Leo Wood dropped out of school in the eighth grade and then painted cars at an auto repair shop and hauled wood. However, when his day jobs ended, he would break and train horses locally in Lubbock. In 1973, Leo went to Ruidoso and won the Rainbow Futurity with Flying Rockette. In the 70s and early 80s, Leo was one of the top 10 trainers in the nation. He believed that the harder you worked, the luckier you were. He also had a reputation for breaking horses that no one else wanted to ride.
Leo trained Pie In The Sky who won the All American Futurity in 1979. The purse for the race was $1 million, and the first place pay-out for owners Dan and Jolene Urschel was $437,500. Leo took his share of the winnings and used it for a down payment on 90 acres in Lubbock. This is the land where Blane Wood, Leo’s son, now has his training farm. Blane said “I wanted him to win it (the All American Futurity) because he deserved to win it. He worked hard to get to the All American.” Blane was part of Leo’s barn crew by that time, and it was he who ponied Pie In The Sky to the starting gate that Labor Day.
Leo also trained Mighty Deck Three and was, in large part, responsible for the building of Lubbock Downs. He is considered a true pioneer of quarter horse racing by his contemporaries. Leo Wood passed away in 1995 at the age of 55.
Leo trained Pie In The Sky who won the All American Futurity in 1979. The purse for the race was $1 million, and the first place pay-out for owners Dan and Jolene Urschel was $437,500. Leo took his share of the winnings and used it for a down payment on 90 acres in Lubbock. This is the land where Blane Wood, Leo’s son, now has his training farm. Blane said “I wanted him to win it (the All American Futurity) because he deserved to win it. He worked hard to get to the All American.” Blane was part of Leo’s barn crew by that time, and it was he who ponied Pie In The Sky to the starting gate that Labor Day.
Leo also trained Mighty Deck Three and was, in large part, responsible for the building of Lubbock Downs. He is considered a true pioneer of quarter horse racing by his contemporaries. Leo Wood passed away in 1995 at the age of 55.