As a founder of Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario, the late Ralph Pearson was integral in moving casual races at Greco Farm to Picov Downs in Ajax, ON.
He is credited with bringing pari-mutuel racing to Picov Downs and the Markham Fair in the early 1970s and was involved in organizing Quarter Horse meets at Woodbine and other tracks.
Pearson gave tirelessly of his time to many organizations in efforts to improve Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario. He was among the executives responsible for starting the Quarter Horse stakes and futurity programs and had two tenures as president of the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario, in the 1970s and 1980s. At the time of his passing in 2025, at the age of 92, Mr. Pearson was still on the QROOI Board.
As an owner and trainer, he was responsible for numerous horses including, most recently, top older horse Countrys Comin Bac.
Pearson owned the first horse to win a Quarter Horse race at Woodbine. Pearson’s mare Gina Gay won that historical race at Woodbine on June 16, 1973, blowing away her rivals in the Ontario Quarter Horse Association Invitational at 440 yards.
“She was a top mare for three or four years,” said Pearson, who continues to race a successful stable at Ajax Downs and is a director of the QROOI.
His devotion to the sport was recognized in 1989 when he was presented with the AQHA Register of Merit and now will be recognized by the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame with a Meritorious Award.
The CHRHF Meritorious Award is presented to individuals with accomplishments that fall outside the organizations established criteria for induction. The candidate must have demonstrated an extraordinary and sustained impact on the industry, with a legacy of transformative contributions that have measurably advanced Canadian horse racing and left an enduring mark on the sport.
The award will be presented to Mr. Pearson’s family as part of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame 2026 Induction Gala, at the Mississauga Convention Centre the evening of Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
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