Blog Post

Lynn Chouinard Passes Away

Lindsay Ward • Dec 11, 2017

March 26, 1943 - December 7, 2017

The Alberta Thoroughbred community has lost a valued member with the passing of Lynn Chouinard on December 7. Mr. Chouinard was an influential breeder, owner and builder in the industry for the past thirty years through his racing and breeding farm, Bar None Ranches.


Mr. Chouinard and his family built Bar None Ranches into a world class facility which has bred and raced numerous stakes winners and champions including such familiar names as Code Name Fred, Silver Baubles, Fuhr Ore and Gone in a Flash. Bar None Ranches has received many awards over the years as a leading Alberta breeder and owner with its runners earning over $8.6 Million since the year 2000. Mr. Chouinard received the prestigious Ken Cohoe Trophy for Horseperson of the Year in 2005 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the industry.

After a cancer diagnosis twelve year ago, Mr. Chouinard defied the odds with his confident spirit and determination, telling Jonathan Huntington of the Edmonton Sun in 2006 that “You just stay positive and live a day at a time.” His willpower saw him through to the end of this racing season and the inaugural Century Downs Meet. Mr. Chouinard braved the snowy conditions and visited Century Downs in person on the last weekend of the season to cheer on his own Bar None horse, Surging Star, to a win. Another Bar None owned and raised horse, Remarkable Vintage, also earned the title of leading Alberta bred for the entire Century Downs meet. It was a great way to close the season for Mr. Chouinard who told Horse Racing Alberta in a 2006 interview that, “I would like to be remembered as someone who made racing very, very competitive.”

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. James Catholic Church (338 Ave and 32 Street East, Okotoks, AB) on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. Interment will be a private family event. Donations in memory of Lynn may be made to Charitable Foundation of the Family (130, 4019-8th St SE Calgary, T2G 3A5, 403-278-0249. www.familycharity.ca ) The Foundation is a charity Lynn cared a great deal about which supports those less fortunate in the area he lived and worked in. Photos, memories and condolences may be shared with Lynn's family through www.evanjstrong.com. Arrangements in care of EVAN J. STRONG FUNERAL SERVICES. 403-265-1199.

Click here to read the obituary for Lynn Chouinard

Share

By CTHS Alberta 01 May, 2024
Job opening at the CTHS Alberta for a General Manager position. Deadline is May 30th, 2024. The position is based in NE Calgary and reports to the President of the CTHS Alberta Division.
By Admin 18 Apr, 2024
Opening Weekend/ Kentucky Derby Experience! Limited tickets available! Join us in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Kentucky Derby. Don't miss the excitement taking place on Saturday, May 4th in the suites at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino. V.I.P. access tickets are $55.00 plus GST each and include access to the suites, program, appetizers. Premium access tickets are $70.00 plus GST and include tables against the glass, betting voucher and one drink ticket per person. Limited tickets available. Please call the CTHS Alberta office at 403-229-3609 or email cthsweb@cthsalta.com to book your tickets.
By Admin 18 Apr, 2024
The CTHS Alberta is pleased to announce that Mr. Curtis Stock will be the recipient of the 2023 Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award at the Night of Champions. The Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award is to reward lifelong personal involvement and contribution for the love of the Thoroughbred.
By Admin 13 Apr, 2024
Save the date!! RSVP deadline is now Friday, April 26th. Come out and celebrate all the accomplishments of the Alberta racing industry in the past season. It's the 50th Annual Night of Champions on Friday, May 3rd and we're celebrating with a "Shake, Rattle and Roll; Fabulous 50s Party!" Please RSVP by Friday, April 26th to 403-229-3609 or email cthsweb@cthsalta.com. The Royal Hotel - Edmonton Airport has a special room rate of $119.00 per night for Night of Champions attendees! #ABBredsrock #NightOfChampions #PeoplesChoice
By Admin 20 Mar, 2024
People’s Choice Award: Decade Five 2014 – 2023 Thundering Trails: Alberta’s Decade of Speedy Thoroughbreds The third decade opened with Taylor’s Swift’s release of ‘1989’, which went on to be one of the best-selling albums of the decade, Malaysian airline flight 370 mysteriously disappeared and racing fans voted California Chrome’s win in the 140th Kentucky Derby the top racing moment of 2014. SMART FIX ran the first race of her career at Northlands, Jimmy Fallon took over the Tonight show and a 37 year drought was ended when American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown in 2015. The CTHS Alberta sale graduate SMART FIX went on to race for seven seasons and earned the title of 2019 Champion Alberta bred and Horse of the Year.
By Admin 12 Mar, 2024
Speeding Through the Decade: Alberta’s Thunderous Thoroughbred Triumphs (2004 – 2013) The next decade unfolded with the launch of Facebook, the imprisonment of Martha Stewart and Smarty Jones earning a $5 Million bonus for his victory in the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby.Hurricane Katrina had just devastated the US Gulf Coast and Zenyatta was a $60,000 yearling purchase at the 2005 September Keeneland Yearling Sale when CTHS Alberta yearling sale graduate, TEAGUES FIGHT began his racing career at Stampede Park.
By Admin 06 Mar, 2024
People’s Choice Award: Decade Three 1994 - 2003 Legendary Hooves: Alberta’s Golden Decade of Thoroughbred Racing (1994 – 2003) The first year of this decade was memorable. Tonya Harding created a figure skating drama that became one of the greatest scandals in sports history, Wayne Gretzky tied Gordie Howe’s NHL record of 801 goals and Go for Gin won the 120th Kentucky Derby but never another race.
By Admin 28 Feb, 2024
The first year of this decade was of special note for Thoroughbreds in North America. Hollywood Park was the site of the very first Breeders’ Cup, John Henry was the first Thoroughbred to win $6 million and the 110th Kentucky Derby was won by Swale. The movie Back to the Future was released in 1985, Coca-Cola changed its secret formula and then quickly brought the 99 year old recipe back a few months later and ROAD TO PONDER was on the track at Woodbine for the beginning of a four year racing career. Mainly racing out of Alberta, this chestnut horse had lifetime earnings of $268,881.
By Admin 28 Feb, 2024
Alberta breds Running Elsewhere Congratulations to all the connections of Alberta bred PIPER ROSE, winner of the $17,000 Race 10 at Turf Paradise on February 26th. The ten year old mare ran the one mile race in a field of eight to win for owners Bennie Woolley Jr. and Mitchell Cathey. Piper Rose was bred by Lamont Heppner and ran for six years in Alberta, winning both the 2017 Alberta Oaks and the 2020 Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap.
By Admin 21 Feb, 2024
The inaugural year for Night of Champions was 1974 and what a year it was. President Nixon was the first U.S. President in history to resign, CANNONADE won the Kentucky Derby and the cost of a 30 second Super Bowl ad was $107,000 US. There was a “Rumble in the Jungle” and Alberta Bred, WESTERN DANGLER won five of six races including the BIrdcatcher and the Stampede Futurity Stakes. Bred by Elmbrook Stables, owned by Diron Farms, trained by R.K.Smith and ridden by Rick Hedge, WESTERN DANGLER raced from 1974 to 1981 with 68 starts, and career earnings of $117,518.00
Show More
Share by: