The Alberta Thoroughbred community lost a valued member when Lynn Chouinard died Dec. 7 at the age of 75.
Chouinard was an influential breeder, owner, and builder in the industry for the past 30 years through his racing and breeding farm, Bar None Ranches near Dewinton, Alberta. Chouinard and his family built Bar None Ranches into a world-class facility, which 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.
The farm received many awards over the years as a leading Alberta breeder and owner with runners earning more than $8.6 million since 2000. 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 12 year ago, 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.
Chouinard braved snowy conditions to visit 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 2017 Century Downs meet.
It was a great way to close the season for 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."
