Behind the Gate

He was a fast horse and personality wise. he was the nicest horse I eyer trained. (/em'ge [be Iii/2b was not the fastest horse I ever had but he showed up eyery night. (Zertain horses stick out in your mind for various reasons and he was one of them. \V’alter Simmons. Hal Beyan. Tom (Ilark and I were his owners. Jack Browns 7‘ Bear l’rl'z/e was a special horse to be around. a really nice horse bred by Wayne \Vhite and purchased from Iirrol Iiord. [Bo/(l Roos/er had kind of a special place with me and my stable. He was the first horse I saw each day. and if he was— n‘t there we would miss him. He was owned by Bert IIaneyeld and we had him for eight years. \V'e trained Lloyd Mathieson‘s Hut/(ear Ilei'xber down to 2:02 as a two—year—old at the (3.1).1’. She went on to take a record of ISI at the Meadowlands and won nine races at that track in one year. She has become a suc— cessful broodmare. I owned .Ilmji'nm/l l/(moz'er with Tom (Ilark and Hal Beyin and this horse took a record of l-t‘).»i in the winter of 2000 at \‘y'oodbine in Ontario."

An enlarged and beautiful picture of

\IT'om/meIe/e/ adorns a wall of the tidy tackroom of the Ronnie .\Iatheson Stable. I now know why. alter asking him to select his fayorite horse. He answered emotionally. “I co—owned Il’imdmere./e/ with Bill Mulligan and he was my all time fayorite horse. \\'"e raced him as a two and

three-year—<)ld. I haye neyer had a horse

like him. He was a real horse. IIe neyer

knew the end of a mile and he had a realv

Ronnie Matheson

ly good temperament around the barn.”

It was not surprising that \l'imrlnzere‘lel was the horse that gaye this talented horseman his most memorable race. He described that experience. "The biggest thrill I eyer got while driving a horse was when \I'ooclmere/el won the I’.I§.I. (Iolt Stakes at the (L.I).P. in 1:373. track record for three—year—olds. He beat

It was a

\I’oodmere 'l'opcal. a horse that he wasn‘t supposed to beat. I knew how special our horse was before that race but the public didnt. \\"e sold him to Neal ;\Ioase and the next year he raced successfully in _\Iaritime Inyitationals including the Gold Cup 'I'rials. 'I‘ragedy struck when sick—

ness ended his life prematurely."

I asked Ronnie what the biggest change was that he noticed in industry since his inyolyement. There were many possible and plausible answers to this question and each could be supported. I’ylons. the quick—hitch. newer bikes. simulcask ing. slots. etc. were some suggested answers. Ronnie didnt select any of these and his answer may surprise you. He explained. "There is a lot more main- tenance done on the horse today. There is a lot more inyolyed today in the care of a horse than there was when I was a kid at the (I.I).I’. For example. years ago there wasnt as much attention paid to a horses blood like there is today." This was the biggest change for Ronnie but not the best change. He was emphatic when he said that the best change was definitely the replacing of the hub rail

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