Hugh Graham: Rodeo to Racetrack to Grand Prix Ring

Hugh Graham has earned his status as one of Canada’s most respected equestrians through a lifetime of dedication to horsemanship. His accomplishments in the ring make him one of the country’s most successful competitors. As a team rider he has competed at two Olympic Games, three Pan American Games, four World Cup Finals, the World Equestrian Games, and in 23 Nation’s Cup events. He has ridden to grand prix victories on 35 different horses, amassed a slew of high-profile wins over the years, and at 66 he continues to step into the ring to win.

Ropin’ and Ridin’

Hugh got his start in the industry as a champion rodeo rider who also trained reining and cutting horses. His mentor at the time was Milo Heatherington, a 65-year-old horseman who got his start training circus horses in the 30’s. He remains Hugh’s biggest influence to this day. “He was the most incredible horseman I’ve ever met,” explains Hugh, “and the person who taught me the most about horses, their training and their behaviour. He didn’t train any winners, but he was a horseman and he taught me patience; he taught me that you don’t teach horses everything in one day, but instead little by little. He understood the way horses thought, and I was mesmerized at what he could accomplish with them in such an amicable way.” Heatherington’s teachings shaped Hugh’s training philosophies and he often refers back to Milo’s insistence that horseman do the right thing every day for the horse. “I’ve had success because I’ve stuck to these principles of patience and repetition.”

A Love for Thoroughbreds

An aptitude for instilling the basics under saddle led to a position breaking the youngsters at SamSon Farms in Milton, ON. Hugh was in his early twenties and under the watchful eye of Canadian Olympian Jim Day. “Nobody really taught me how to break the racehorses, I just did it the way I broke my western horses,” he laughs. It was a position that would eventually lead to his introduction to the sport of show jumping, but it also gave him a foundation to which he would later return.

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In 2005, his father-in-law, Morgan Firestone, had a large-scale racing stable that was under-performing and approached Hugh to take over managing the operation. “I knew it was really important to Morgan, and I just wanted to make the effort for him,” he explains. “Racing was a lot different than show jumping, and I had things to learn. I asked questions, I watched, I figured things out, I practiced and I picked brains.” In 2007, Hugh believed they had a good horse in the homebred colt Mike Fox and took a hands-on approach to the riding and training. His belief was rewarded with the realization of a lifelong dream for Firestone when the horse fought to a victory in the Queen’s Plate with jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson, the first female jockey to win the historic race. It was a victory that gave Hugh’s father-in-law a dream-come-true experience in the last years of his life and is a memory that Hugh recalls often. “My show jumping took a back seat to the racing, but it was one of the biggest thrills of my life.”

Although there were many differences between the jumping world and the racetrack, Hugh had found one similarity that helped him improve his performance in the ring. “It was balance,” he explains. “Having a horse that is in balance works across disciplines. It’s all about having them carry themselves well.” Hugh’s time at the track also reinforced his love of the Thoroughbred, and he’s had some good ones over the years. All Music was a Thoroughbred that Hugh brought from the green jumpers to the open division and it went on to be one of Canada’s top speed horses. Another was Undercover, a $1,200 off-the-track purchase that went to the ’95 Pan American Games and the ’96 Olympics. “I love the Thoroughbred and I’ve had some great ones, and I still believe that if you’ve got a great Thoroughbred you’re going to be difficult to beat. They can exceed their potential, because they love to win and they love to try.”

A Career Jump-Start

In 1970, a local horse dealer showed up at SamSon Farms with an unbroken five-year-old Hackney/Clyde cross named Spot Check – it was a horse that Hugh credits with jump-starting his career. Purchased by SamSon Farms, Hugh broke the horse and eventually bought him off Jim Day; in less than three years they were Open Jumper champions at the Royal. It was aboard Spot Check that Hugh won his first grand prix and was reserve champion at the Washington International to Rodney Jenkins. “Spot Check was my first horse and he was special. My mother never forgave me for selling him,” he says. “He was such a big part of my life and he was very special to me.”

In 1989, Hugh met Seymour Epstein and soon afterward began training Seymour and his wife, Gloria. A year later they started KingRidge Stables and began a breeding operation to develop talent here at home. At the height of their breeding program in 2004, they had 144 horses of all ages and training levels at their farms in King City, ON, and Ocala and Wellington, FL. In 2011, they were awarded Equine Canada’s Breeder of the Year honours. “I’ve had first-class owners my whole life, and I have always ridden for great people. I will never forget the support staff, the riders and the grooms who have made my life easy.”

After decades of the grind in the industry, the heartache and elation, the unpredictability of potential and the thrill of success, Hugh is as excited about the horses as ever. He maintains a hand in the early training of the youngsters, and until just recently was responsible for giving their first lessons under saddle. “We’ve developed some great jumpers and it’s fun to bring them along to their potential. When you get one that has talent and can get to the grand prix ranks – that’s what keeps you going.

“I’m still enthusiastic about competing, and it’s the horses that keep me enthusiastic. If you have nice horses in the barn, it sure makes you get up in the morning with a smile.”