Longtime Standardbred horseman Travis Bowman has announced that he is retiring from the horse racing industry.
Bowman announced his retirement via social media, where he stated that he has been exploring options outside the industry for the last decade.
“It’s with a heavy heart (that) I’m announcing my retirement from the horse racing industry,” Bowman wrote, adding, “since my third back surgery in 2009 I’ve been looking for something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.”
Bowman wrote that in 2017 he worked with Nicholas Langelaan and Kyle Langelaan at a Polaris dealership. Bowman went on to explain that he only got to work with Nick and Kyle for a few months because they bought into a Polaris dealership with Ted Allen in beautiful Kelowna, BC. “At that time I started to dream about working for them in Kelowna at M&M Performance,” Bowman said, “and in May 2019 that dream came true!”
Bowman explained that he is going to close out his driving career on November 10 and 11 at Fraser Downs.
Over a career which has spanned decades, Bowman has guided his drives to 1,868 wins and steered his charges to $14.3-million in purse earnings. In terms of training, Bowman’s pupils have notched 359 victories and raced to $2.6-million in purse earnings.
“I want to thank everybody, from the owners to the caretakers and everyone in between, for everything they put into this business!” Bowman wrote. “It was the experiences I’ve had interacting with everyone involved in the Standardbred racing industry that got me to where I am today.
“I added up how many pari-mutuel tracks I’ve [driven] at and the final number is 49 – no wonder I have endless life stories.”
May you enjoy your new
May you enjoy your new experiences as you enjoyed your experiences with the horse racing industry and to you and your family the best of luck in your new adventure.