Copilot Flies to QROOI Open Victory
AJAX DOWNS MAY 21, 2026 - With jockey Diego Benitez at the controls, COPILOT jetted to victory in Wednesday's QROOI Open Derby for 3-year-olds at Ajax Downs, the first stakes race of the 2026 Quarter Horse season.
Lights Dynasty Leads Tavares Army in Ajax Downs' First Stakes Race of 2026
AJAX DOWNS, MAY 19, 2026 - When Joe Tavares, one of Ajax Downs' most successful trainers, went shopping for racehorses the past two winters it would have been hard to predict that four of those purchases would be in the first stakes race of the 2026 season. The $32,805 QROOI OPEN DERBY on Wednesday, May 20 features an evenly matched field of 10 three-year-olds including three Trial winners, two of which are owned by Tavares.
Had to Be Ivory Wins for 34th time
AJAX DOWNS, MAY 14, 2026 - The equine star of Ajax Downs' card of racing on a crisp, windy May 13, Had to Be Ivory, won for the 34th time while later in the afternoon, jockey Corry Beland won his first race of his young career.
BGRA Announces 2026 Youth Contests
The Bill Galvin Racing Alliance (BGRA), with the support of Standardbred breeder and owner Tom Rankin, is once again holding its annual Youth Contests.
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The Rider is Ontario's number one source for horse industry news and information both in print and online.
The newspaper is in its 51st year of publication. The Rider has special English, Western, Quarter Horse and general sections having many columns written by industry leaders, a comprehensive coming events section, stable, stallion, and service directories, real estate ads and classifieds. The Rider covers all English and Western disciplines as well as Quarter Horse Racing, Driving and various other breeds and disciplines. The Rider is distributed through subscription, through the memberships of our official association partners and through almost 300 tack and feed stores. The Rider is also available as a digital edition.
The Rider is a six time recipient of the Ontario Equestrian Federation Media of the Year award. Editor and Publisher, Barry Finn is the Past-president of the Independent Publishers Association of Ontario.
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