At fifteen years of age, he’s the youngest recipient ever of the Sovereign Award for Photography, the highest honour bestowed by the Jockey Club of Canada, one that recognizes outstanding achievement in Canadian Thoroughbred racing and breeding.
But if luck is where opportunity meets preparation, Matt’s got the formula figured out. The photo opportunity was the 2008 Queen’s Plate but the groundwork began long before that.
In fact, it goes right back to the beginning if you believe in pedigree: Matt’s father is legendary Standardbred Hall of Fame trainer and driver Ron Waples, and his mother is Monica Thors, a respected equine photographer who knows what it’s like to reign in her field.