I consider myself to be fortunate. Because of the various jobs I have had over the years, I have met a lot of interesting people.
One time I was at a sports media awards luncheon in Toronto. I was there as part of the Woodbine Racetrack group and Sandy Hawley, the well-known jockey, was there too. He is an interesting character in his own rights, always quick to tell a story and an entertaining person to be around.
At this particular luncheon the famous hockey player Johnny Bower was there with his wife. Sandy introduced me to them and they were so lovely. The benefits of hanging out with Sandy is that he knows everyone, and everyone loves him.
Mr. Bower wasn’t a young man, and in fact it would be just two years after I met him that he passed away. He was considered royalty in the sports world, and from the two or three minutes that I spoke with him he left an impression on me.
He was bright, articulate, and joyful with a quick smile and shiny eyes. He was proud of who he was without any signs of arrogance. He truly represented himself in such a genuine way that it was an honour to be able to meet and speak with him one-on-one, even if just for a few minutes.
There have been many others who I felt fortunate to meet over the years too.
I interviewed Sir Evelyn de Rothschild once. His horse was at Woodbine and won a big race and he had flown in from Europe to watch it. His family wealth is notorious, built on banking and multiple other business adventures. I think that calling them billionaires would be an understatement of their true worth.
He was quite nice. I asked him a question that I should have realized he would have no idea how to answer, something about the horse in particular. I forgot that these owners have basically zero to do with the day-to-day managing of their vast acquisitions. He answered as best he could, gracious as could be.
It’s always interesting to meet people who come from such different backgrounds than me. It reminds me that we all see things differently based on our own version of reality.
Politicians, movie stars, athletes and wealthy businesspeople – I met many of them through the years. The sport of horse racing brings people together who normally wouldn’t travel in the same circles.
That’s the beauty of it. It’s the gift that the sport gives to everyone in it. The love of the horse knows no limitations.
I never met the Queen, but she walked past me when she was at Woodbine for her last visit in 2010. She loves her horses and always has. It didn’t happen often but occasionally one of her horses would fly to Toronto to race. The silks that the jockey was to wear were kept separate from all of the others and were treated almost reverently. I thought that was kind of interesting.
Although the younger generations don’t seem as interested in the sport, the tradition and history of horse racing is rich and undeniable. It has fascinated generations and been a part of our story for years. From the Great Depression through the war years right until now, horse racing has been a part of the unfolding story from where we were to where we are now.
The horses are the best, but the people in the sport make it special too. I consider myself fortunate to have met a few of them.