And only once has it got him into trouble.
Early in his announcing career, when he was about 20 and had a few too many under his belt, one of the organisers asked if he could still remember the horses' names during a late-afternoon race.
''I told her: `I can't even see the horses','' Mr Smart (45), of Wingatui, said with a chuckle.
At 12.23pm yesterday, a still perfectly sober Mr Smart was bustling about at the annual race meet at the Hawea Flat Domain announcing raffles over the loudspeaker, rounding up reinsmen and preparing to take up his elevated spot on the stand above the betting booth from where his race commentary was broadcast throughout the afternoon.
He made his ''first call'' at Kurow at age 16.
Over the years, he has also announced at trials at Wingatui, but these days the Hawea meet is his only commentating commitment.
''It's one I just keep coming back for because it's just so much fun ... it's a good bunch of people.''
Mr Smart, whose regular job is looking after people with disabilities, has a crib at Lake Hawea and returns every summer for a few days to relax and perform his announcing duties.
He is paid for his role, but ''I normally give it all back to them in the bar afterwards''.
Mr Smart considered the race day ''the last of the great gymkhanas'' which still attracted some of New Zealand's best reinsmen.
''You don't get this anywhere ... at a normal meeting in Christchurch there's no atmosphere ... I'm pretty old-fashioned, and this is a purist race meeting. To me, it's just country racing at its best.
''This is history and that's why I'd never give it up, I don't think.''
