'Memorable Minute' -- Former Whitesville jockey recalls encounter with queen

Sep. 17—During Darrell Foster's 15 years as a jockey, he met his share of celebrities — former world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, actress Bo Derek and President Jimmy Carter to name a few.

Although Foster, 71, isn't one who likes to boast about his celebrity encounters, he said none of them compared to the "memorable minute" he spent with Queen Elizabeth II who passed away on Sept. 8 at age 96.

Foster became emotional when he heard the queen had died, which brought back the memory of that special day — Oct. 11, 1984.

Foster said it was just prior to racing in the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington that he came face to face with the British monarch.

"To be honest, I didn't even know we were going to get to meet her (up close)," said Foster, who now resides near Whitesville. "I thought maybe she'd be off a little bit and we'd see just her (from a distance)."

But the queen took the time to visit "the jocks' room" before the race.

Foster said he was among the 12 jockeys instructed by security to only speak to her if she speaks first and to only shake hands if she extends her hand.

And for Foster, she did both.

"So that was a shocker for me," said Foster, who estimated having just over a minute conversation with the queen. "... She was very gracious. It was a delight and an honor to shake her hand."

That day Foster rode Carson City Gal, a 3-year-old filly, that he had won on in July. However, it was jockey Keith Allen who rode Sinatra to victory that day.

"I don't remember where I finished but it was somewhere in the middle of the pack," Foster said.

Foster, a Philpot native, began his racing career seven years earlier, at age 26.

And he would give it up at age 41 in December 1992.

According to Equibase statistics, Foster won 973 races with more than $6 million in earnings during his career.

Foster said the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes "wasn't the biggest race," for him, but he described it as "the most prestigious" one of his career.

"As far as meeting anybody, she was the highlight," he said. "It's something you don't get to do every day. It was a very special time in my life and I'll never forget it."

Queen Elizabeth is set to be buried Monday inside St. George's Chapel within the walls of Windsor Castle, next to her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Don Wilkins, dwilkins@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7299