DECEMBER 2025 THE RIDER /23


Q.R.O.O.I.: 50 Alexander Crossing’s, Ajax, ON L0S 1T6 Telephone: (905) 426-7050 • Fax: (905) 426-7093 Email: qrooiheadoffice@gmail.com


www.qrooi.com


QROOI Board of Directors Up- date


of Ontario Inc. (QROOI) is pleased to announce the results of the 2025 Board of Directors nom- ination process. Nominations for Director


The Quarter Racing Owners


PRESIDENT Bob Broadstock 18101 Cedardale Road, Nestleton, Ontario L0B 1L0 (905) 986-0044 email: bob_broadstock@hotmail.com


VICE-PRESIDENT Chantelle Bourgeois 416-985-7046


Chantelle.Bourgeois@t4g.com


Director – Corey Illman – 1 year Director – Brooke Sisson – 2 years Director – John McInerney – 2 years Director – Scott Reid – 3 years Director – Nadia Faccin – 3 years


QROOI News


years of service and dedication as a Director. Amanda has stepped down from her role, and we thank her for her valuable contributions to the organization. Scott Reid agreed to stand


positions closed on November 7th, 2025. The QROOI received one nomination for Nadia Faccin. We congratulate and welcome Nadia Faccin, who will serve a three- year term. We would also like to extend


our sincere appreciation to Amanda McCormack for her


for another term, and we are pleased to congratulate Scott on securing another three-year term on the Board.


QROOI Board of Directors and their current terms: President – Bob Broadstock – 1 year Vice President – Chantelle Bour- geois – 1 year


Below is the updated


Director – Corey Illman – 1 year Director – Brooke Sisson – 2 years Director – John McInerney – 2 years Director – Scott Reid – 3 years Director – Nadia Faccin – 3 years We extend our thanks to all


Board members for their contin- ued commitment to the advance- ment of Quarter Horse racing in Ontario.


Free Racing-Exclusive Courses - Industry Ambassador is Back! #EquineGuelph announces


Remembering Ralph Pearson


By Jennifer Morrison From the casual races


in the backyard of Circle M Ranch, to more organized dashes at the Picov family’s ‘j’ track to the modern Ajax Downs of today, Ralph Pearson has been an integral part of the growth of Quar- ter Horse racing in Ontario. Ralph was a breeder,


owner and trainer, a leader with ideas for the sport he loved . He was a mover and a shaker and his efforts in building Quarter Horse rac- ing led to the industry that employs thousands of peo- ple.


The Ontario horse rac-


ing community lost Ralph on September 9th, not long after his 93rd birthday. Ralph was 20-years-


old when he came to Canada from Scotland. He arrived in Toronto where he put together his business and then moved east to the country in the 1960s with his wife and kids, setting up a farm with Quarter Horses in Brooklin, ON. “I raced greyhounds in


Scotland,” said Pearson. “I liked Quarter Horses and racing and found out there were some casual races going on near Woodbine.” Ralph would head out


each Sunday with a group of friends to Kleinburg, ON, just north of Woodbine, to Circle M Ranch where horseman Al Greco had made a straightaway track and had his own races. “We had Quarter


Horses, barrel racers, any- one who thought their horse was fast,” said Pearson. “We would go every Sunday.”


“We had six dates,”


said Pearson. “We hauled our gates all the way over the fair at Markham, raced there on the weekend and then hauled the gates back to Picov. In the coming years,


Quarter Horse racing and Pearson gained a friend in ORC chairman Frank Drea, who added on dates for the industry. Norm Picov built the


Ralph was also part of


a group of horsepeople who then moved the races to Norm Picov’s farm in Ajax. “Norm built a straightaway track, Gerry Armstrong, a builder, put up our towers and we built fences and put in electric wiring.” Picov Downs was born in 1969. He even raced Quarter


Horses at Woodbine race- track and the Markham Fair; one of his most famous horses, Gina Gay, won 23 races from Picov Downs to Woodbine to Greenwood in downtown Toronto. Ralph and other indus-


try members formed the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Ltd. to work to- gether to improve the sport with added-money races such as the Maple Leaf Fu- turity and Maple Leaf Derby. And Ralph, mean- while, went to work on se- curing a few racing dates through the Ontario Racing Commission and adding pari-mutuel wagering. In 1977, Pearson got


four pari-mutuel racing dates for Picov and then added two more at Markham Fair.


new Ajax Downs, complete with slot machines in 2006, and the industry grew. Even when all horse


racing industries were hurt with the cancellation of the slots-at-racetracks program, Ralph and the Quarter Horse community kept moving forward. “It’s been a hustle all


the way through,” Ralph said in 2015. “It’s been a lot of work. But it’s always en- joyable and it keeps me going.” Pearson is a member


of the Ontario Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and he received the Register of Merit from the AQHA. He has played large roles in a number of Quarter Horse events in addition to racing including Quarterama and served as president and board member for the On- tario Quarter Horse Associ- ation.


And Ralph always had


time for younger horsepeo- ple learning the game or a spirited discussion on the di- rection of the industry. His passion for Quarter Horse racing shone through and he will be missed.


Rest in Peace, Ralphie


Renée Kierans is back as Industry Ambassador! She will act as peer


helper in two online courses this winter – Lameness & Condition- ing (new). Free for AGCO li- censees – value $95. Register at www.TheHorsePortal.ca/HBPA. More info - https://thehorsepor- tal.ca/2025/11/industry-ambas- sadors-return-to-champion-free-o nline-racing-courses/


Racehorse Accreditation Participants are reminded to


send Applications to Accredit a Horse/Foal well before racing, to allow time for processing. Forms are available on the


ber-information/breeds/quarter- horse/quarter-horse-program or contact:


Kathie Wilkinson


QH Program Coordinator qhprogram@ontarioracing.com 416-576-6298


2025 Industry Booklet – UP- DATE


Ontario Racing website at https://ontarioracing.com/mem-


Industry Booklet to promote and advertise the Quarter Horse Race Industry in Ontario. It includes in- formation and advertising for all aspects of the industry. The book includes Stallion Ads, Trainer


The QROOI is updating our


Ads, Horses for Sale, Breeders program information and contacts, Stakes program information, Sup- pliers, etc.. We are asking participants if


qrooiheadoffice@gmail.com or by phone at 905-426-7050. If you do not have an advertisement avail- able and wish to be included we are providing assistance to create the ads.


Chillin With Peeps Remains Undefeated with Alex Picov Futurity Win on Closing Day at Ajax Downs


AJAX DOWNS, OCTOBER 23, 2025 - A successful 2025 season of Quarter Horse racing at Ajax Downs wrapped up Wednesday, October 22, with a big card of 11 dashes highlighted by CHILLIN WITH PEEPS impressive victory in the $57,060 Alex Picov Me- morial Futurity for 2-year-olds. An Ontario-bred sorrel filly


owned, trained and bred by CHANTELLE BOURGEOIS of En- niskillen, ON, Chillin With Peeps and jockey CASSANDRA JESCHKE had a quick start from post position two in the nine-horse field. While two rivals beside her traded bumps soon after the start, Chillin With Peeps sprinted clear on her way to a 1 1/4 length win as the 6 to 5 favourite. The daughter of On- tario sire Rushago was clocked in 20.486 for an 84 speed index. Oklahoma-bred Lights Dynasty


and jockey Brian Bell rallied for sec- ond with Snow Fun N Fancy, the win- ner of the Ontario Bred Futurity in June, finishing third. The Picov Futurity was the sec-


ond win in as many starts for Chillin With Peeps, a daughter of the Bour- geois homebred mare Shake It Twice and granddaughter of Shake Pretty Baby, who also raced for Bourgeois. “It was very smooth,” said


Jeschke about the winning trip. “I felt some pressure from the outside but she just kicked on. She hasn’t even hit her full potential yet.” Jeschke has been a part of Chillin


With Peeps’ bloodlines for more than a decade. “I won my first Quarter Horse race on her grandmother, Shake Pretty Baby.” For Bourgeois, this was her first


Futurity victory in some 25 years in Quarter Horse racing. “We expected a big effort,” said


email at


they wish to have content included in the booklet or if you would like to UPDATE any of your current ads to please contact the QROOI by


Chantelle Bourgeois (second from right) with her homebred filly CHILLIN WITH PEEPS and jockey Cassandra Jeschke. New Image Media Photo


Bourgeois. “But you get scared in a big field like this, but she was really impressive.” Bourgeois and Jeschke also com-


bined to win with the classy older gelding Shaken in an allowance race earlier on the card. *The popular Battle of the


Breeds race at 660 yards that kicked off the final day of racing ended up being a duel to the finish for two Quar- ter Horses trained by Bob Broadstock. GENERAL SKYWALKER, in his first attempt around a ‘hook’ (turn) out-battled his stablemate JESS A DEAL to win by a head, establishing a track record for the distance of 36.216. Tony Phillips rode General Skywalker. Jockey RACHAEL ISAACS an-


nounced her retirement from race-rid- ing on Wednesday to pursue racing


and breeding her own Quarter Horses. Isaacs, who only began a career as a jockey five years ago, won 38 races and over $540,000 (US) in purses. “It was a tough decision to make. But I have some homebreds I want to race myself, and maybe in a couple of years, train for a couple of owners. I want to thank every owner and trainer who gave me a shot and every groom, outrider, pony person, gate crew, pad- dock person...every person who puts their heart and soul into this sport.” Trainer Jason Pascoe of Ponty-


pool won three races on the final day of racing, boosting his yearly total to 35 and giving him his eighth consecu- tive training title by wins. Jockey Is- mael Mosqueira led all riders by wins with 38 and Carol and Jaime Robert- son topped the owner’s list with 19 wins.


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