No bull: Ives trades bulls for horses

By Dan Johnson
William Ives' second wind as a jockey has been smooth as a gentle breeze. At age 47, Ives made a comeback in 2008 after being away from the sport for 17 years. The result is at age 50, he has had more success than ever. While he mostly rode in the Washington fair circuit early in his career, he is now competing on some of the top quarter horse circuits in the nation and making a mark. He shared the 2010 Prairie Meadows riding title with Stormy Smith, with each winning 28 races. And in July in Oklahoma, he won the richest race of his career, taking the $385,000 Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup Futurity on Find Me A Hero. "It's way beyond anything I dreamed," Ives said. "I rode the bush tracks in the Northwest and I really thought that was success in riding. Coming here to Prairie Meadows and Oklahoma, it really opened my eyes with how far you can go in racing." Growing up in Omak, Wash., Ives did plenty of riding, but not always on horses. He competed in rodeo events and rode in the Professional Bull Riding circuit from 1978-86. "My dad and my uncles were cowboys," Ives said. "They were always telling me I was going to be a champion cowboy. My dad taught me to do all the events. Bull riding stuck with me. It was more of an adrenaline rush and it was more fitted to a guy my size. The bull riders can be smaller and still be very competitive." Between bull rides, he was racing horses at small tracks throughout Washington. "For years I alternated between rodeo and racing," Ives said. "I'd go back and forth. It wasn't until I was about 22 when I started riding full-time.

William Ives made a comeback at age 47 after being away from racing for 17 years. He tied for the 2010 riding title at Prairie Meadows.

Jack Coady/Coady Photography

William Ives rides Stone E Motion to victory in the 2010 Covered Bridges Stakes in the track-record time of 44.799 seconds for 870 yards.

"The horses are a lot funner. The bulls are trying to buck you off and they will come back to get you. Their job is to hurt you. If I started all over, I'd stick with the horses. There's a lot of fame in the PBR now, but I see them getting whomped and I don't think so." But by 1991, Ives wasn't riding either horses or bulls. He had three sons ages 4 to 10, and soon added a daughter. He gave up traveling the horse and bull circuits so he could be at home with his family. "The nearest racetrack was four hours away," Ives said. "I had kids and they were all growing up. I stopped racing and just stayed home and worked construction and logging. I started my own horse training and horse showing business. I did that for 17 years. There were times I look back and think I could have (ridden), but my kids were a priority. "I wouldn't have it any other way. My boys, my daughter, and I rode horses every day. We hunted and fished. Some days, we'd just go hiking in the mountains. We had a lot of great quality time like that." Then in 2008, he went to the track to see a friend, trainer Don Abrahamson. Abrahamson and others told Ives he should ride again. The next weekend, he showed up at Sun Downs in Kennewick, Wash., with his riding tack.

From there, he journeyed East, riding in Idaho, Wyoming, and then Arapahoe Park in suburban Denver. At Arapahoe, someone suggested he try Prairie Meadows. Ives arrived in the middle of the 2009 quarter horse meet, but won 12 races to finish sixth in the rider standings. Then in 2010, he shared the title with Smith. One of his victories was the Covered Bridges Stakes, in which Stone E Motion set a track record for 870 yards.

His success has continues this year, with seven wins in the first five racing days. "It's been super," Ives said of Prairie Meadows. "It's a beautiful facility and the fans are really cool. There's always fans out there, and I like that. It makes the racing a lot more excitement. When you hear them cheering, it stirs you up and makes it a lot more exciting. It's a top-notch facility. I've raced from British Columbia to Miami and this rates right at the top."

Around the track

Blending hoops with horses
Iowa mens basketball coach Fran McCaffery finally got to see Tom Lepics other occupation on Aug. 26. McCaffery spent more than an hour meeting fans and signing autographs at Prairie Meadows. He came at the request of Lepic, who is president of the Iowa Quarter Horse Racing Association. A former Iowa wrestler, Lepic is an Iowa City realtor who sold McCaffery his house when the coach was hired at Iowa. McCaffery said his grandmother frequented Liberty Bell Park in Philadelphia, but hes only been to the track a few times. "I'm not much of a gambler, but I enjoy going once in a while, McCaffery said. Tom's a good friend, so it's good to spend some time with him.

Iowa mens basketball coach Fran McCaffery met with fans and signed autographs during an Aug. 26 appearance at Prairie Meadows

Leggett channeling his drive into a new direction

Former jockey Tad Leggett is making baby steps as he recovers from a broken neck that not only ended his riding career, but threatened to take his life. Right now, those baby steps largely come with assistance. He uses a walker with assistance and he can ride his horse when his sons help him get in the saddle. That's already a major leap from Leggett's condition when he was injured in a spill following a June 30, 2010 race at Fair Meadows in Oklahoma. He required nine hours of surgery and was listed in critical condition initially. "I've accomplished things already some of the doctors thought I wouldn't," Leggett, 46, said. "One doctor in ICU told my wife that I'd never come off a ventilator maybe. And I'm breathing on my own, thank God. "I can walk on a walker for a little bit with assistance," Leggett said. "My upper body is real strong. My legs are getting stronger. If I have something to hold on to, I can stand up on my own." Leggett won more races, 429, than any other quarter horse rider at Prairie Meadows and won 1,432 races overall in his career. He returned to the track last weekend to Jack Coady/Coady Photography Tad Leggett speaks at the be honored at the Iowa Quarter Horse Racing Association's annual banquet. IQHRA awardsbanquet. He said he doesn't remember the first 30 days after he was injured. And he credits his faith and his wife, Tina, with helping him persist. It's been tough," he said. "I thank the Lord Jesus and I have a good family. I'd be barefoot without my wife. My wife's an RN and she's sat through it all." Tina Leggett said her husband has showed strength all through the recovery process. "He's very strong person and he's not a person who will ever give up," she said. "He doesn't feel sorry for himself. He's very strong-minded and he's handled it like a champ