Jim Day
Encyclopedia
James E. "Jim" Day (born July 2, 1946 in Thornhill, Ontario
) is a Canadian
Olympic
equestrian
show jumping
champion and thoroughbred
horse trainer
.
Day first joined the Canadian International Team in 1964, and in 1966 tied the record high jump
of 7 feet 1 inch at the National Horse Show in New York. Day took gold in individual jumping at the 1967 Pan American Games
. Day was named Canada's Horseman of the Year three years running in 1966 through 1968. In 1968, he was a member of Canada's gold-medal
equestrian team at the Summer Olympics
in Mexico City
. At 22 years of age, Day was the youngest member of the show jumping team. In the 1972 Olympics in Munich
he finished 4th individually, and a team 6th. In the 1976 Summer Olympics he competed in both the show jumping and three day eventing competitions, coming in 15th individually and 5th team in the show jumping, and not finishing the three day eventing competition, although the Canadian team came in 6th.
In 1971, Day took a job training race horses for Ernie Samuel, who had recently founded Sam-Son Farm. Day assisted in building the operation into a top Thoroughbred
racing and breeding facility over the next 25 years. His training successes include two American Eclipse Award
s, five Canadian Horse of the Year
honors, two Queen's Plate
awards, the Breeders' Cup Distaff
and the Canadian Triple Crown
in 1991. Day was voted Canada's top trainer
on four occasions.
In 1995, Day left the employ of Sam-Son Farm and continues training for others. In 1997 he became only the third trainer to ever win Arlington Park's
Mid-America Triple. His horse Honor Glide
won the three races made up of the Arlington Classic Stakes in late June, the American Derby
in July, and the Secretariat Stakes
in August.
Jim Day was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 1968 and into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1971.
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
champion and thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
.
Day first joined the Canadian International Team in 1964, and in 1966 tied the record high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
of 7 feet 1 inch at the National Horse Show in New York. Day took gold in individual jumping at the 1967 Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
. Day was named Canada's Horseman of the Year three years running in 1966 through 1968. In 1968, he was a member of Canada's gold-medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
equestrian team at the Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. At 22 years of age, Day was the youngest member of the show jumping team. In the 1972 Olympics in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
he finished 4th individually, and a team 6th. In the 1976 Summer Olympics he competed in both the show jumping and three day eventing competitions, coming in 15th individually and 5th team in the show jumping, and not finishing the three day eventing competition, although the Canadian team came in 6th.
In 1971, Day took a job training race horses for Ernie Samuel, who had recently founded Sam-Son Farm. Day assisted in building the operation into a top Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racing and breeding facility over the next 25 years. His training successes include two American Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
s, five Canadian Horse of the Year
Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year
The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honor in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing....
honors, two Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
awards, the Breeders' Cup Distaff
Breeders' Cup Distaff
The Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Distaff from its inception in 1984 through 2007, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders'...
and the Canadian Triple Crown
Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Canadian Triple Crown is a series of three Thoroughbred horse races run annually in Canada which is open to three-year-old horses foaled in Canada...
in 1991. Day was voted Canada's top trainer
Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer
The Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer is a Canadian thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada. Part of the Sovereign Awards, the "Outstanding Trainer" laurel is similar to the Eclipse Award given to horse trainers in the United...
on four occasions.
In 1995, Day left the employ of Sam-Son Farm and continues training for others. In 1997 he became only the third trainer to ever win Arlington Park's
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
Mid-America Triple. His horse Honor Glide
Honor Glide
Honor Glide is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Sired by Honor Grades, whose grandsire was Northern Dancer and whose damsire was Secretariat, Honor Glide was bred by Bonnie Heath Farm. He was purchased for $31,000 at the 1995 Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale by Robert G...
won the three races made up of the Arlington Classic Stakes in late June, the American Derby
American Derby
The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at the city's old Washington Park race track and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed and the track demolished....
in July, and the Secretariat Stakes
Secretariat Stakes
The Secretariat Stakes is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1¼ miles . Held annually in mid August, it is the brother of both the Arlington Million and the Beverly D...
in August.
Jim Day was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 1968 and into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1971.