Page 29 - December 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, December 2005 29
FollowingYour Passion
By Jackie Humber
The first time I saw him he had his back toward me and he was busy raking up bits of straw that littered the pathway in his shedrow. He seemed to be a well built fellow who was above average height.
When he finally turned and faced me I could see he wore gold framed glasses. He had a white beard that encircled his entire face combined with his rosy cheeks; he had a strong resemblance to Santa Claus. I could never have guessed that right in front of me stood a trainer who would later employ me and whom I would
soon admire.
He was born Charles Edward
Thompson almost 55 years ago and was called Ed. He was born in Nanaimo, B.C. and raised in Nelson by his parents along with his brother Brent. Ed's mother was a homemaker and his father worked and owned a funeral home. The Thompson family lived in the back of the funeral home. Some people who know of Ed’s early family dwelling say that this is when he developed his quiet manner of speaking.
When Ed finished high school he went to work for the Bank of Montreal at various branches throughout B.C. and the Yukon.
While attending seminars for his job, Ed claims to have started a life-long interest in horses. "I would find myself visiting horse farms down old country roads whenever I could get away." he recalls. After years of working at the bank Ed's strong desire to follow his passion to work with horses could not be subdued. "I threw my tie over my shoulder one day and said good-bye to my nine -to -five job, and then I entered the world of horseracing," said Thompson.
Most of his coworkers thought Thompson was crazy, but that didn't stop him.
Thompson moved to the Wall Street neighborhood to be close to Hastings Park Racetrack. He still remembers that first year. "No one wanted to hire me for over a year," said Thompson, who explained that when he would tell the trainers that he had quit his job as a banker to come to Hastings to muck stalls and groom horses they thought he was crazy, just like his previous coworkers.
Thompson persevered and finally, long-time trainer, Don Morrison, gave him a chance. "I first saw Ed working at Meadow Creek farms and he looked like a hard worker. So when he asked me for a job, I needed a groom, so I hired him," said Morrison. "He turned out to be a very conscientious worker."
Morrison's wife Evelyn echoes her husband's thoughts, "Ed was a
good worker and he worked with us for quite some time.”
Ed spent the next few years with Morrison learning the art of horsemanship in the morning and reading books by legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham at night. Thompson also worked with Hall Of Fame trainer Cy Anderson. Anderson's children Barbara, Robbie and Mike have all become successful horsemen. "I was lucky to work with Cy because I was able to go to California with him." says Thompson. Indeed, he was lucky because
most of the horses that race in California are the highest quality of horses, even today.
The 1970’s were drawing to an end and Ed decided he had learned what was required in training and decided to get his own trainers license. Luckily for Ed he had a couple of owners who were willing to risk their money on his untapped talents as a trainer.
It wasn't long before Thompson realized it was going to be difficult to win any races if the owners kept insisting that their
horses run at a high price. " I knew I had to get a couple of my own horses so I could run them where they belonged." said Thompson.
He headed to Seattle to examine some prospects and eventually bought a couple of his own horses and the work began.
About four years passed before Thompson had his first successful horse. Like it's meaning, Reve-Du turned out to be like a dream for Thompson.
CONTINUED PAGE 30 - SEE ED THOMPSON
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