Former jockey Kenneth “Chopper” Bourque passed away in Taylorsville, Ky. on Tuesday at the age of 67, according to Daily Racing Form. The cause of his death was cancer, according to Bourque's son.
Bourque was born in Erath, La. and got his start as a jockey by riding bush races around south central Louisiana. He went on to win his first official race in 1969 at Evangeline Downs. He eventually moved to the East Coast in further pursuit of his career at Charles Town, where he only remained for a short while before returning to Louisiana.
The jockey retired in 1999 with 2,467 wins and $20.4 million purse earnings, according to Jockey Club statistics. He retired to spend more time with his wife and six children.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
Paulick Report contributor Liane Crossley caught up with Bourque in late 2019, at which time he was still working as an assistant clerk of scales in the jockeys' quarters as a way to stay close to the sport he loved. You can find that profile here.
Read more at the Daily Racing Form
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