“The Man… the Myth… the Legend”: As Popular Equestrian Commentator Receives a Prestigious Honor, Resurfaced Video Reveals His Exceptional Origins

The equestrian race is an enjoyable one with millions of followers around the world. The spectators and enthusiasts who watch the race live have their excitement increased with the flawless commentary that goes with the race. There have been legendary commentators over the years who have graced the sport and among them is Trevor Denman.

The voice at Del Mar and Santa Anita for a long time and the one credited with bringing the revolution in the race calling with his rare style. Trevor has recently announced the recipient of the prestigious Laffit Pincay Jr. Award. But, behind this achievement stands a humble story of dedication and passion which he had shared in the past.

Trevor Denman recites his equestrian start

In the wake of the announcement of the recipient of the prestigious award, a clip was posted on Twitter (X) where Denman was sharing his exceptional story of doing commentary for the horse race.  The story was shared by TVG with a caption saying “The man… the myth… the legend! California staple Trevor Denman calls the races at Del Mar. Do you know how he got started?” The legendary announcer was born and raised in Durban, South Africa, and took the first steps of his equestrian career there. His introduction to the sport came at an early age through the prevalent horse racing culture.

When he reached his teens he desired to be an announcer at the race track. In those days, there were three horse racing tracks and one of them had two announcers. When was 16 years of age he went to the racing track officials and conveyed his desire to an announcer. But, they had already so they declined. After a few years, one day Denman’s luck shine and the one announcer at the race track he approached earlier left the job.

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The race track officials were in a lurch and then when they remembered him and called him to the job. Initially, for the first six races he announced on a tape recorder, and from the seventh race, he was live. Thus, the illustrious equestrian announcer career started which continues to entertain to date. Trevor is known for his distinctive style and has brought a change to horse racing announcements after moving to the US.

Denman brought his unique style to equestrian racing

Trevor Denman moved to the United States in 1983 and was successful in impressing officials at the two prestigious tracks – Santa Anita and Del Mar. He started announcing on both tracks and steadily became one of the top announcers in the country. Denman worked at Santa Anita till 2015 but continued his association with Del Mar to date. Denman brought his unique style of calling unheard before in the States. Earlier all focus was on horses, their position in the race, and their distance was described in lengths.

Denman always gave his commentary on horse racing as if he is telling a story. He was successful in telling the quick tale in a form that helped his listeners form the picture of the race. His many phrases became popular and word of mouth among spectators like “And Away They Go” and “Soooo impressive“. Laffit Pincay Jr. Award is given to individuals who have served the horse racing sport with dedication and distinction. Trevor Denman has obviously doing so for the past few decades with his unique and impressive style of announcement.

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