Robert B. Watson (1913–1997) was a

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

. He was born in

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, Scotland, the son of Helen Booth and her husband, Alexander Watson. In his youth, the family emigrated to

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where they settled in the city of

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, Ontario where Alexander Watson became involved in Thoroughbred racing. Alexander's sister, Georgina, married Ross Robertson, and they too emigrated to the

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. Their son, Alfred Robertson, was also a highly successful jockey who was inducted in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. In 1937, amidst rumours of race-fixing, Bobby Watson was one several jockeys whose licence was revoked by the Canadian Racing Association for what was deemed to be "suspicious behaviour." Reinstated, in 1939 he began winning important races at

Old Woodbine Race Course Greenwood Raceway (originally Woodbine Race Course) was a horse racing facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Woodbine Race Course Inaugurated in 1874 as Woodbine Race Course at the foot of Woodbine Avenue and Lake Ontario, it was owned ...

and, according to his induction biography at the

, "Watson absolutely dominated horse racing in Ontario in the 1940s." Watson won a total of nine of the Classic races that would later form the official Canadian Triple Crown series including all three in 1945 aboard Uttermost. As well, he is the only three-time winner of the prestigious

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, doing it in consecutive years. Bobby Watson retired from riding in the 1950s, ending a career that spanned more than 25 years. He served as an Ontario racing steward for the

Jockey Club of Canada {{Short description, Former Canadian jockey club The Jockey Club of Canada was formed in 1973 to oversee thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the club is responsible for the annual Sovereign Awards program and the Canadian ...

in the 1970s and 1980s.

References

* Cauz, Louis E. ''The Plate'' (1984) Deneau Publishers
Robert Watson at the Canadian Horse Racing and Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Robert B. 1913 births 1997 deaths Canadian jockeys Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees British emigrants to Canada Sportspeople from Aberdeen Sportspeople from Toronto