You know his voice- now meet the man behind the race calling at Alberta Downs.
Murray graduated from University of Regina with a BA at the age of 20 and continued on to earn a diploma in communications at Lethbridge College. It was here in Lethbridge that he would get his first bite of calling the races.
Already a fan of racing from his Regina days Murray use to go to Whoop-Up to watch the races. He was doing some volunteer work calling sports for a local cable channel and had some racing knowledge so he was well on his way. Max Gibb hired him on as an announcer at Whoop-Up when he was 23.
Murray told me the first raced he ever called was a quarter horse dash and it lasted 15 seconds.
As well as Lethbridge, Murray was also the announcer at Stampede Park, AND believe it or not even made the 14 hour roundtrip drive to Grande Prairie 1-2 times a week to announce for the summer meets up there.
Now that’s loving your job!
So what else does Murray do away from racing? He is the Co-Owner and Operations manager of Soil Kings INC, a bulk landscape company in Calgary. A company he started with two friends in 2009 after racing at Stampede Park ended. He has proudly watched that company grow into a thriving and successful business today. Hard work paid off for Murray and although his summers are very busy with his soil business and his track announcing...he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Besides working Murray is an avid sports fan both as a player, as a spectator and in the fantasy pool leagues. Murray loves his free time in the winter months so he can play lots of hockey- which he loves.
I have chatted on a few occasions with Murray about horses or hockey and the knowledge and memory he has when it comes to stats in any field of sport would astound you.

So an interview with an announcer wouldn’t be complete without asking this question....
“So what was your favourite race to ever call?”
For anyone that remembers this day you would agree with his response.
Nat Christie winner 2004-The Bruster
He tells it with the same enthusiasm and excitement from that day.
It was such a Cinderella story, Spud (Bruce McCormac) had bought the horse for $500 & he put a relatively young and unknown driver on the horse (Robert Shepherd), it was being televised and for some reason everyone picked that horse to win in the second heat. It turned out to be Murrays favourite kind of race with lots of action up front (half in 54:1) - he knew a horse was going to win off the pace. When Murray saw The Bruster tip 5 wide on the final turn he kind of got choked up and combined with the roar of the grandstand (being the loudest he had ever heard) it was an amazing moment and one he never will forget.
Hope we can all remember those moments and memories that remind of us why we all love this sport so much.