DECEMBER 2010 THE RIDER /17 Keep Spurring, The Sequel


Written By George Hewitt Review by Kelly Bowers


Well, many of you know George Hewitt, as the cowboy, rodeo bareback rider or television per- sonality, sport announcer. Medical professionals will most likely remember him as that crazy dare- devil and a regular patient in their emergency ward, smooth talking the nurses and doctors into letting him get back to what put him in there in the first place. Most of all, author George Hewitt is a lucky man, just ask anyone who has seen him per- form or has treated one of his injuries. He is still here to tell the tale, and that alone makes him a lucky man.


This sequel to his first book, Keep Spurring Till The Whistle Blows, picks up right where the other left off, on his way home from England to start a new life with his saint of a wife, Gail and


sweet 2 yr old, Robyn. It was 1965. They were homeless, free of the constraints of material pos- sessions like money, furniture or transportation or a fridge. Gail, being the reliable and sensible spouse got a job and earned a pay check, and George … well he worked his way into even more trouble than in the first book. Farrier, rodeo clown, animal trader, zoo owner, trail ride facility manager, train- er, harness driver, announcer, and in the end a rodeo cowboy, as always.


George’s adventurous spirit lead to him build- ing and operating a zoo. Not surprisingly, this began by trading hard work for his daughter’s new pony - instead of a fridge. Eventually this little venture grew until it included very large animals such as bison and even a black bear. There is a hilarious story about George and a friend moving the caged bear through a too narrow doorway,


which ended rather badly for George. As one door closes, a window opens and this window lead to a trail riding business.


One day there was a guy from Detroit who abused one of George’s trail horses and when con- fronted, pulled a gun on him. When shots rang out and the smoke cleared, George was indeed a lucky man, but not everyone was so lucky. So when the thug and his friends returned, they were met by George, his friend Tom, a toothless old dog and an even older shotgun - sans firing pin - yep, totally broken. It was a bluff. The close call was close enough for George to dissolve the trail riding busi- ness - It was time to change horses.


For seven or eight years in the 1970s, George earned his living and made his name as a TB train- er and harness driver, the type that most would call an “honest” driver. That, of course, did not stop


him from setting records and changing rules. The harness racing world introduced him to some memorable characters, good and bad, and touchy situations like race fix- ing, gambling and the single or double shaft race bike scandal. The trouble lead to con- troversy, boycotts, lawsuits more hospital visits, and death threats, all good stuff for story telling. But like I said, George is a lucky man and in a very short time, his success racing earned him the nickname “Miracle Man” from Jack Calvert. As always, George handles each situation in his own way, trying to solve the problem, expose the truth, help the good guys, pun- ish the bad guys and possibly get away breaking even with his skin in tact. And that's where it gets more than a bit tricky. I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of memorable anecdotes about George’s adventures written by George and some provided by several of his past friends and associates. George is a lucky man, as I said. Lucky because he has lead an exciting life, has a wonderful family, and has known so many good friends and good horses over the years. George’s mem- oirs again had me both in stitches and in tears. I found it totally entertaining, hard to put down and would highly recommend it. As charming and fascinating as George himself.


About George Hewitt - ”For over 50 years, George Hewitt has been a dynamic and versatile member of the world of Horse Sport. Born in Windsor, Ontario, October 19, 1935. He was breaking and training Western horses for the Circle “R” Ranch in Michigan at 18 years of age and soon after was training TB race horses.


A versatile athlete and entertainer, George blazed a trail from rodeo to harness racing. His exciting gift of play by play commentary combined with his talents as a producer and star of T.V. and live shows, have made George Hewitt one of the most original and sought after Canadian sporting personalities ever. George Hewitt is —- A real life “Indiana Jones.


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