Ryan Clements’ Mission of Innovation
by Tony Elliott
Ryan Clements was born into the heart of harness racing, growing up on Prince Lee Acres in Uxbridge, Ontario. Clements is third generation in the racing business, following the footsteps of his father Dan and grandfather Norm. Norm Clements, in the 1980s, began buying racehorses and found himself owning half of one of the greatest horses of all time. This horse was the 1982 and 1983 horse of the year, Cam Fella. Cam Fella was launching pad for the breeding farm, Prince Lee Acres, that still has 10 broodmares to this day.
Building off the family's early success, Clements' father, Dan Clements was a very successful driver with just under 20 million in career earnings and over 2500 wins. He now trains many of the horses with the P L (Prince Lee) distinction and also trains two for his son, Ryan.
Ryan Clements' path into the industry is much different than the two generations before him. Clements' parents saw the potential hardships of the industry and encouraged him to find a different path. Fortunately for Clements, the love for racing was already instilled in him. After being encouraged to stay out of the racing business, Clements found himself in second year university with an idea that would propel himself into the industry. "Online Harness Owner" was launched as a fractional ownership group after Clements and his cousin, Matt, realized they did not have the funds to purchase racehorses on their own. The business thrived to top a million dollars in purses and add on 30 racehorses for over 100 different owners. The business grew exponentially to the point that Clements' dropped out of university as this business pursuit was taking up much of his time. After some difficulties with the business, it was dissolved, but the business was an eye opening experience for Clements.