(PHOTO - A young RYAN CRUWYS leads the horse that changed his life - DOIN THE LOCOMOTION - trained by Bob Broadstock (behind horse) and owned by Marie Broadstock)
Ryan Cruwys may have a recognizable name in Ontario Quarter Horse racing but the sport was not on his radar as a young man growing up in Whitby, ON.
Cruwys was studying graphic designing when he met Bob Broadstock doing co-op design work at a computer store in Pickering. Broadstock, owner of a computer programming business, was also a prominent owner, trainer and breeder in Quarter Horse racing.
“Bob told me about Quarter Horse racing and the [old ‘J’ track] at Ajax,” said Cruwys. “I had often went by the track and wondered what was going on there. I thought it was dirt bike racing or something like that.”
It was in 1999 when Cruwys took Broadstock up on his offer to visit the track and he quickly became interested. He learned to groom horses for Broadstock and it was then that he met ‘Loco’, the racehorse named Doin the Locomotion.
“I was pretty nervous at first,” said Cruwys. “These were such big animals. Bob gave me confidence and I started grooming ‘Loco’. You know, horses are intelligent animals and I think he knew I was green. We hit it off right away.”
Doin The Locomotion, bred by Broadstock and his wife Marie, was a foal of 1998, the product of a breeding of Cowboy Hero and the Duck Dance mare Cha Cha Choo Choo. He began his racing career in 2000 and quickly became one of the more popular runners at Picov Downs.
Cruwys took the strapping sorrel gelding to his races in those early years and was one the few people who could handle the horse after a race.
“He could be really tough after his race, not too many people could get in the stall with him," said Cruwys. “But he seemed to know me. I groomed him and made him feel good.”
Doin the Locomotion went on to a remarkable career as he raced for nine years, until 2009, and won 15 races from 109 starters with 19 seconds and 27 thirds.
Cruwys fell in love with horses and Quarter Horse racing during those years with ‘Loco’ and it was at that time when he met his wife Rachel, whose father Bill was a leading owner and trainer at Ajax.
The couple now have two children and Ryan is balancing his home graphic design business and jobs in the Ajax race office, charting races for Equibase and as a mutual teller.
All of this is because of Doin the Locomotion.
“I would have never been where I am now if it wasn’t for meeting Bob and Loco,” said Cruwys. “Working with Loco helped me become a horseman, a better horseman, and helped me believe in myself.”
(PHOTO OF RYAN and RACHEL courtesy of Glenda Travis)
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