COWIE’S HONOUR
HALL OF FAMER P77
ALAN Cowie can’t believe it’s almost 17 years since his life came tumbling down.
It was Magic Millions day on January 12, 2002 when Cowie, the pin-up jockey on the Gold Coast around the turn of the century, was critically injured in a race fall.
In a testament to his courage and determination in the years since the fall, Cowie is now a proud member of the Gold Coast Turf Club Hall of Fame.
“It was very unexpected,” Cowie said of his induction on Wednesday night.
“I am very proud to get this award. It means a lot to me. There’s some good names I’m up there beside, that’s for sure.”
Cowie, known to all and sundry as “Pup”, rode in 8000 races over an 18-year period, landing 760 winners.
He won the Gold Coast jockeys premiership in 2000-01, before his flourishing career came to an end on that fateful Magic Millions day in 2002, when he suffered serious spinal injuries.
“It will be 17 years in January,” Cowie said. “It doesn’t seem like it was yesterday but time does fly by and you don’t think it’s been that long.”
While his riding career ended that day and his life changed forever, Cowie, 50, says remaining a part of the industry has helped him along the journey. He has kept a close association with racing as a jockey manager and is currently handling the rides for Scott Galloway and Mathew McGuren.
“I’m fortunate enough at the moment to have two exceptional riders, in my opinion,” he said.
“It is good that I can be in the same industry and dealing with the same people.
“Just looking around the room (on Wednesday), there were so many people that have been friends since day one. It’s a close-knit community.”
Cowie doesn’t hesitate in naming Gold Coast trainer Noel Doyle’s grand campaigner Kinjite as the best horse he rode.
“By far. I won my only Group 1 on him in the Spring Champion Stakes (in Sydney),” Cowie said.
“The rest were like Mini Minors compared to him. He was a Rolls-Royce.”