Duane Latimer: Canada’s Reining Royalty

Duane Latimer 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany

Updated:

July 4, 2020

By Kathy Smith

In 2012, we presented the winners of Horse Community Journals' Third Annual Readers’ Choice Awards, honouring remarkable horses and horse people for their achievements and contributions to Canada’s horse industry.

Congratulations to our deserving winners, and thank you to everyone who nominated and helped make the Readers’ Choice Awards a success.

Originally published in 2012, this article features Duane Latimer: Canada's Reining Royalty

As a National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) millionaire (having surpassed the $1 million rider NRHA lifetime earnings mark), NRHA Futurity Champion, the winner of six American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Championships, and two-time World Equestrian Game (WEG) individual medalist, Duane Latimer is a member of Canada’s reining royalty.

Duane Latimer World Equestrian Games, Robin Duncan Photography

Aboard Dun Playin Tag, Duane won the Individual Bronze Medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. Photo: Robin Duncan Photography

Growing up in Saskatchewan with a horse trainer for a father, and a mother who was also involved with horses, Duane was competing in reining classes at an early age, winning his first class when he was just 12 years old. The family moved to Alberta when Duane was 16, and was instrumental in promoting reining within the province and beyond.

“There wasn’t much reining when we moved out [there],” Duane said. “It was more cow horse oriented.”

From a very early age, Duane knew that he wanted to reach the top of his chosen sport, so he made the decision to move south to the US, where there were more opportunities. In 1992, while he and his wife, Wendy, were waiting to receive their “resident alien” cards for the US, they moved to Italy for three years, where Duane found work with a reining trainer. Eventually they moved to the States, and are now based in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Although Duane has scored many victories over the years, several stand out as being particularly memorable. In 2003, he won the NRHA Futurity aboard The Great Whiz.

That same year Duane became the fourth individual to become a NRHA Million Dollar Rider, and also broke the record of one-year earnings, previously held by American Shawn Flarida, with an annual earning of over $300,000. His total NRHA Earnings exceed $1.8 million, making him one of the most successful Canadian reiners in history.

The crowning glory of Duane’s reining career to date is his Individual Gold medal at the 2006 WEG in Aachen, Germany which he earned with a flawless performance aboard Hang Ten Surprize. Latimer describes the stallion as “an incredibly good minded horse – which is what you need for these international competitions.” Duane also helped Canada clinch the Team Silver medal.

Duane returned to the WEG in 2010 in Kentucky and took home another individual WEG medal for Canada, this one bronze, riding Dun Playin Tag, a 2004 Quarter Horse gelding.

With Individual Gold and Team Silver WEG medals under his belt, Duane’s next goal is to bring home a Team Gold medal for Canada.

More Winners

More by Kathy Smith

Main Photo: Duane walked away from the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, with Team Silver and Individual Gold Medals in reining. Credit: Clix Photography