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Garry Allison ROCKY MOUNTAIN TURF CLUB While Whoop-Up Downs in Lethbridge, and of late the Rocky Mountain Turf Club, seem like the ancestoral home of horse racing, there's little doubt that Raymond, home of RMTC Club CEO Max Gibb, was the symbolic birthplace of horse racing in southern Alberta. At the turn of the last century it wasn't uncommon for neighbour to challenge neighbour to a horse race. To give himself an edge in their neighbourly runs, and at accredited horse meets, Bill McIntyre, of McIntyre Ranches, brought in some pretty fair ponies from Utah, said late veteran horseman Mel Depew. “Ray Knight, Dick Kinsey Sr. and Jim and Will Meeks, also had some pretty fast horses,” said Mel. “Apparently, the Knights, the Kinseys, and the Meeks brothers, soon got tired of always running second and third to Bill McIntyre who had brought in his speedy horses from Utah, so they decided to go to Kentucky and buy quality racing stock.” Together, they brought in six head. Two horses: Mac Johnson and a well-bred mare named La Dextra — went to the Meeks brothers; two went to Ray Knight — Barlight and Herman Johnston — and one each went to Kinsey and McIntyre. Charlie Kinsey, whose brother David Hammond was the foreman of the Knight Sugar factory, came to Raymond about 1901. In early times the Knight Ranch was the main source of Raymond Stampede stock. Ray Knight was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame this year. “Needless to say, the racing improved greatly over the next few years,” said Mel. The Meeks brothers registered their horses and joined the Prairie Thoroughbred Breeders Association and a few years later, they acquired a stallion named James T. Clark. “The horse had been a contender in the Kentucky Derby in 1922 and was a fantastic animal, capable of blazing speed at all times. From 1925 to 1931, the Meeks brothers were the leading breeders on the Prairie Circuit, having won $42,858 in 21 starts.” Race fans used to talk about Herman Johnson and James T. Clark, the pride of the Meeks brothers racing stable. James T., the Derby horse, was the sire of more winners in the west than any other stallion. Herman Johnson was Ray Knight's top Thoroughbred and cost $1,000. Ray made that back in one match race on Dominion Day, racing against a Cardston horse with a side-bet of $1,000. Then there were the memorable “Silent” horses which made the Meeks name — Silent Silent Partner, Silent Stranger, the best known being Silent Messenger. These were magic names to westerners. James T. Clark, purchased by the Meek boys, sired many a winner for his owners and made them leaders in the Breeder's Association. The Meeks name was carried on in the business and today family members Jim Depew, Darcy and Jim Ralph, Lloyd and Jazelle Ralph and Monte and Yvonne Dahl carry on the human breeding side of Raymond racing. For years the Raymond Stampede, started in 1902 by Knight, included not only great rodeo action but horse racing as well. The rodeo would be stopped to allow the thoroughbreds to go to the post, and after the race the rodeo would pick up right where it left off. Raymond was a proving ground for many southern Alberta horsemen. Lethbridge’s race meets for years have relied on Raymond residents to operate the gates, saddle and load the horses, and even serve as judges and stewards. Top trainers, owners and jockeys have called Raymond home, with names like Depew, Bourne, Gibb, Dudley, Dahl, Jensen, Meeks and Heggie all synonymous with the sport. Ironically, conflicts with the Millarville Race meet in recent times have helped curtail the horse meet at Raymond. Taber’s Johnny Longden began his racing career in Raymond, riding for Jim Meeks, as did Cardston’s future rodeo champion Herman Linder, who was working as a cowboy at the time for Ray Knight's Kirkaldy Ranch. The Spring Meet at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club follows a long tradition and begins May 4-5, coinciding with the Kentucky Derby and the Alberta Community Thoroughbred Racing Association's awards night. Long-time Lethbridge Herald editor and reporter Garry Allison is a member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame. Now retired, he contributes articles on current and historic horse racing in Lethbridge and area.
Newspaper Details
Lethbridge Herald
Lethbridge, Alberta, CA
Tue, Apr 23, 2013
Page 16
Full Page
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CA 22 May 2026
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