HORSE RACING TRAINER JOHN SNOW CREDITS HIS ‘TEAM’ FOR EARLY SUCCESS

 

 

Horse racing trainer John Snow is the type of person that every coach in every sport would want on his roster: a hard-working, down-to-earth guy who respects his profession and takes nothing for granted.

Photo by Jackie Humber

Photo by Jackie Humber

 

I just love doing my job,” he says.  “I don’t have big money horse owners but what I do have are two excellent grooms – Azaria Kavasin and Alan Ogden – who execute the programs that Tammy and I lay out.  They are always right on top of things.”

Tammy, of course, is John’s wife and assistant trainer who enjoyed an illustrious jockey career that resulted in 265 wins and close to  $2.7 million in purse earnings.  “We’ve been together for almost 25 years dating back to when my dad (Mel) hired her to gallop horses,” John beams. “We’ve never stopped enjoying each other’s company.”

While the leading trainer standings list John Snow on top with 13 wins in 43 starts, he says there are no illusions among his ‘team’ about being in the lead at the end of the season.

“We’re middle of the road with a barn of only 20 horses,” John says.  “We look forward to developing young horses and let the chips fall where they may.  We’ve got young stock coming up and that’s the fun part of the job.”

John grew up in Langley racing motorbikes and was a Canadian motor-cross champion twice before turning pro in his teenage years. One of his proudest moments was finishing 10th among 28 of the best on the planet at the 1983 world championships in Los Angeles. “No matter what I did over the years, I kept coming back to horse racing,” John says.

One of his greatest moments was being a part-owner with five pals of 2003 BC Derby winner Roscoe Pito, a $4700 purchase at the 2001 CTHS Yearling & Mixed Sale.

“It was a Cinderella story,” Snow says.  “That’s what I love about this business … you just never know what’s going to happen next.”

By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport