Longtime Trainer Bob Meeking Dies at 94
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Photo: Courtesy of Emerald Downs
Bob Meeking
Bob Meeking, a trainer for over seven decades and one of the state's most popular and respected horsemen, passed away last week at 94.
Meeking, who owned the 60-acre Allaire Farms in Poulsbo with his wife Barbara, had been in poor health the last few years. After missing 2021 while dealing with treatment for colon cancer, Meeking returned to Emerald Downs in 2022 with a nine-horse stable and scored victories with Wheel Rally and Emerald Sea .
Robert A. Meeking was born June 6, 1928, in Victoria, British Columbia, and saddled his first starter in 1946 at Lansdowne Park in suburban Vancouver. Meeking trained for a remarkable 75 years, earning a reputation as a patient, high-percentage horseman while conditioning top-flight runners like Longacres Derby winners Mincemeat (1970) and Salad Sam (1976) and multiple stakes winner Bucksaw.
In 2018, Meeking participated in a unique contest at Emerald Downs when he saddled Trelawny to a runner-up finish in The Not in Any Rocking Chair starter allowance for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $3,500 or less in 2017-18 and whose trainer was born on or prior to June 6, 1928.
Meeking's final victory was July 22 with Emerald Sea, a 4-year-old filly that rallied for a two-length victory in a $15,000 claiming race. At Emerald Downs, Meeking saddled 198 winners with a win-rate at nearly 16%.