Memorial race honours Rick
A special memorial race will be on the card at Drouin Racing Club’s annual Boxing Day races this year.
The Rick Johnson Memorial Race will feature as race six of the popular day of picnic racing.
Memorials in their nature bring a sense of sadness, but for the man being honoured in this race, he would be in his absolute element with the Drouin Boxing Day Races being one of his favourite days on the calendar. With the exception of getting beaten by a nose, he’d have no place for sadness on this day.
Rick died earlier this year in a tragic accident, leaving behind his pregnant wife Kate who will be attending the races with her newborn daughter Maxy Ricky Laine Johnson.
With Kate’s help, the committee is making this race an institution in the same way Rick made the event an institution through his sense of loyalty which was adored by all lucky enough to be in his life as friends, family, teammates and colleagues.
Without failure, Rick and his mates would take turns each year of supplying the foam esky which could lay around for months in advance waiting to be filled with slabs of UDL and Southern Comfort before being loaded into Kate’s car for their annual tradition, the Drouin Boxing Day Races.
No matter what the year had delivered it was their day, their opportunity to catch-up have fun and enjoy the good times. Like many racegoers before them, they’d reach into their wallets, create a kitty and bet their way through the day.
In their earlier days Rick and the gang would land themselves back at The Royal Hotel Drouin to spend the rewards of that kitty or to dream up what might have been if not for a bit of bad luck.
Over the past five years, the introduction of the new members area provided a welcome place to call home for Rick and his mates on the day.
For the first time in many years, Rick won’t be at the races but the traditions will continue and it will turn to a day of reminiscing the big wins, the narrow losses and the escapades that ensued.
The Boxing Day races is a special event for the Drouin and surrounding communities, whilst it’s about horse racing as Rick has demonstrated it’s also about fun, family, friendships and spending time with those people you see little of throughout the year.