Richard Terence May, known as Ricky May, is a New Zealand harness racing driver. He is notable for winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup seven times and one of only three drivers to have over 3000 New Zealand winners.
Background Ricky's grandfather Clarrie May was a blacksmith at Methven and trained and drove Loyal Nurse to win the 1946 Auckland Trotting Cup.
Ricky's father Terry May was also a horse trainer and driver. He was notable for training and driving the well performed pacer Palestine in the late 1970s who won the Hannon Memorial twice, Kaikoura Cup and Alan Matson Free For All.
Racing career Ricky commenced as a junior driver in the 1976/77 season and his first win was on 27 November 1976 at Orari, with his grandmother's horse Ruling River, that was trained by his father.
In February 1997 he drove his 1000th winner. In that year he also placed 4th in the World drivers championship in Germany.
In the 2003/04 season May won the New Zealand drivers premiership with 105 winners for the season. That was his only premiership win although he did manage to beat that total with 115 wins in the 2013 season.
In the 2007/08 season May became the third New Zealand harness driver to achieve 2000 wins, joining Tony Herlihy and Maurice McKendry.
In 2013 he was inducted into the Addington Harness Hall of Fame.
On 2 January 2020 May was driving A G's White Socks in the Central Otago Cup at the Omakau meeting. He collapsed and slumped in the sulky while the horse headed down the straight. A fellow driver Ellie Barron, a qualified physiotherapist, performed CPR on May and doctors came from the crowd to assist before he was taken to Dunedin hospital by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter. He was told his heart had stopped and he had died for 10 minutes. The official diagnosis was hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, a sometimes genetic condition where heart muscles thicken, making it hard for the heart to operate. He had surgery to have a cardioverter defibrillator implanted in his chest.
May had a good recovery and was back driving horses at race meetings about six months later. In July 2021 he went on to pass 3000 winning drives when he drove Sheeza Artist to win at Addington Raceway, becoming the third to reach the total after Tony Herlihy and Maurice McKendry. He also holds the record for driving more races in New Zealand than anyone else.https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news/ricky-may-drives-3000th-winner/https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news/maybe-the-greatest-comeback/
Ricky and his wife Judy have a farm in Methven and have adult children.
Notable wins
The following are some of the major races Ricky has won.
Year Race Horse Trainer(s)1982 OctAshburton Flying StakesVita Man Alistair Malcolmson1987 SepAshburton Flying Stakes (2)Happy Sunrise Brian Saunders1988 MayRowe CupHighwood Warren Stapleton1989 AprNorthern DerbyInky Lord Brian Saunders1989 Oct Hannon MemorialInky Lord Brian Saunders 1989 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup Inky Lord Brian Saunders 1990 AprEaster CupInky Lord Brian Saunders 1990 DecInvercargill CupField CommanderBrian Saunders1992 SepMethven CupKirchdorfRon Fraser1996 NovNew Zealand Free For AllIraklis Robert Cameron 1996 NovMonsanto Mile Free For All (Renwick FFA)New Age ManLaurence Hanrahan1996 DecMiracle Mile Pace Iraklis Robert Cameron 1997 FebVictoria DerbyLavros StarRobert Cameron1997 SepHannon Memorial (2)Iraklis Robert Cameron 1997 OctAshburton Flying Stakes (3)Iraklis Robert Cameron 1997 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup (2)Iraklis Robert Cameron 1997 NovNew Zealand Sires Stakes Final (G1)Christian CullenBrian O'Meara1998 SepHannon Memorial (3)Iraklis Robert Cameron 1998 NovDominion Handicap Cedar FellaWarren Stapleton 2001 OctAshburton Flying Stakes (4)Panky's PacerRobert Dunn 2002 SepHannon Memorial (4) Panky's PacerRobert Dunn 2004 AprEaster Cup (2)Blue Chip RockJoe Hill2005 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup (3)Mainland Banner Robert Dunn 2005 MayNew Zealand OaksMainland Banner Robert Dunn2005 DecAustralian Trotting Grand Prix (G1)Allegro AgitatoPhil Williamson2006 FebNew Zealand Breeders Stakes (G1, F & M)Mainland Banner Robert Dunn2006 MarNew Zealand Trotting ChampionshipAllegro AgitatoPhil Williamson2006 AprEaster Cup (3)Baileys DreamSteven Reid2006 AprNoel Taylor MileMainland Banner Robert Dunn2006 MayNew Zealand Messenger Mainland BannerRobert Dunn 2006 DecLyell Creek StakesAllegro AgitatoPhil Williamson2006 DecNational TrotAllegro AgitatoPhil Williamson2007 SepHannon Memorial (5)Baileys DreamSteven Reid2007 OctMethven Cup (2)Baileys DreamSteven Reid2008 MarEaster Cup (4)Monkey King Steven Reid 2009 AprEaster Cup (5)Monkey King Brendon Hill 2009 MarInvercargill Cup (2)Mr MollyBen Waldron2009 OctRenwick Free For All (2)Monkey King Brendon Hill 2009 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup (4)Monkey King Brendon Hill 2009 NovNew Zealand Free For All (2) Monkey King Brendon Hill2009 NovMiracle Mile Pace (2)Monkey KingBrendon Hill2010 Mar Auckland Trotting CupMonkey King Brendon Hill 2010 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup (5)Monkey King Brendon Hill 2010 NovNew Zealand Free For All (3)Monkey King Brendon Hill 2010 NovDominion Handicap (2) Stylish Monarch Murray Tapper 2011 Sep Hannon Memorial (6)Monkey King Brendon Hill 2012 OctAshburton Flying Stakes (5)Terror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2012 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup (6)Terror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2013 MarEaster Cup (6)Terror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2013 OctAshburton Flying Stakes (6)Terror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2013 NovNew Zealand Trotting Cup (7)Terror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2014 MayAuckland Trotting Cup (2)Terror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2014 DecCranbourne CupTerror to Love Graham & Paul Court 2015 DecLyell Creek Stakes (2) MonbetGreg & Nina Hope2015 DecNational Trot (2) MonbetGreg & Nina Hope2016 JanAustralasian Trotting Championship, MeltonMonbetGreg & Nina Hope 2016 AprRowe Cup (2)Monbet Greg & Nina Hope 2016 NovDominion Handicap (3)Monbet Greg & Nina Hope 2016 DecNational Trot (3)Quite A MomentGreg & Nina Hope2018 MarEaster Cup (7)A G's White Socks Greg & Nina Hope2018 AprNoel Taylor Mile (2)A G's White Socks Greg & Nina Hope
Inter Dominions In March 1997 Ricky drove Iraklis in the Inter Dominion at Globe Derby winning a heat and placing second in two others to Quantum Lobell and Our Sir Vancelot respectively. They then finished 3rd in the grand final behind Our Sir Vancelot and Rainbow Knight.
In February/March 2010 Ricky drove Monkey King in the Inter Dominion at Harold Park and Newcastle, Sydney. Ricky drove Monkey King to wins in his two heats and was placed second in the grand final behind Blacks A Fake with Smoken Up 3rd and Changeover 4th.
In March 2013 Ricky drove Terror to Love in the Inter Dominion grand final placing 4th behind Im Themightyquinn, Mah Sish and Excel Stride.
See also Harness racing in New Zealand
References