Trevor Ritchie is now officially a member of two Halls of Fame.
On Wednesday, June 4, the Halton Hills Sports Museum and Resource Centre formally inducted Ritchie into the Halton Hills Sports Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2025. Ritchie joined Neil Cotton (hockey), Bob Donker (cross-country/track), Jan Popiel (hockey) and Daryl Veltman (lacrosse) as the Hall's most recent honourees. The event took place at the John Elliott Theatre in Georgetown, Ont.
Ritchie established himself as a clutch performer when he drove 30-1 shot Quite A Sensation to victory in the North America Cup in 1986. A Canadian-sired horse had never won the Hambletonian until Ritchie drove Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Yankee Paco to victory in the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown in 2000. That same year, he tied a record with three Breeders Crown wins in one night. Not surprisingly, Ritchie received the O'Brien Award as Canada's Driver of the Year, a national honour he received previously from the Canadian Trotting Association in 1987.
An Acton, Ont. resident throughout much of his career, Ritchie’s highlights included winning many of North America’s biggest races. He won the Meadowlands Pace with Frugal Gourmet, Canadian Pacing Derby with Ready To Rumble, Canadian Trotting Classic with Majestic Son, three Maple Leaf Trots, including one with Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame filly Peaceful Way, and seven Breeders Crowns.
Ritchie retired from driving at the age of 58 in 2014 with 3,710 wins and more than $70 million in purse earnings, and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.
Now a resident of Burlington, Ritchie fondly recalled his 30-plus years as an Acton resident and marvelled at the resumes and accomplishments of his fellow inductees.
"I'm just flattered to have my name beside all those other inductees."
Trevor Ritchie (L) receives his Halton Hills Sports Hall of Fame plaque from presenter Michael Mitchell
Ritchie went on to recognize the team that went into his individual achievement, thanking the owners and trainers that trusted him with their horses, while also acknowledging the blacksmiths and veterinarians crucial to the success of the Standardbred. He singled out caretakers and grooms as well, noting "they never get the recognition they deserve.
"They love the sport, they love the horses. Horses are their life and there wouldn't be a sport without them."
Saving the best for last, Ritchie thanked his wife, Gemma — his "biggest supporter" — for being at his side for more than 40 years. He recalled to the audience how he first met his wife in a chance encounter.
"She was training a couple of horses for her dad. She put me down to drive a horse; I didn't really know her at the time. So, in actual fact, she was my boss back then...and I'm sure you know the next line..." said Ritchie to laughter from the attendees. "She's still my boss!"
The event was emceed by Q107 morning show host — and Acton resident — Ryan Parker, with Woodbine Entertainment CEO Michael Copeland serving as the guest speaker. Parker kept the crowd entertained throughout the evening, sharing stories and quips with local flavour, while Copeland drew from his success as the president of the Toronto Argonauts to reinforce the importance of sports and teams outside of athletics and translating those beneficial experiences into other disciplines.
(Standardbred Canada)