Page 13 - August/September 2008 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game, August/September 2008 13 2008 Select Yearling Sale Consignment
Hip #85 Dark Bay or Brown Colt
Named: Hameish Sire: Cat’s At Home Dam: Sports Flashy By a sire of 19 winners already in 2008. Third foal out of a dam of 1 runner, Flashy Sports (2nd in ON Sired Allowance in 2008) & a 2-year-old of 2008.
Hip #217 Chestnut Colt
Named: Fabie Feline Sire: Cat’s At Home Dam: Jolie Fabie By a sire of 19 winners already in 2008. Colt is 1/2 brother to Stakes Winner Sports Flashy ($392,284).
Contact Agent Brad McLellan • 416-606-4506
Born to Ride
By Lee Nohos
and was looking for a full-time trainer to take care of his barn. After watching Grieves’ care- ful handling of horses in general he gave the youngster a shot and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
The fact that Ron Grieves has been a mainstay in the Alberta thoroughbred industry for the past 15 years comes as no surprise to anyone who knew him growing up.
For as long as he can remember, the easy-going trainer has been around the race track thanks
to his father who owned thoroughbreds and
was actively involved in the racing community
“I got a really lucky break,” says the humble Grieves who now resides with his wife and two children in Calgary. “Lynn liked my demeanor with the horses I was riding. There was one horse that was a really rotten S.O.B. that no one wanted to ride so I took him on and eventually got him racing. He didn’t turn into anything, but I was able to handle him and in 1994 Lynn offered me the job as his head trainer.”
in Saskatoon. Although Grieves had brothers and sisters, he was the one who was most often tagging along with Dad when he went to the track.
“I guess I was pretty spoiled that way,” Grieves began from his customary spot in the long barn at Northlands Park where he is currently running one of the biggest operations in Alberta. “I think I was the littlest kid on the planet and it wasn’t long before I was riding.”
At the time, Grieves took over a stable of just seven horses, but as the years went by, the barn became bigger and bigger. By year two, Grieves had 18 horses to get race-ready and by the third year the barn had swelled to 30.
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At the tender age of 14 Grieves headed for Edmonton to spend some time with his sister who was working for trainer Ron Burrell and that would turn out to be the start of something special. Every summer he returned to Northlands to work in the backstretch with Burrell and after graduating high school he gravitated to the track full-time and started working horses every day.
“We were at 30 by year three and from there, it’s been a gong show,” Grieves laughs. “Today we have about 70 including 40 two-year-olds.”
Like any youngster, he met up with some pitfalls including breaking his femur on one occasion and leg/ankle on another. Despite the setbacks, he never thought of leaving the industry and soon after found himself in what he terms, “the right spot at the right time.”
Obviously, growing from seven to 70 has meant some signi cant changes in his daily job duties and now he needs to rely on his staff to help prepare many of the horses for race day. Although he misses being hands-on with every horse under his guidance, he still does what he loves the most and that’s riding every morning. Needing to pick his spots, he rides in his words, “the elite of the elite, or the worst of the worst,” he smiles.
Owner Lynn Chouinard from Bar None Ranches was new in the thoroughbred industry
Continued Page 14 - See Ron Grieves
CTHS British Columbia
YEARLING & MIXED SALE
Sires represented include:
Tuesday, September 9th
Alfaari
Alphabet Soup Alybro
Amaruk
Baquero
Beautiful Indy Benchmark
Black Mambo
Black Minnaloushe Black Tie Affair (IRE) Bright Valour Buddha
Catrail
Cee’s Tizzy Champali
Cobra King Consolidator Delaware Township Deputy Commander Dramatic Show During
Eavesdropper Even The Score Exchange Rate Finality
Flaming West Free At Last Greenland Hold That Tiger Honor Glide
In Excess (IRE) Joey Franco Katahaula County Light Of Mine Marino Marini Mass Market Misnomer
Mobil Monarchos Moscow Ballet Mr. Livingston Mud Route
Officer
Orchid’s Devil Perfect Score Persian Star Petionville Recreation
Regal Intention Rio’s Lark
Robyn Dancer Royal Albert Hall Silver Fox Stephanotis Storm Victory Stroll
Terrell
The Lady’s Groom Vicar
Vying Victor Wandering Wando
Western Trick Yoonevano
2007 Sovereign Award Winner
Dancing Allstar
British Columbia
For catalogue information: 604.574.0145 ~ cthsbc@uniserve.com 17687 - 56a Avenue. Surrey, B.C. V3S 1G4 www.cthsbc.org
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