Faces Of Racing: Ryan Wilkie

Leading up to the 2020 edition of National Caretaker Appreciation Day virtual events taking place on the weekend of September 18 - 20, Standardbred Canada will profile caretakers from across the country in our Faces of Racing series.

This marks the third year of the Faces of Racing series, and this year’s edition kicks off with Ryan Wilkie of Stratford, P.E.I., a full-time caretaker with the Marc Campbell Stable.

The old saying is, ‘Don’t meet your hero, you'll only be disappointed,’ but if one of your heroes is a horse, that saying may not always hold true. For Ryan Wilkie, 23, of Stratford, P.E.I, and the Marc Campbell trainee Rose Run Quest, it certainly doesn’t.

“My favourite horse is Rose Run Quest, he holds a special place in my heart,” Wilkie told SC’s Justin Fisher. “I loved him from day one when I met him. I have two favourite races and he’s raced in both -- the Gold Cup and Saucer, and he won the Governor's Plate.”

The now eight-year-old gelded son of If I Can Dream picked up the trophy in the 2019 edition of the Governor's Plate at Summerside Raceway in an impressive 1:53, winning by more than six lengths. After that triumph, Wilkie shifted his dreams to Atlantic Canada's Holy Grail, the Gold Cup & Saucer. “I have one race I want to win with Rose Run Quest and that’s the Gold Cup and Saucer,” Wilkie confirmed. “Since I’m an Islander and all, that’s right at the top of the bucket list for sure.”

After previous attempts in 2018 and 2019 (he finished 3rd in 2018), Rose Run Quest and Wilkie will hope that the third time's the charm in this year’s edition after a solid second-place finish in Trial 2 on Monday, August 17.

Like many in harness racing, Ryan was introduced to the game through his parents, who owned a few horses in the Maritimes. “My Mom and Dad got me into harness racing when I was a kid, they used to take me to the racetracks and I just loved it. They have horses with Vaughan Doyle,” Wilkie stated.

The young horseman, who has been working in the industry for almost a half decade, already knows that the sport isn't all just wins and having your photo taken. “As a groom we definitely face different challenges and obstacles on the job, but in my opinion, the long hours are the most difficult thing about it because you want to do the best you can with all of your horses... so that takes time and you don’t get too many days off,” Wilkie shared.

In an industry that’s as physically and mentally difficult as any, it's no surprise that many people in it find superstitions and stick with them -- and Ryan is no different. “I think we all have a good luck charm or two! Mine is wearing the same clothes the next time I look after that horse, if that horse won... I have to wear the same clothes the next time it races.”

Wilkie stated that one of the pillars to success in the industry is to stay positive through the process, and it's the positivity that makes the highs even higher. “Definitely, when the horses do well and when the owners come in, seeing them excited or happy is really a good feeling, because you know you're doing a good job and it's paying off. Or maybe when your horse wins or has a better performance than it did for the last few starts... knowing that you had a lot to do with it makes it feel great and worthwhile.

“I love racing in the summer because I love the stake season, and that means going to different tracks with the young horses you've worked with all winter. Currently, we have 16 horses at the track right now and 10 at the farm in Winsloe. It’s definitely a team effort to get all the work done every day and treat everyone and every horse with respect. I love National Caretaker Appreciation Day...it’s a day when the grooms get recognized for their hard work.”