Page 130 - October 2015

“It’s simple; just do what’s best for the horse.”
TY WYANT
by John Moorehouse
As Media Relations Director at one of the most prominent tracks on America’s Quarter Horse circuit, Ruidoso Downs, Ty Wyant is used
to writing articles and interviewing people. We put Wyant on the other side of the interview, however, in our latest Lighter Side feature.
Q: Where were you born?
A: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
Q: What are your hobbies outside of horse racing?
A: I like about anything outside that doesn’t make noise, as in a motor. My passion has been running and skiing. I have completed about 25 marathons. I’ve competed in triathlons, up to the half-Ironman distance, and raced bicycles. I can do more trail run- ning with my dog Hank after the Ruidoso meet ends. Then it’s ski season. I’ve had a season pass for about 25 consecutive years. Come on El Nino. Trail run- ning and skiing reach my soul.
Q: What is your favorite movie, and why?
A: I’m not a moviegoer. Theaters bore me. But, I appreciate the creative process and create videos for our Racehorse Hall of Fame. I’ll go with Francis Ford Coppola and the first two Godfather films. Forgive me, John Ford and John Wayne.
Q: Give an interesting fact about your family.
A: My father’s father worked in the northeastern Pennsylvania coal mines for 45 years. Must be why I’m a natural with a shovel.
Q: Do you have a nickname and, if so, what is it and how did it come about? A: I’ve been called names, but no nickname.
Q: What is the strangest personality quirk you have ever seen in a horse?
A: Corona Chick looked at life differently than other horses. Trainer Frank Monteleone took a cement block electrical saw into her Los Alamitos stall in the middle of the night and cut a hole in the wall so she could see another horse and be calmer. Yet, her son, Corona Cartel, stood perfectly still for the 45 minutes while I interviewed Butch Wise for Corona Cartel’s Racehorse Hall of Fame video. Go figure.
Q: If you were not in the horse racing business, what job would you like to have? A: Looking back, maybe finance. I have CNBC
on television in the Ruidoso press box right now. (Saratoga is on the other television.)
Q: What is your favorite thing about living where you live?
A: Trail running and how close we are to the forest. I am shocked that more people don’t enjoy this blessing. I’m disappointed that I haven’t found more like-minded outdoor people in Ruidoso.
Q: If you could vacation anywhere on the planet, where would it be & what would you do there?
A: I would go for an adventure vacation about anywhere. The Himalayas? I’ve always wanted to visit The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Either trip would take at least a month.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote and, if so, what is it?
A: I collect inspirational quotes and rotate them on my emails. John Wooden’s quotes are among my favorites and I consider him the greatest coach of the 20th century. Here’s one of his: “Be more concerned
128 SPEEDHORSE, October 2015
THE LIGHTER SIDE