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“The horses haven’t changed. For longevity in racing,
the money’s got to be there for the purses and the horsemen.
State legislature and other things to support racing have got to be there.'
for 25 cents a stall on the backsides of bush tracks in northern Minnesota. I grew from the ground up, and over the years of riding, I’ve seen riders win Eclipse awards and things along those lines who have
never done or experienced that part of the racing industry.”
WHAT FUTURE GOALS DO YOU HAVE AND HOW LONG DO YOU SEE YOURSELF STILL RIDING?
“As long as the Good Lord lets me. But as far as future plans, I’d like to probably stay in the racing business. If I don’t stay in the business, I’d like to run a fishing and hunting resort. I want to win a graded stakes, whether it’s Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. I’ve been close, but I have not made that mark yet.”
LOOKING AT THE QUARTER HORSE SIDE, IS THERE ONE FAVORITE MOUNT YOU’VE HAD?
“Danjer. I don’t ride him anymore; Cody Smith rides him. But I broke his maiden
up here in Minnesota when he was two
for Dean Frey. He was amazing to ride.
I actually galloped him this morning for Dean. He’s just an amazing horse—his mind and the way he moves. I told Dean the first
time I got on him, I said, ‘This horse moves great. He’s going to go places.’ That’s before he even broke his maiden.”
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO KEEP HORSE RACING A VIABLE CAREER, SO SOMEONE STARTING OUT NOW CAN HAVE A 30-YEAR CAREER LIKE YOU HAVE?
“The horses haven’t changed. For longev- ity in racing, the money’s got to be there for the purses and the horsemen. State legis- lature and other things to support racing have got to be there. Thirty years from now, where’s horse racing’s going to be? I don’t know. I don’t think there’s going to be as many tracks running, but the tracks that are running are going to be very good. There’s
a lot of things between the medication rules and the new whip rules that are being put
in place. Here in Minnesota, there’s a strict three strike rule. You’re getting more and more regulations upon you as a rider, but you’ve got to adapt to that. You’ve got to adapt to that way of riding. For a young rider, you’ve got to know what the regula- tions are and follow the regulations to your best ability. You need hard work and a good work ethic. If you want to make it in racing, you’ve got to work hard.”
Nik after winning the Bob Morehouse Stakes aboard VOS Filo.
THE BACKSIDE
Nik says his favorite Quarter Horse mount is Nik riding Diamonds Edge to victory in the Great Lakes Stakes at Canterbury Park. 2-time 2020 Champion Danjer.
SPEEDHORSE July 2021 81
Coady Photography
Myriam Maynard, Speedhorse Coady Photography