Alberta Horseman Ken Anderson Passes Away

Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Alberta Thoroughbred owner, trainer and breeder Ken Anderson who passed away at the age of 74 years on December 30, 2020. 

Ken trained and raced horses all over Alberta for many years and took on various roles in the industry including that of race secretary for the Canada West Turf Club from 1982 to 1992. Under the Bar 17 Stables name, Ken bred such well-known Alberta horses as 2011 Alberta bred Champion Hollywood Dreams and 2012 Alberta bred Champion Hollywood Drama. Other Bar 17 Stables runners included the stakes winner Honey Candy, sired by their stallion, Desperately, and 2015 two year old Sales Stake winner, Modernotis.  

Ken was a consistent supporter of the CTHS Alberta Sale, regularly consigning quality yearlings including the high seller at the 2018 sale. His dedication to the industry was recognized when he and his wife, Maxine, were awarded the 2017 Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award and Horseperson of the Year in recognition of their lifetime personal involvement and contribution for the love of the Thoroughbred. 

Ken’s invaluable expertise and generous offers of support to those in the Alberta Thoroughbred industry will be missed greatly.

Ken was born in Trochu, Alberta on July 27, 1946, the second of two children born to Margaret and Walter Anderson. He is survived by his wife, Maxine, daughter Shelly (Colin) Creasy of Brownfield and their children Clayton and Lucas; son Cody (Tara) Anderson of Trochu and their child Marilyn; daughter Dayna (Brendon) Feely in New Zealand and their children Brooklyn and Daniel; and daughter Robin (John) McCulloch of Ardrossan and their child Caitlin. He is also survived by three great grandchildren, Cash, Aubrey, and Cooper Creasy, as well as a brother Marvin. He was predeceased by his parents, his first wife Marilyn, and by an infant son, Shane.  

Ken obtained his schooling at Fairmount, Huxley, Trochu, and Edmonton and then went on to study Agricultural Mechanics at SAIT before getting married and then returning to the family farm where he farmed with his dad until 1983. During this time, Ken and Marilyn built their own new log home on the Bar 17 Ranch about 7 miles NW of Trochu and increasingly focused on running Thoroughbreds on the B-Circuit where, eventually, he became the racing coordinator for the Canada West Turf Association, 1981 – 1992.   

Ken was always an avid horseman and an especially close friend to Howard (Shady) Green, a legend in cowboy circles, as well as Bill Greenwood, also a famous chuckwagon driver. He continued to own, board, breed and train Thoroughbreds throughout his life, knew the bloodlines of horses everywhere, and also had numerous close friends in the Thoroughbred community. He also seemed to be able to do almost anything: welding, carpentering, shoeing horses, operating farm machinery, restoring old furniture, collecting antiques, doing leatherwork, or pulling a horse trailer all over Alberta. Prior to having increasingly more medical issues, he always had a mischievous twinkle in his eye and a fun-filled life with friends and family. 

The greatest dignity to be found in death is the dignity of the life that preceded it. Sure, he could have missed the pain, but then he would have also missed the dance. He ran a very good race and he did it his way.'

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