2024 – Driver
Ross “Cowboy” Curran had an accomplished but abbreviated driving career in harness racing. His legacy as a driver spanned over two decades and epitomized the spirit of perseverance and passion.
At the impressionable age of 13, the Smith Falls native was tending to horses trained by veteran horseman, Sted Craig, at the local track. At that time, nearly all racing was conducted on the Ontario Fair Circuit, and he was driving on that circuit by the time he was 16.
His talents as a skilled driver were evident, and at age of 19, he was getting opportunities to drive some top ranked horses. Symbol Allen was one of those horses who was well known in Eastern Ontario and had become a legend in the sport. At the age of 15, Symbol Allen faced the starter a total of 29 times and ended the season with 22 wins, most of which with the talented Curran in the bike.
By the age of 20, Curran won his first driving title at Connaught Park before going on to win numerous driving titles and becoming a leading driver at Mohawk, Greenwood, Garden City, Blue Bonnets, Richelieu Park and Rideau Carleton while competing against the likes of Hall of Famers Keith Waples, Bill Wellwood, Ron Feagan and Ron Waples.
His strong work ethic led to significant success in the industry and he became one of the most entertaining drivers to watch. Highly respected and a fan favourite, many in the industry would comment on how he was one of the toughest and strongest drivers of his time.
‘Cowboy’ Curran was the leading dash winning driver from 1964 to 1973 in Ontario and had an average winning percentage of .317 over a 10-year period. He was rated the second and third best driver in North America from his performance in those years. In his 8,686 career starts, he finished in the top three almost 50 per cent of the time. He drove 1,711 winners and had more than $2.7 million in recorded lifetime earnings. His best year was in 1972 when he won more than 200 dashes and $275,000 in purses.
Much of Ross’s career preceded the big money era. He raced for low purses and often competed over racetracks that were not the best. He was never afraid to take on a “project” horse and possessed a special knack to handle these horses and turn them into money makers.
In 1988, he was inducted into the Smith Falls Recreation Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to harness racing. In 2009, he was honoured by the Ontario Harness Horse Association and presented with “The Living Legend” award.
His career ended abruptly due to illness but his contributions and accomplishments will forever be remembered.