Assiniboia Downs trainers Jerry Gourneau and Tom Gardipy, Jr. have become the first horse trainers to be inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF).
The NAIAHF honours and recognizes the Indigenous sport cultures of North America by recognizing outstanding leadership and achievement in individual and team athletics. By honouring and celebrating the empowered journey of the annually inducted individuals and teams, the hope is that their stories may inspire future generations to follow their dreams in athletics and life.
Gourneau and Gardipy, Jr. join an incredible list of athletes, coaches, teams, builders, media and officials in the NAIAHF, which includes such luminaries as four-time Stanley Cup winner George Armstrong, Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Century Jim Thorpe, and two-time Olympic Gold Medal-winning hockey player Victoria Bach among numerous other superstars.
“What an incredible accomplishment and honour for these two very deserving individuals,” said Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn.
“We have long said that Assiniboia Downs reflects an Indigenous sport of excellence and Jerry and Tom have led the way. Respectfully, no other major sport in Winnipeg can claim such leading achievements and results. Jerry Gourneau and Tom Gardipy, Jr. are true mentors for the future generations of Indigenous horse people who will participate in racing at Assiniboia Downs and North America.”
“It kind of surprised me,” said Gourneau. “Dr. Dan Ninham (NAIAHF) called me out of the blue and said there were two renowned trainers at Assiniboia Downs, myself and Tom.”
Ninham said they wanted to start a new category because no other Indigenous people had accomplished what Gourneau and Gardipy had in the world of race horse training.
“It’s always an honour to receive recognition from someone for all the hard work that you do,” said Gourneau. “It makes you feel good. With all the things that are happening in your life, when you get an award like this, a Hall of Fame induction, it’s quite an honour.”
Young people will find inspiration from NAIAHF members in numerous different categories agreed Gourneau. “People will see them and they might reach out to them. It might be a good avenue to get some young people involved and interested in our sport.”
Both Gourneau and Gardipy have made a career out of getting more out of their horses than most.
Gourneau has won the leading trainer title at Assiniboia Downs three years in a row and four out of the past five years. The 61-year-old from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota, started his racing career as a 16-year-old with his father and brothers, patching up $500 horses to become multiple winners.
Gourneau went on to win numerous stakes with horses including Deep Explorer, Big Blue Caboose, St. Louie Guy and Star of Texas winner Witt Six, the 2015 Manitoba Derby runner-up who Gourneau regards as the best horse he’s ever trained for five-time leading ASD owner Henry S. Witt, Jr. Gourneau has now compiled a career record of 670-654-646 from 4,691 starts for purse earnings of $5,254,722, and he was quick to credit his help, his wife Lyn Blackburde, and his owners for his success, as was Gardipy.
“I’d like to say thanks to my wife Cheryl, my family, my help, and my clients over the years,” said the 62-year-old fourth-generation horse trainer Cree from Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. “Nobody does this on their own. This is more for them than it is for me.
“I think it’s quite nice. The family is really excited about it. It’s not just mine. It’s for everybody that helped me, worked for me and rode for me, and all my clients, who have always supported me. I really appreciate all the people who have given me horses over the years. I don’t think it’s so much an individual award, there’s a lot of people that help you get there.”
Gardipy has won six training titles at Assiniboia Downs, and before that he won three titles at Marquis Downs in Saskatchewan. Like Gourneau, he has compiled impressive career stats of 872-847-721 from 4,851 starts for purse earnings of $4,925,535.
Gardipy conditioned the best 3-year-old of his career in 2022, Brody’s Streak, who won both the Lord Balcony Overnight Stakes and the Golden Boy Stakes, but said, “I’m prepared to start winding down now, with less horses and more enjoyment.”
These two Hall of Famers have certainly earned that.
