmobile racing career, racing throughout the Midwestern and Northeastern parts of the United States and several Canadian Provinces. His career began in 1982 asI enjoy this more than riding mycosts to purchase the equipment until a privateer. He raced all through thepersonal sled. Its peaceful, slowtheir grant was approved. Per Doug 1980s, riding Arctic Cat snowmobilespaced, and to me, relaxing. Jacobs, Secretary of the Skitchewaug with sponsorships of various types.The Windsor County Snowmobileclub, This was huge as our club Then, in 19901991, he got a callClub is a great supporter of thecould not have otherwise completed from Bombardier to race a factorySkitchewaug Trail Riders; the Windsorthe purchase without the Windsor snowmobile for the Ski Doo factoryCounty club pays for the groomingCounty loan up front.racing team with full sponsorship.of Skitchewaugs secondary trailsKeith Young shared, In summing this After two successful seasons on theand helps to offset de-brushing costs.up, I guess I just love snowmobiling Ski Doo team, he got a call in earlyBack in 2017, when The Trail Ridersand everything that goes along with 1992 from Arctic Cat asking if heclub was applying to the Recreationalit. Some may call it a job; to me, its would come back to race a fullyTrails Program for a grant to purchasemy passion. To rephrase an old NRA sponsored Factory Racing Arctic Cat.new equipment, Windsor Countymotto, You can take my sled when He accepted the offer and competedstepped up and helped the clubyou pry my cold, dead fingers off the from 1992 until 1999. After receivingfinancially by paying the up-fronthandle bars. multiple point championships as well as three world championship titles, Keith decided to retire from full time racing.Nowadays Keith can be found anytime day or night out grooming the clubs 27 miles of secondary trails, which he grooms two ways for a total round trip of 54 miles each session. He enjoys the peacefulness, fresh winter scenery, and the beauty of the2974 E MAIN ST, WATERBURY, CT203-755-2682Vermont landscape. He loves the sportWWW.LANDNSEAPOWERSPORTS.NETof snowmobiling, but some days his fellow club members wonder if heNEWEST DEALER IN CT!enjoys grooming the trails even more! To quote Keith, Perhaps my favorite duty (as trailmaster) is grooming. Winter 2021 | 7'