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.”
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
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.
