G. R. Carter
| G. R. Carter | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born |
February 6, 1968 Pawhuska, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Career wins | 3,803 (AQHA 12-31-15) |
| Major racing wins | |
|
All American Derby (1997) All American Futurity (1998, 2008) All American Gold Cup (1995) Bank of America Challenge Championship (2000) Bayer Legend Derby Challenge Championship(1997,2005) Black/Gold Futurity (2002) Blue Ribbon Derby (1995, 1998) Blue Ribbon Futurity (1997,2007) Championship at Sunland Park (2005) Dash For Cash Derby (1997, 2006, 2007) Dash For Cash Futurity (2001, 2011) Decketta Stakes (1998, 2008, 2015) Eastex Handicap (2004, 2006, 2011, 2013) Ed Burke Million Futurity (2006) El Primero Ano Derby (2010) Firecracker Futurity (2010) Ford Juvenile Challenge Championship (1995) Go Man Go Handicap (2006) Golden State Futurity (2002, 2003) Governor's Cup Derby (2007,2012) Governor's Cup Futurity (2006) Harrah's Entertainment Derby (2009) Heritage Place Derby (1989, 1998, 2004, 2007) Heritage Place Futurity (1988, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2002) Higheasterjet Handicap (2012, 2014) Hobbs America Futurity (2009, 2011, 2012) Kansas Derby (2007) Kansas Futurity (2007) Kansas Jackpot Derby (2005) Kansas Jackpot Futurity (2005, 2009) Kindergarten Futurity (1993) Lazy E Derby (1996) Leo Stakes (1999, 2006, 2011, 2015) Los Alamitos Invitational Championship (1998) Los Alamitos Super Derby (2003, 2004) Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (2002, 2005) Los Alamitos Winter Derby (2004, 2010) Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (2012) Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap (1993, 2003) Mile High Derby (2002) Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Quarterhorse Championship (2012) Oklahoma Derby (1989, 2007, 2009) Oklahoma Futurity (1992) Oklahoma Horsemen's Association Derby (2000, 2003) Oklahoma Horsemen's Association Futurity (2004) PCQHA Breeders Futurity (2004) PCQHA Breeders Derby (2009) Rainbow Derby (1998, 2015) Rainbow Futurity (1996, 2012) Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (1996, 2003, 2010) Refrigerator Handicap (2006, 2011) Remington Park Derby (1998, 2004, 2007, 2014) Remington Park Distance Handicap (1998, 1999, 2011) Remington Park Futurity (1997, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012) Remington Park Invitational Championship (2007, 2015) Ruidoso Derby (2011) Ruidoso Futurity (2004) Shue Fly Stakes (2003, 2012) Sooner State Stakes (1996, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011) Southern California Derby (1995) Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup Derby (2002, 2002, 2005, 2014) Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup Futurity (2002, 2008, 2013) Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship (2004, 2005, 2006) Sunland Park Winter Derby (2003, 2004, 2007) Sunland Park Winter Futurity (2005) Texas Classic Derby (1997, 2006, 2009) Texas Classic Futurity (2006,) Vessels Maturity (2005, 2006)) West Texas Derby (2015) West Texas Futurity (2008) West Texas Maturity (2007) Zia Derby (1997, 2004) | |
| Racing awards | |
|
AQHA World Champion Jockey APHA World Champion Jockey Remington Park Horse Racing Hall of Fame Ruidoso Downs Race Horse Hall of Fame (2008) Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award (2013) Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame (2016) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Be A Bono, Carters Cookie, Country Chicks Man, Dashin Is Easy, Dashing Perfection, De Passem Okey, Falling In Loveagain, Fast First Prize, Fast Prize Zoom, FDD Dynasty, Fredaville, Hez Ramblin Man, Got Country Grip, Jess Cuervo, Jess Zoomin, Llano Teller, Lota PYC, Louisiana Senator, Mighy B Valiant, Noblesse Six, PYC Paint Your Wagon, Skuze Pleeze, Stolis Winner, Terrific Synergy, Valiant Hero | |
George Robert "G. R." Carter, Jr. (born February 6, 1968) is a retired professional American Quarter Horse jockey. On June 1, 2008, he became the all-time leading money earning jockey in American Quarter Horse racing history surpassing the previous record of $41,405,207 in mount earnings. He has continued to add to the record since, finishing his career with $70,030,181 in mount earnings. On July 6, 2013, Carter became the jockey with the most mounts in AQHA racing history after he piloted his 22,294th horse down the straightaway at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. Carter finished his career with 23,952 mounts aboard American Quarter Horses. On May 23, 2014, Carter became the all-time leader in wins aboard American Quarter Horses when won his 3,632nd race passing Alvin "Bubba" Brossette. He finished his career with 3,803 wins.
Carter has been named American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Champion Jockey ten times in his career including six years consecutively from 2003-2008. In the history of the award, no other jockey has won more than five titles.
Early life
Carter is a Native American of Osage heritage who grew up in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. As a teenager, he was a competitive gymnast and won the state championship. During his Senior year at Pawhuska High School, Carter won the Class A State Wrestling Championship at 108 pounds.
Growing up, Carter was involved in ranching and rodeos which helped develop his love of horses. At age 14, he began galloping race horses for a local trainer to help fund his rodeo participation. He would occasionally ride races on the weekends throughout his Senior year in high school at Blue Ribbon Downs and Eureka Downs.
Professional career
After graduating high school in 1986, Carter moved to Sallisaw, Oklahoma to become a full-time jockey at Blue Ribbon Downs. He continued to ride primarily in the central part of the United States until the early 1990s when he moved his tack to Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California. After a couple of successful years in California, Carter moved his home base back to Oklahoma.
Carter has won the All American Futurity twice. The All American Futurity is Quarter Horse racing's equivalent of the Kentucky Derby which is for Thoroughbred race horses. He won the All American Futurity in 1998 aboard Falling In Loveagain and again in 2008 aboard Stolis Winner.
In 2008, Carter set a new AQHA single-season earnings record by reaching the $5,027,173 mark in mount earnings. This eclipsed the previous record of $4.5 million which he had set. Also in 2008, Carter broke his own single-meet record for wins at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a total of 98.
Adding to an incredible 2008, he rode Fast Prize Zoom to a World Record for 300 yards. The record was established at Sunland Park in Sunland, New Mexico with a final time of 14.87 seconds.
Carter also jockeys American Paint Horses on the racetrack. He hase been named American Paint Horse Association (APHA) World Champion Jockey ten times in his career. He is the Paint Racing all-time leader in wins as well as mount earnings. He was the jockey for the record-setting paint horse Got Country Grip, who tied a North American racing record for any breed in 2008 by winning 16 consecutive races. Racing statistics for Paint Horse races are not included in AQHA statistics.
Carter holds the record for most wins in three different breeds of horses. He leads the all-time standing for American Quarter Horses, American Paint Horses, and Appaloosas.
May 31, 2009 was declared by Governor Brad Henry as G. R. Carter Day in Oklahoma.
Carter is known throughout the racing world for his "back-flip" dismounts. After winning a stakes race, he often uses his gymnastics background to celebrate by performing a back-flip off of the horse from the saddle.
Carter is currently the Vice Chairman on the Board of Directors of the Jockey's Guild which represents the interests of jockeys around the country.
He has been represented by jockey agent Donnie Stewart since December 2002.
Personal
Carter's wife is Shaena, and they reside in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His father-in-law, Jerry Burgess also won the All American Futurity as a jockey in 1975 aboard Bugs Alive In 75.
In his spare time, Carter is an avid team roper. He will occasionally enter professional rodeos to satisfy his competitive nature. He won the Pro-Am at the 2007 World Series of Team Roping.
References
- The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal Annual Review, March 2008
2007 AQHA Champion Jockey
AQHA Champions History
AQHA.com Article #1
AQHA.com Article #2
2008 Remington Park Season Wrap-Up
Got Country Grip Defeated
All American Futurity Controversy
Carter Elected to Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame