Clayton Braybrook has been driving since 2006, and for the first time he drove two to the winner's circle on the same night, Friday at Yorkton Exhibition

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“I'm completely amazed,” said a smiling Braybrook, who earned his driver's license only three seasons ago. “I started driving on this track for the first time.”

Braybrook admitted he has taken his lumps in terms of success when he started in the sport.

“As far as my stable was concerned it was horrible the first two years,” he said, again flashing a smile.

However, the drives early on in his career are now starting to pay off as he refines his skills.

Friday at the Yorkton Exhibition track he took Just So Justified to top spot in the night's third race for the local ownership partnership of Ron Boehm, and Betty Denischuk. It was the first win of the season for the four-year-old gelding, which paced the mile in 2:03.4, bettering Laurie Bell on Right On Willie who placed second, and Hugh Woods on Kinset Hanover who finished in the show position.

Just So Justified is a horse several trainers have attempted to get into form, and while he has shown flashes of talent, he has also shown a strong tendency to break.

Asked what his approach was, Braybrook again smiled. “I just wanted to get back to the barn alive,” he joked.

Braybrook only took on the training of the horse after the race June 19, and he said he just sort of went back to the basics. He said he really “didn't do a whole pile” with the horse in the few days he had to work with it. “I just striped most of the equipment off he had been wearing. I wanted to start from scratch with my own ideas.”

Just So Justified ended up leading the pack most of the way, although Braybrook said that wasn’t by design.

“It wasn't really my plan to head to the front,” he said. “I just wanted to get a good clean start.”

In a bit of traffic, Braybrook said he was scared the horse might break again. “I just sort of bailed him out of there.” After that he said he just kept talking to the horse “stay flat, stay flat,” and it worked out.

In the very next race Braybrook was in the seat behind Barona Dakota, who started from the eight spot, a trailing position on the Yorkton track. Still he took the seven-year-old gelding around the track in 2:05 to win for owner Ken Hanson of Strahclair, MB, to capture the Integra Tire Feature Race.

Don Tracey drove Mental Floss to the place position, with Glenn LeDrew getting Rocky Skies across the finish line for the show spot.

Braybrook said once again Barona Dakota was a new horse for him.

“I'd never drove him before either,” he said.

Braybrook said Hanson, the owner/trainer warmed up the horse and felt good about him.

“He [Hanson] sort of indicated only a bad drive would get him beat, so the pressure was on,” said Braybrook.

In the race Braybrook said he took what was available. “Starting I was going with the flow,” adding at about the half way point he was able to go to the front, “and it worked out.”

A Memory For A Lifetime

Tyler Redwood's trip to the winner's circle following the seventh race at the Yorkton Exhibition on Friday is likely to be the most memorable of his career, no matter how many wins to he racks up in the future.

The memory won't be because he drove Air Force Hall to his fourth win in four starts.
Or, that he came from behind to win in the best time of the night at 2:02.2.

The memory will come from the fact after the photo was taken of the win. He went down on one knee and proposed marriage to his girlfriend Jennifer Dyck.

“We've been talking about it on and off for the last four, or five months,” said Redwood on the backstretch after the races. “I decided to do it last week.”

Redwood said it was simply time.

“She's going to be the mother of our child, so I thought it was time to complete the family,” he said.

Dyck said the proposal was a complete surprise.

“I didn't know what he was doing walking away from the horse in the first place,” she said.

Redwood said he had asked Jennifer on several occasions how she would like to be proposed to, suggesting a balloon ride, which was rejected, and doing it in the winner's circle, which was also turned down.” She said she was never going out for a win picture again.

However, Redwood said he decided it was the most appropriate place.

“I liked it [the idea]. Everybody liked it. I think she'll like it in time too,” he said with a smile.

Dyck smiled as she admitted “it was a little embarrassing, but well worth it.”

The idea was to pop the question when he won a race Friday. However, the ring, purchased in Yorkton, sat waiting through six races. Redwood finished second in the first two races of the card, but then sifted lower in the fields.

“I did start driving more aggressive,” he said, adding that wasn't working out.

In the seventh race he trailed, but took Air Force Hall on a hard drive from the final corner to win by a nose.

“He's Mr. Reliable. He'll always be there for us,” he said, smiling that he did get to the winner's circle, “It made the day complete.”

The couple have been dating for 10-months, but have know each other far longer.

“I've known her for about eight years. We've been friends,” said Redwood, adding “we decided to give it a shot when I got back from Edmonton last year.”

Asked when the wedding might be, Dyck commented, “I have no idea. I guess we'll have to talk about that now.”

(Yorkton Exhibition)