Page 14 - August 2016

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by Jennifer K. Hancock
THE BUZZ OF SUMMER RACING
Our summer days are waning, but as we enjoy these warm – or hot depending on where you are reading this edition of the magazine from – sunny days, Quarter Horse racing is in full swing across the country. The buzz is growing for the All American Futurity, and last year’s winner/this year’s Ruidoso Derby winner Jess Good Candy is continu- ing to add to his fan club as he preps for the All American Derby.
The humans that make our sport possible are numerous and often times not thanked enough for all that they do. I had the opportunity to talk to state legislators in Wyoming during a recent visit
to Wyoming Downs, and I was reminded of all the people that make our sport happen day in and day out. From the paddock gate keeper who has been involved in the sport for more than three decades, to the grooms who keep a watchful eye on the horses around the clock, I met so many wonderful people that play vital roles in our sport. The individuals
that guide our equine stars down the track and risk their lives each time they get a leg up onto a horse are definitely our unsung heroes. Seeing jockeys interact with young race fans always makes me smile, and
I am glad to be involved in an industry where our professional athletes are not only accessible but also willing to mingle with fans.
SAM THOMPSON MEMORIAL JOCKEY AWARD
The Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award hon- ors riders whose lives and character positively impact the Quarter Horse racing industry, both on and off the racetrack. This year, four American Quarter Horse riders have been nominated for the award.
The nominees are: Jose E. Badilla, Jr., Jorge Martin Bourdieu, John Hamilton, and Ramon Sanchez.
The Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award is
a peer-elected award. Ballots were mailed to Quarter Horse tracks around the country in July to be distrib- uted amongst the active jockey colony. The nominee with the most votes will be presented with the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award during a special ceremony at Ruidoso Downs on September 4.
The award is given in honor of the late Sam Thompson, a Quarter Horse jockey who was well
liked and highly respected both on and off the racetrack. Thompson died in 2008 due to injuries suffered in a riding accident at Los Alamitos. A
leader in the jockey’s room throughout his career, Thompson was a Jockeys’ Guild senator and the room representative at Los Alamitos. He was also a council member of the Los Alamitos division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.
Developed as a joint effort between Speedhorse Magazine and the Jockeys’ Guild, the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award was modeled after the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award for Thoroughbred riders. The Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award is the first and only one of its kind in the Quarter Horse industry.
Ramon Sanchez is the 2016 winner and joins an impressible stable of previous winners, which includes Roy Brooks in 2011, Gilbert Ortiz in 2012, G. R. Carter, Jr. in 2013, Cody Jensen in 2014, and Eddie Garcia in 2015.
AQHA RACING COUNCIL ADDS NEW MEMBERS
The AQHA Racing Council added three new members: Duayne Didericksen of Eagle, Idaho; John Hammes of Holly, Colorado; and Melodie Knuchell of Los Alamitos, California.
Elected by members of the AQHA Racing Committee, Didericksen and Hammes are AQHA directors-at-large, while Knuchell was elected as a racetrack management representative. Each will serve a three-year term ending in 2019.
AQHA Executive Committee Member Butch Wise, Council Chairman Micah McKinney, Racing Committee Chairman Kelvin Childers and members AQHA Past President Walter Fletcher, John Andreini, Bob Gaston, and AQHA Past President Johnny Trotter complete the current Racing Council.
An AQHA director for 19 years and now a director-at-large, Didericksen has served on the racing committee since 1991 and has been on the Racing Council several times before, including serving as the chairman in 2009-10. He has also served on other committees, such as the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame Selection, Racing Champions Selection, Graded Stakes, and the Equine Health, Welfare, Integrity and Research committees or subcommittees. The 2004 Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award winner, Didericksen is a horseman and is experienced with racetrack ownership and management.
THE MONTH IN REVIEW
Send photos and news items to jennifer_k_hancock@hotmail.com.
12 SPEEDHORSE, August 2016
TRACK CHATTER