Behind the Dismount: GR Carter’s Legacy (EP. 60)
In today’s episode, GR Carter, a legendary jockey, shares his journey from a young boy with a passion for horses to becoming one of the most successful jockeys in quarter horse racing history. He discusses the early influences that shaped his career, the challenges he faced, and the memorable races that defined his legacy. GR reflects on the thrill of winning, the importance of hard work, and the camaraderie among jockeys, while also addressing the physical demands and risks of the profession. As he looks to the future, GR emphasizes the growth of the racing industry and the potential of new talent.
Highlights Include:
- GR Carter’s journey began at a young age with a passion for horses.
- Winning titles and championships marked significant milestones in his career.
- Injuries were minimal due to his athletic background and dedication.
- The thrill of winning races kept him motivated throughout his career.
- He became the all-time leading money earner in quarter horse racing.
- The future of racing looks promising with new talent emerging.
- And more!
Previous Episodes of Interest:
- Chasing Glory: Inside the Gates of the Saudi Cup – Racing for $20 Million (Ep. 33)
- From the Racetrack to Business Owner with Kip Didericksen (Ep. 19)
- From Drywall to Derby: Pierre Amestoy’s Journey into Horse Racing (Ep. 17)
- Opportunities and Challenges within the Horse Racing Industry with Janet VanBebber (Ep. 11)
About our Guest:
G. R. Carter didn’t raise the bar. G. R. Carter is the bar. The all-time-everything jockey is American Quarter Horse racing’s record-leading rider in mounts, with 25,700; in wins, with 4,013; and in money earned, having booted home the earners of $75,900,474. In 2008, G. R. set a single-season earnings record of $5,019,594, breaking the previous record of $4.5 million that he set two years earlier. He was AQHA champion jockey 10 times, twice as many as any other rider, including six years consecutively from 2003 to 2008.
Known for his signature back-flip dismount, the highly sought-after rider racked up 386 wins in stakes, with 100 at the Grade 1 level (including 20 Restricted Grade 1s), including twice in the sport’s marquee event, the All American Futurity, aboard Falling In Loveagain in 1998 and world champion Stolis Winner in ’08. G. R. rode winners of the rich All American and Los Alamitos Super derbies and scored five wins in the Heritage Place Futurity, three in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and one in the Texas Classic Futurity.
G. R. hung up his flat tack in 2018, but whether heading or heeling at a local jackpot or roping steers at Pendleton and Cheyenne, he never hung up his rope. In 2007, he was half the team that won the Pro-Am at the 2007 World Series of Team Roping, and he and his dad won the 2005 Southwest Regional finals at Albuquerque, New Mexico.
G.R. was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2023. (Bio credit AQHA)
“I truly wish that a lot of the people that are fans of horse racing could experience that because you can’t, you can’t already describe the rush of one standing there, flat footed in the gates and going 50 plus mile an hour in, less than a hundred yards and running away from the field. Knowing you got the race won. It’s it’s, it’s, it’s pretty exciting, pretty special”.
GR Carter
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