Page 39 - October 2016

As such, his name will be added to a permanent plaque which is housed in the Racing Hallway at the American Quarter Horse Association in Amarillo, Texas. He also received a trophy and belt buckle to commemorate the award, and a signed print of a painting of Sam Thompson specially created for the award by artist Linda Manion.
THE ROAD TO RECOGNITION
Born June 2, 1976, in Tateposco, Tlaquepaque, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Ramon was at first an unwilling participant in the racing industry. As a child, he was afraid of any horse that moved faster than a trot, but his grandfather
— also named Ramon — needed a reliable rider for the horses he raced. Among Ramon’s five brothers, Ramon was the ideal size, so he was drafted. He took on the challenge because of his respect and love for his grandfather, but Ramon soon found that he loved the speed.
At first he rode “en faja” — the traditional Mexican style in which the jockey is strapped on by a girth holding his thighs to the horse. After about a year, he began riding a saddle — which meant basically re-learning his skills. As he perfected those skills, he rose to the top of Mexico’s rider ranks.
In Mexico, Ramon knew Carlos and Alex Bautista, already top 10 riders at Los Alamitos. He set his sights on the U.S. and when he was ready, the Bautistas helped him make the move.
He began riding as a salaried gallop boy for Paul Jones. “He worked for me for a long time and worked hard to get where he’s at,” says Paul. “He’s dedicated and talented, and likes to get on the horses and get to know them — especially the 2 year olds.”
As most new riders, Ramon struggled to get mounts at first. In 1999, he rode just 58 Quarter Horse runners. Discouraged, he decided to call it quits if 2000 wasn’t any better. But that year, he rode nearly 400 horses, earning a 37% win-place-show record and increasing his earnings 15-fold.
By 2001 he was the leading rider at Los Alamitos, with 166 wins. He won the Val Tonks Award for the top young Quarter
2016 Sam
Thompson Memorial Jockey Award winner Ramon Sanchez
G.R. Carter Jr. accepts the Sam Thompson Memorial Award for Ramon Sanchez
Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award
Although Ramon Sanchez was not in attendance, fellow jockeys, including past Sam Thompson Memorial Award winners G.R. Carter Jr. and Cody Jensen, Cathy & Sam Thompson Sr., Speedhorse owners John & Susan Bachelor,
artist Linda Manion, Mindy & Donna MacArthur, Jockeys’ Guild Regional Manager John Beech, Jockeys’ Guild National Manager Terry Meyocks, and many other friends attended the presentation.