Page 10 - December 2018 Thoroughbred Highlight

Thoroughbred Highlight, December 2018, Page 10
Pro le: Richard Pouchie Lopez - a Hardworking Former Jockey
Richard Lopez was born and raised in Barbados. He was one of 3 boys and 4 girls born of his father and his mother who had 16 children in all from a previous marriage.
Age 4 was the start of primary school
for children in Barbados and this is when Richard became close friends with Simon Husbands whose brother Patrick would
also become friends with Richard’s brother. Brothers visited brothers and it wasn’t long before Richard was a top a pony on their neighbourhood roads. “We were young and brave,” laughed Richard recalling days past, “I learned to ride with Neil, Simon and Patrick Husbands at their Dad Walter’s riding facility and when I nished high school, at age 14, I went straight to the paddock at the track.”
It was during his time in elementary school that Richard picked up the nickname Pouchie, a name that would follow him to the track.
Licensed to ride in the mid 1980’s Richard Pouchie Lopez would ride for trainers Chally Jones, father of former successful Woodbine jockey Jono Jones, and owner Rodney Jones (Uncle of Jono) whose horses were trained by Ron Burke, now a jockey agent at Woodbine.
Richard admits that he had a slow start as a jockey. Although he was a lightweight when he was rst licensed, his weight crept up and hindered his opportunities for getting calls.
Richard rst came to Canada in 1989 to work and visit with some friends that were riding at Fort Erie Race Track. Visiting a different country for the rst time Richard was humbled by the experience. The race tracks
Richard “Pouchie” Lopez
with the Julia Carey trained Islay Inlet
here were different and he became aware that his attitude at home was also not helping his career. Returning to Barbados he was motivated to stay out of trouble and let pass things that would normally upset him.
It took 6 years to nally get rolling after which he was pictured aboard more than 100 winners. Quite an accomplishment
considering Garrison Savannah Racecourse only offered racing every other Saturday three months of the year.
The highlight of his career was winning
the 1997 United Insurance Barbados Derby aboard Swift and Sure for trainer Bill Marshall
Richard’s last race as a jockey was in the 2006 Sandy Lane Gold Cup, aboard Storm Hunter and three days afterward he moved permanently to Canada.
Interesting to note that it was Sharp Impact who won the Cup that day with Patrick Husbands aboard for trainer Robert Pierce and owner Gay Smith.
Richard began exercising horses at Woodbine Racetrack working for a number
of trainers throughout the years. In the mornings Richard has been aboard some memorable horses including the Mark Casse trained multiple graded stakes winner, Delegation, as well as the Scott Fairlie trained 2009 Woodbine Oaks winner Milwaukee Appeal. He’s also worked for trainers Kathy Patton, Roger Att eld, Ken Parsley, Malcolm Pierce and Reade Baker.
He met and married Margaret in 2007
and the couple have three children together Rihanna, Joshua, and Alia. A daughter from a previous relationship, 23 year old Richann lives in Winnipeg and Richard remains close with his family and friends in Barbados.
Richard has been galloping for Trainer Julia Carey for the past couple of years now and also keeps busy ponying horses in races at Woodbine in the afternoon.
Taking the Time to Notice our History
The back halls on the ground level at Woodbine are unceremoniously adorned with paintings and photographs of days gone by. With a story behind each framed piece of history, visitors to the racetrack never get to wonder upon them and unfortunately they go mostly ignored by the many who do walk by them everyday.
I, however, would often stop to look at some of the pieces in wonder.....who are these people in the photos? What was the signi cance of that captured moment? and did it change someone’s life?
“That’s White Apache!” beamed Bill Galvin as we made our way through the halls one afternoon. “I worked with him when I just started out.”
Having gazed upon that unmarked photo many times, I needed to know more.
“That’s Willie Lumplump, the groom and trainer Frank Russell and jockey Don Hale.” Bill recalled pointing to each as if the photo had been taken yesterday.
Bill and I have been friends for more than a decade and I never miss an opportunity to hear one of his many fascinating tales. He is a gentleman with a wealth of knowledge wrapped in a passion for the sport that has been his livelihood since childhood.
Bill grew up in Arnprior, Ontario, a town located west of Ottawa where the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers meet. Arnprior was home to Dr. John Findley, a harness
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Bill Galvin with the photo of White Apache