Rico Walcott’s nightmare has returned. So has another brain tumour.
This spring Walcott, who was Alberta’s leading jockey 11 times before moving to Toronto’s Woodbine racetrack last fall, had a seizure.
Taken to hospital by ambulance, an MRI discovered the news was dire. A brain tumour had grown back in the same place – the left frontal lobe – where an initial malignant tumour the size of a golf ball was found and removed in 2019.
“A biopsy showed that the latest tumour was Grade 4 IDH mutant astocytoma which is now a high-grade glioma,” said trainer Twylla Bensmiller, who has started a GoFundMe site for Walcott.
Glioma is a type of brain or spinal cord tumour that begins in glial cells, supportive cells that surround the neurons in your brain, nourishing and insulating them.
“Everybody is in shock,” said Bensmiller.
“He didn’t want anybody to know. It’s terrible.”
Bensmiller said doctors suggested chemotherapy and radiation.
“The same doctors said that could buy him so time but it wasn’t guaranteed so Rico has chosen to go the natural way and not do the chemo and radiation.
“Instead, Rico has chosen to go with private, holistic treatment in the Honduras. Everybody has the right to choose what they want to do and Rico has decided on the latter.
“But it’s expensive and that’s why I have started a GoFundMe site which can be reached at gofund.me/8df0446d.
“Our goal is $30,000.
“Rico has two daughters – Sundai and Wisdom – and a wife, Shakera.
“He’s so young,” Bensmiller said of Walcott, who is 35.
Walcott’s agent in Alberta, Bob Fowlis, said the latest tumour had grown back 1.7 centimetres.
“Without any treatment the doctors told him that he only had 12-16 months left,” said Fowlis. “It’s terrible news.
“He needs a miracle.
“He doesn’t like the word cancer; he’s trying to be positive.”
Fowlis said Walcott, who came to Alberta from Barbados in 2007 when he joined his older brother, Rickey, had regular MRI’s and they were all clean.
“Except for this last one.”
Rico was the face of Alberta horse racing for a long time said Fowlis.
“He was one of the best four or five jockeys who ever rode in Alberta. He won just about every stakes race there was. I’m trying to think about a stake he didn’t win and I can’t.
“He also won 29 stakes races including four B.C. Derbies at Vancouver’s Hastings Park. And that was from just 95 mounts.”
Rico also won the Oklahoma Derby with Broadway Empire and the Zia Park Derby in New Mexico on Alert Bay.
Then there were five Canadian Derbies: No Hesitation in 2010; Broadway Empire in 2013; Edison in 2014; Sky Promise in 2018 and Great Escape in 2022.
He almost won a sixth but Chief Know It All, who crossed the finish line first in 2017 but was disqualified for interference at the top of the stretch.
All told Rico won 1,549 races for purse earnings of over $21 million.
Quiet and humble, calm and private in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 Rico won with more than 30 per cent of his mounts – a staggering figure that was unsurpassed by any jockey in all of North America with at least 400 mounts.
“If you can hep in any way it would be greatly appreciated,” said Bensmiller. “Every little bit helps. please say a prayer for Rico.
“He needs all he prayers he can get right now.”
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