Page 14 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2020

RICARDO MORENO CHAMPION JOCKEY
by Kathy McNiven
To say that it was a banner year for Ricardo Moreno Andrade, both professionally and personally, is a bit of an understatement. Not only was Riky the AQHRA Champion Jockey for the fourth time, he
was the 2019 Champion Nutrena AQHA Challenge Jockey.
To understand the scope of this accomplishment, we will give a little information about the AQHA Chal- lenge program:
The AQHA Challenge program is a series of races held in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. There are futuri- ties, derbies, distaff, distance and open stakes races held in a multi- tude of locations. Many top stakes horses compete in these races; some are ridden by the biggest names in Quarter Horse racing.
Riky was the top Challenge jockey, bringing home U.S. cash, a buckle and several offers to ride at big tracks in the U.S.
Riky’s riding career began at age 11, in Zapopan, when he started riding
in match races. His Uncle Armando Andrade was his mentor, but Riky’s whole family has a history in Quarter Horse racing. There are several success- ful jockeys and trainers in the U.S. in the Moreno/Andrade families.
Riky came to Canada to ride in 2013, and it wasn’t long before his skills as a jockey became appar- ent. Riky was AQHRA Champion Jockey for the first time in 2015, repeated in 2016, had his arm bro- ken in the gates in 2017, and then
repeated in 2018, and now 2019.
On Sept. 19, 2019, Riky married longtime love Haley Leech, daughter of William and Jane Leech, and they are expecting a baby girl in March.
Ricky rides almost exclusively for Wil- liam Leech.
2019 started with
a bang at Rocky Mountain Turf Club. Riky’s record was 17 starts, 10 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds for a win percentage of 59% and top 3 percentage of 82%. His mounts made $$27,879 U.S.
Then the Quarter Horses moved to Evergreen Park, where the Chal- lenge trials and finals are held. The Leech-trained horses were a force to be reckoned with, winning 4 out of 5 Challenge races for Chuck Stojan Racing and Gone To The Bright Side syndicate. The horses that Riky pi- loted earned an impressive $82,832 U.S. Overall at the Grande Prairie meet, Riky was in the top three 71% of the time, with 8 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds out of 21 starts.
The season finished strong and, although there wasn’t a win in 5 tries at Century Mile, Century Downs was again an impressive meet. Riky piloted 13 horses
out of the gate, with 4 wins and 3 seconds.
Then off to Albuquerque,
New Mexico, for the AQHA Challenge Championships.
The horses that Riky rode were Stripsteak, True Copy and Getit Hot, owned by Chuck Stojan, and Gone To Be Bright, owned by Gone To The Brightside Syndicate headed by Dr. Jack Williams.
When the smoke all cleared, the Riky and William Leech didn’t have a win, but they showed that they both belonged there. Riky rode the 4 horses to win $39,850 U.S., highlighted by
a graded stakes third for Stojan’s Getit Hot in the AQHA Adequan Derby Challenge Championship.
When asked, Riky says that 2019 was a great year for him, with getting married and going to the Champion- ships being the highlights.
He would like to thank trainer William Leech for allowing
him to ride these good horses.
He would also like to thank his parents, Uncle Armando Andrade and especially wife Haley for their continued support.
14 SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2020