Mainly pride and admiration, but also a touch of sadness after he officially called time on his partner JB’s professional career as a course leader.
At the age of 22, ‘Wiggy’ felt it was an opportune time for his partner in crime to retire after ten years of service to the running community.
It also served as a full-circle moment, as the duo began their duties at Methven after answering a call from Ricky and Judy May to intervene. As they say, the rest is history.
JB still looks as healthy and happy as ever, but is retiring and will take on another important role: as a pleasure horse for Craig’s daughter. It’s an opportunity for the quarter horse to stay active and live a quieter life.
When asked about a standout memory as part of Trackside’s Sunday Session program, one clearly came to Craig’s mind.
“One day in Rangiora several drivers were tipped off and after they tried to catch a horse on the outside of me, it dived in and we had to cut the corner to catch it.”
“What I realized then was that there were still drivers on the track just 100 yards away – the old guy got a standing ovation when he got back to the birdcage,” he said proudly.
When our competitors take to the track, it’s horses like JB and people like Craig Wiggins that keep them safe, and sometimes we don’t realize how important they are until occasionally things go wrong.
On behalf of the industry, happy retirement and thank you JB.
By means of Brittany Graham for Harness Racing New Zealand
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