Ron Turcotte and Secretariat Statue, Grand Falls, NB, Canada

The great statues capture a moment in time and  this bronze by artist,Yves Thériault, of Ron Turcotte on Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown in 1973 is something special. It’s in the middle of Broadway Boulevard in Grand Falls, New Brunswick close to where Turcotte grew up and lives now. The statue and display  cost $300,000 dollars and has information about Turcotte, his awards and races he won, and some of the great horses he rode.  It  was dedicated in 2015 in front of hundreds of family, neighbors and fans.  Turcotte was  moved to be honored by his hometown  and said at the dedication ceremony  “I have received many awards and trophies from all over, but to have my own town honor me in this way is very special to me and my family.”

IMG_20200624_141129

IMG_20200624_140853

IMG_20200624_140948

I’ve been a life-long horse racing fan and this display made me feel like I was at the track.  A lot of great memories came rolling back the short time I was there. Watching the horses run is wonderful but seeing jockeys, young ,old, men and women, from all over competing  against each other in a  dangerous profession  is unlike any other sport. Among the best  was Turcotte . I admire his modesty, his work ethic and devotion to family and community.  He never forgot where he came from and Grand Falls has always remembered him too   

IMG_20200624_141012

Ron Turcotte and Secretariat Statue

IMG_20200624_140939

1593128837943-1

Ron Turcotte grew up in a family of  12 children in  the village of  Drummond, New Brunswick. He quit school at 14 to help his Dad cut lumber and used horses to drag the trees out of the woods.  About 5 years later his brother  was  making money in Toronto roofing  so he went back with him. When they arrived in Toronto, there was a carpenter strike so they had to find other work. They washed dishes at a restaurant to eat and picked nightcrawlers at night to pay rent. His landlord suggested he become a jockey  because of his height so he headed to to Woodbine to look for work. After a few tries he got a  job at the track  as a hot walker and soon after became a jockey.  He became a top rider in Canada and went to the US  where he was always a top ten jockey wherever he rode. His career as a jockey ended in 1978 after he was paralyzed from a fall at Belmont in 1978. He moved back to Drummond and has become an advocate for people with disabilities.

The statue and display only takes 10 to 20 minutes to see but is very powerful. The artist has a monument and headstone shop in Bertrand, NB and captured the thrill of victory and the racetrack experience better than anything I’ve seen. The video of the dedication ceremony really shows how special it is.

https://youtu.be/mfu_pJq0AAM

Share the Post:

Comments

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Featured Destination

recommended by Travel Gumbo

Gumbo's Pic of the Day

Westward Reflections

Sometimes the fishing ain’t that great, but you still get quite a reward. On a calm evening, with only a few bites, I watched as the sunset turned incredible before my eyes. The smooth lake created a perfect reflection of the sky above.

Read More

Posts by the Same Author