Born in Drummond, New Brunswick, Canada, he began his career as a hot walker for E.P. Taylor's Windfield Farms in 1959 but he was soon wearing the silks and winning races. As an apprentice jockey he rode Windfield's great Northern Dancer to his first victory. Turcotte soon found himself working with trainer Lucien Laurin at the racetrack in Laurel, Maryland. In 1972 he rode Riva Ridge to victory in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.
Ron Turcotte became internationally famous in 1973 when he rode Secretariat to the first Triple Crown win in 25 years.
A winner of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, Ron Turcotte was North America's leading stakes-winning jockey in 1972 and 1973.
His career ended in 1978 following a tumble from his horse during a race at Belmont Park that left him a paraplegic. Ron Turcotte was immediately inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1979. On August 23, 1980, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Ron Turcotte's Riding Career from 1961-1978: