Page 31 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2018

There’s nothing like that feeling of being a jockey and if a horse has the heart and desire of a Champion, then I’m in love with it.”
OUR PAST, OUR FUTURE RAINBOWS – ROSS BRIGDON
“Dr. Al Davis is my uncle and
it was through him that I turned
to owning and training Quarter Horses. My dad was killed in a car accident, so I came out to live with Doc and his wife in Medicine Hat and attend high school. Al was really fired up about Quarter Horse racing and in the 70s, we started racing together under the name B and D Stables. Gradually, I went out on
my own because horse racing is like a sickness and once you have the ailment, it’s a hard disease to get rid of,” laughs Ross Brigdon. “In fact,’’ he asserts so strongly, “what’s better than winning a horse race? I can win any type of race, even the simplest maiden race, and feel charged about the win because there’s no feeling like seeing your horse stick his nose going across the line.
“Our first big horse was Oh Dy- namite Kid, a big bay that William Leech trained for us and in 1989, he
won every major derby in Alberta. There’s a funny story to that horse because we were down in Arizona, and I had bought some mares from Glen Burnham. They had just weaned this colt, and he was pretty ornery and had kicked the girl that was looking after the horses. Glen glanced at me and pointedly said, ‘I better get rid of him.’
“But I told Glen, ‘I already bought more horses than I should have and there’s no way, I’m going to buy more.’
“Glen looked straight at me and replied, ‘Who says you’re buying him? I’m just sending him with you back to Canada.’
“So, that’s the story behind Oh Dynamite Kid. He was big and strong and even won the Tucson Derby. Of all the horses we’ve owned, it’s his picture that hangs in my office. We’ve had other horses like Lady Of The Rockies in 2000
that were runners, but Kid is our family’s favorite.
“I’m very proud of our 50th year
of Quarter Horse racing. I think
that after 50 years of hard work and dedication where people could have thrown their hands in the air and quit, they didn’t. Where would we be without our forefathers and people who had the courage and convictions to follow their dreams? We wouldn’t be here, and we are so fortunate to
be living in Alberta and racing in
this great province, and we owe the gains we have made to the tenacity
of these early individuals. I think our future is extraordinary – after all these years and determination, our breed is finally being accepted. As President
of AQHR A, I think Quarter Horse racing will continue to grow and be a vital force for the future, so here’s to “50 Fast Years, 50 Great Stories.’’
- As told by Ross Brigdon, AQHRA President Medicine Hat, Alberta
Janice Sathers has written many chapters to 50 Fast Years - 50 Fast Stories.
Check back each Speedhorse Canada Issue for more great stories. Or visit Alberta Quarter Horse Racing Association’s website: http:// www.aqhra.ca/50- fast-years-50-great- stories/
to read more online.
Oh Dynamite Kid, shown here winning at Rillito Park, was the first big runner for Ross Brigdon.