Irwin Driedger, named to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame class of 2023, died at the age 66 in Toronto on Saturday evening after a long battle with cancer.
Driedger, who was to be formally inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in August, transitioned in his post-riding days to have a continued impact on the sport. In addition to his accolades on the track and work with the Jockey's Benefit Association of Canada, Driedger shared his expertise with Woodbine as the track's Director of Racing Surfaces for more than a decade.
Driedger, who was a native of Russell, Manitoba, started out as an exercise rider at age 11 in 1967his riding career in 1967. He sharpened his horsemanship skills at fairs in Western Canada before shifting his tack to bush tracks and eventually to recognized tracks such as Assiniboia Downs, where he rode from 1973 until 1982.
Driedger set an Assiniboia record of 161 wins in 1979 before surpassing his own accomplishment in 1980 with 180 victories. In 1981, he won 214 races, a record that stood for many years. Over the next 17 years, he rode at major tracks across Canada winning 1,633 races while amassing purse earnings of $14.6 million.
The recipient of the 1998 Avelino Gomez Memorial Award, Driedger rode Sovereign Award winners Liz's Pride, Phoenix Factor, Classy 'n Smart, In My Cap, Grey Classic, and Imperial Choice.
Driedger retired from race riding in 1990 and became the Secretary-Manager of the Jockeys Benefit Association of Canada, serving his first term until 2006. Under his direction Canadian jockeys became the first in North America to wear safety vests.
Driedger was also instrumental in helping to install safety rails at Woodbine. From 2006 until 2018, Driedger held the position of Director of Thoroughbred Racing Surfaces at Woodbine. In 2019 he returned the Jockeys' Benefit Association of Canada to again assume the role of Secretary-Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 2021.
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