By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: Flipping the calendar page to the month of July signals the beginning of a vibrant series of events at Hastings Racecourse. Canada Day kick-starts a schedule that includes the return of the loveable and huggable wiener dogs, the first of eight popular Friday Night Live…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: The first time Jason Beck met Chris Loseth was prior to the 2009 BC Sports Hall of Fame Dinner when Chris was being inducted as only the second jockey in the 53-year history of the shrine. The first had been Hedley Woodhouse in 1979. As…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: – A couple of Vancouver’s most prominent sporting legends – Jamie Taras and Jyrki Lumme – were back on the Hastings Racecourse scene earlier this week offering their input for the 3rd annual Sports Alumni Day at the Races on Sunday, July 28. It’s that…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: When he was eight years old playing minor hockey in Richmond, Keith Pedersen’s best friend was Brent Nielsen. Brent’s dad Ole coached the team. That would be the same Ole Nielsen of Canmor Farms fame who is today an honoured member of the BC Horse…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: There was a time, not terribly long ago, when ladies were not welcome in drinking establishments unless they were escorted by a gentleman; service clubs refused to register female members and women were not allowed to wear slacks in trendy restaurants. Or in Mary Cowan’s…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: Trainers Allan Jack, 84, and Frank Barroby, 75, have blazed separate trails over the years at Hastings Racecourse but the footprints they’ve created along the way have led to similar ports of call. They are two world-class horse racing gladiators deserving of their respective…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: In sporting circles, an individual who has served his or her team at an ultimate performance level for many years is often referred to as “the face of the franchise”. Monica Bisson, who’s been performing her trade for 25 years at Hastings Racecourse, is clearly…
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport SCENE & HEARD: Seven years ago – June 8, 2012 – a stunned silence overcame a larger-than-normal early morning gathering at Hastings Racecourse. It was the day before the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes in New York when Vancouver’s adopted son, Mario Gutierrez, was on the verge…