Legendary N.B. jockey Ron Turcotte remembered as humble, courageous and resilient

A lifelong friend of New Brunswick's world-famous jockey, Ron Turcotte, said he's going to miss Turcotte more for the humble and kind man he was than for being a great athlete.

Turcotte, renowned rider of the legendary horse Secretariat — winner of the coveted Triple Crown in 1973 — was born in Drummond, near Grand Falls, N.B. The 84-year-old died Friday at his home in Drummond.

Turcotte won over 3,000 races, with earnings of more than $28.6 million. He was inducted into six different halls of fame and also received the Order of Canada.

"He liked those things, you know, and he wore his hall of fame rings with pride, but that was not what he was about ... while he appreciated it and certainly enjoyed it, it was the simpler things in life that he liked the most," Leonard Lusky told CBC's Shift NB.

Things like food, faith and family were what Turcotte appreciated the most, said Lusky, who was Turcotte's longtime business partner.

In 1978, a fall at Belmont Park ended Turcotte's racing career and left him a paraplegic.

Afterwards, Turcotte travelled across Canada and the U.S. to spread awareness about the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, a charity that supports riders who have suffered lifelong injuries on the track.

"As long as I knew him, he never felt sorry for himself, he never talked about his injury in a way that would warrant any sort of pity," said Lusky.

"He was kind, he was courageous, he was resilient."

Lusky recalled one time when the team was at Belmont Stakes and packing up after a long day. He said Turcotte was exhausted after signing autographs for over 10 hours when a lady walked up to him and began talking.

Lusky said Turcotte stood there and answered every question patiently without showing how tired he