Jack Short (2009)

Jack Short was a legend from a time when fans flocked to witness the thrill of live horse racing at the tracks in Vancouver and Greater Victoria. As a track announcer, his trademark "And there they go" got people's attention, especially if they hadn't yet placed their bet. A former local stable boy and apprentice jockey who was around tracks from age 11, Jack experienced almost every aspect of the business, from riding, being a jockey's agent and trainer to ownership and breeding. But it was calling the races that earned him his most enduring reputation. He began in 1933 by recreating races on Vancouver radio station CKMO - complete with sound effects - and graduated to the real thing in 1934. He became "The Voice of the Races" calling races live and on radio, on both sides of Georgia Strait, including the Willows, Colwood and Sandown tracks around Victoria. By the time he broadcast his final "Adios Amigos" in 1982, he had called almost 48,000 races and missed just three days of work.