Perfect records are sparse in horse racing, which makes Red’s Hawk a rare animal.

A foal of 1954 by Dark Hawk out of Dallas Babe, Red’s Hawk produced a dozen foals and all 12 turned out to be winners on the racetrack. Four of them won major stakes in Western Canada.

Lucky Spot won the Ascot Sophomore Stakes at Hastings and the Oneonta Handicap at Santa Anita. Major Mack captured the Alberta Derby and the Derby Trial. Nancy Hawk, one of the most explosive stretch runners in Hastings history, won the B.C. Oaks and Brighouse Belles and Winning Red starred in the Canadian Derby, the Alberta Derby and the Victoria Park Derby.

She is only the third broodmare to join the Hall of Fame, joining So And So and Alta Mira.

Red’s Hawk was owned and bred by the late Nels Jensen (1912 – 1974) and named after his wife Isabelle, whose nickname was “Red”.

Nels was a resourceful entrepreneur and at different times ran a convenience store, several butcher shops, a tack shop, and dabbed in cattle. But his first love was horses and he brought them from California and Washington by the truckload for resale in British Columbia.

One horse be brought north was Dark Hawk. He was sold to Bill and Al McLean and became one of the greatest sires in the province. His best son was George Royal, who becomes more of a legend with each passing year.

Red’s Hawk was a direct result of Jensen’s deep love of horses.

He rescued Red’s Hawk’s dam, Dallas Babe, from deplorable circumstances in Washington. The horse was in such shocking condition that she had to be hoisted on to a truck to be transported to the farm. Her ankles had calcified and she had trouble walking.

Despite These problems the mare responded to the care of the Jensen’s and produced four foals including the stakes-placed Tui-Lyke. Red’s Hawk had one win and three seconds in six starts for modest earnings of $1,200. But her foals earned a total of $285,000.