Most people in the Canadian equine industry will have come across shipper Ivan Vanderburgh at some point in time. At almost 87 years of age, Ivan is still going strong and even just got himself a new rig.
His love of horses started early, with his dad. His family always laughs that Ivan could ride before he could walk. Living on a farm growing up certainly allowed him to enjoy working with horses and at an early age he started in transportation with his good friend, Les Ehrlick. This lead to spending a great deal of time in Lexington, Kentucky where Ivan and his wife, Erie, made lifelong friends and enjoyed countless horsey occasions in the bluegrass.
Over the years, Ivan dedicated time and energy to developing an ambulance for use on the racetrack. There was never a horse in distress that he would turn away from. No matter the time or weather, he would jump in his truck and go to the rescue. He still does!
Something that Ivan really valued was his association with the RCMP musical ride, enjoying many great events and friendships over his years of moving them.
The Jockey Club of Canada was pleased to recognize Ivan for his many years of distinguished service to the Canadian equine industry at their Annual General Meeting of the Members held on June 11, 2022 at Woodbine Racetrack. Ivan was the recipient of an Industry Service Award trophy thanking him for his contributions. As part of their recognition of his service, the third race of the day was named in Ivan’s honour and he presented the winner of that race with a cooler commemorating the event. When asked who the best horse he had ever shipped before was, Ivan’s response was “Well, that’s easy – Northern Dancer!”
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